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Why is the U.S. B2B payments industry shifting so quickly you ask? Business payments in the U.S. are undergoing the biggest change since ACH was introduced in the 1970s. For decades, companies tolerated 2-5 day cycles, paper checks, and clunky approvals because there were no alternatives. That era is ending and ending are the cash flow operations that existed then.
Why are late payments still a problem for businesses?
But there is still a critical issue to resolve; late payments. Nearly 64% of companies face delays, with suppliers waiting an average of 43 days to get paid. In some industries, half of all B2B invoices are overdue, often stretching beyond 20 days past due. For SMBs, the problem is even sharper, three in four report late payments, and some are forced to wait as long as 105 days before cash arrives.
Are instant payments becoming the new normal?
66% of businesses say they would use instant payments if offered by their bank, and those who already do report higher satisfaction with their providers. Accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) are moving away from spreadsheets and endless email approvals as AI now codes invoices, flags errors, and routes approvals. For SMBs, this means a lean finance team can handle enterprise-level volumes.
Why real-time visibility matters for B2B?
Businesses have been struggling with cash flow operations, thinner margins, credit is harder to access for them, and SMBs can’t afford to guess when payments will arrive. That’s why real-time visibility matters more than ever. This explains the desperate shift of B2B payments.
TL;DR: The U.S. B2B payments market is shifting toward speed, automation, and transparency. SMBs adopting these practices now are gaining an edge over competitors stuck in legacy payment cycles.
What problems do traditional AP/AR systems create for SMBs?
Legacy systems actively drain time, money, and trust. Here’s where most SMBs struggle.
Manual invoice processing is slow and expensive
Manual invoice processing is costly, with businesses spending anywhere from $12 to $40 per invoice just to get it through the system. On top of the expense, invoices take two to three weeks to process, tying up valuable staff time. To make matters worse, nearly 39% of invoices have errors, which means even more time wasted rechecking and fixing mistakes.
Late payments choke cash flow operations
Late payments are one of the biggest threats to healthy cash flow operations. More than half of invoices are paid late, and one in three stretches beyond 90 days. SMBs spend over five hours a week chasing down unpaid bills, time that could be better used on growth. Every extra day of delay adds pressure, borrowing needs increase by about 1.1% per day, creating an estimated $278 billion in extra debt across U.S. businesses.
Vendor relationships suffer
Vendors quickly lose trust when payments are late, and that means businesses often miss out on early-payment discounts. In industries like construction, the impact is even harsher: Many businesses bridge payment gaps by dipping into savings (45%), relying on credit lines (45%), or swiping credit cards (44%) just to keep expenses covered as they wait for payments.
Disconnected tools make things worse
Most finance teams try to balance a messy mix of accounting software, fintech tools, spreadsheets, bank portals, and endless email threads. Since none of these systems connect properly, errors creep in, and data goes stale fast. The result? CFOs are left making critical financial decisions without accurate, real-time visibility.
TL;DR: Traditional systems mean slow invoices, late payments, damaged vendor trust, and disconnected data. SMB finance teams spend more time cleaning up than moving forward.
Why businesses are switching to Forwardly?
For years, SMBs lived with slow payments, manual approvals, and endless reconciliation because there wasn’t an alternative. The costs showed up as unpredictable cash flow, eroded vendor trust, and finance teams trapped in reactive work.
That reality has changed. With instant payment rails like FedNow Service and RTP Network, money can move in seconds instead of days, and automation now gives lean finance teams the kind of efficiency once reserved for enterprises. Businesses aren’t willing to accept lag and complexity as “normal” anymore, they see speed and visibility as essential to survival.
Forwardly plugs straight into that shift: it uses FedNow/RTP for real-time payments and brings automation to remove the spreadsheet chaos. Instead of integrating many tools in your finance tech stack, you get one place to move money fast and keep your eyes on cash, so your team can plan, not panic.
Control, visibility, and pricing that actually helps
Finance leaders are rejecting patchwork setups: QuickBooks Online, spreadsheets, and endless emails, that create errors and hide true cash positions. They’re turning to unified platforms that centralize AP, AR, and reconciliation in one place, with transparent pricing models that cut costs instead of layering on hidden fees. Forwardly is built for exactly this: control, clarity, and no games on price.
This is a competitive edge and not efficiency for its own sake. Paying faster secures better vendor terms, improves liquidity, and signals credibility in the market. For SMBs, switching to Forwardly is about building a durable competitive edge which is the kind late adopters will struggle to match.
TL;DR: Switch to Forwardly to get seconds-not-days payments, automation that ends reactive work, real-time cash visibility, and transparent pricing, so your business runs faster, cleaner, and stronger.
What pain points is Forwardly solving for businesses?
Switching isn’t about “trying a new tool.” It’s about fixing what’s fundamentally broken in B2B cash flow operations. Here’s how Forwardly is winning over U.S. businesses.
Real-time payments where it counts
Checks take days. ACH can take 2-5 days. Even “same-day” ACH isn’t always same-day. Forwardly rides on FedNow and RTP to move money in seconds, with same-day or next-day ACH as backup. Forwardly supports all major cards payments as well. For CFOs, this means one less sleepless night wondering if payroll or a vendor transfer will clear on time.
AR that collects itself
Chasing payments burns 5-10 hours a week for many SMBs. Forwardly changes the game: can auto-collect real-time payments from your customers, invoices can be paid instantly via secure links, with funds landing in seconds. Payments reconcile automatically into QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, or Zoho Books. That means no more “where did this deposit come from?” detective work.
AP without the bottlenecks
Forwardly offers a unified platform to automatically capture bills, and routes them for approval a dedicated email address provided by Forwardly. Smart workflows ensure the right eyes see the right invoices, while AI can clear low-risk items without human delay. Vendors can onboard themselves with all required details, W-9s, contracts, payment preferences, so AP runs without constant back-and-forth.
One platform, not five logins
SMBs are exhausted by siloed systems: bank portals, accounting software, spreadsheets, and manual trackers. Forwardly acts as the hub, integrating directly with major accounting platforms and can work without them as well. The result: CFOs and owners see AP, AR, cash flow forecasts, and payment status in one place.
Transparent pricing that protects margins
Banks love hidden fees. Forwardly doesn’t play that game. There are no subscription fees. Processing costs are transparent, and businesses can pass them to vendors or clients if they choose.
Designed for SMB scale
Enterprise tools are bloated and expensive while bank portals are rigid and outdated. Forwardly is designed specifically for SMBs who need high-volume processing, customizable approval chains, and the kind of visibility that previously only Fortune 500 finance teams enjoyed.
Implementation in minutes, not months
Traditional ERP or payments rollouts can drag on for quarters. With Forwardly, account setup, verification, and first payment can happen in minutes. That speed-to-value is a major reason SMBs are making the switch.
ROI and strategic value of switching to Forwardly
Forwardly upgrades payments and unlocks new efficiency, giving finance teams more control.
- Lower operating costs: Automation replaces manual invoice handling and reduces payment fees, freeing resources for growth.
- Stronger liquidity: Faster settlement improves working capital, allowing businesses to meet obligations without leaning on credit.
- Better vendor relationships: Reliable, on-time payments strengthen trust and often secure better terms.
- More strategic finance teams: Freed from repetitive tasks, finance leaders can focus on forecasting, planning, and driving strategy.
- Improved credibility: Professional, predictable payment behavior builds confidence with lenders, partners, and clients.
Why a renowned staffing company made a switch from QuickBooks Bill Pay to Forwardly?
One clear example of why businesses are switching to Forwardly comes from a fast-growing staffing company managing payouts for more than 300 international contractors each month. Their biggest challenge with QuickBooks Online was high payment costs, layered fees for ACH, wires, and conversions that ate directly into margins.
On top of that, contractors often faced 3-5 day settlement delays and no certainty on when funds would arrive, leading to rising complaints and operational strain. Forwardly redefined their model by offering flat, transparent pricing with no hidden fees, instantly reducing payment processing costs by 25%. Combined with three-day faster payouts and a 30% drop in contractor support tickets, payments turned from an expensive pain point into a strategic advantage that boosted retention and trust.
Building the future of business finance together
Right now, Forwardly is the hub for AP and AR. But the bigger vision is clear: become the central nervous system for cash flow operations. That means unifying payments, approvals, reconciliation, forecasting, and compliance into a single platform. Just one source of truth for financial operations. Early adopters are already showing what’s possible. By embracing instant payments and automation now, they’re building stronger vendor relationships, unlocking better terms, and steering their businesses with confidence while others are still stuck reacting. Those who wait will be forced to catch up.
The future of finance belongs to early movers. Forwardly gives you the chance to be one of them.
Book your 1:1 demo today.
