B2B Payments Are Changing: How CFOs Can Optimize Cash Flow

For many finance teams, payments are just a routine part of operations. But a closer look at how money moves in and out of a business can reveal risks and inefficiencies that directly impact cash flow. The latest insights from Centime’s Predictions for the Office of the CFO webinar shed light on why payments optimization should be a top priority in 2025.

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The Shift Away from Checks

Check payments have been declining for years, yet they still make up a surprising percentage of B2B transactions. According to the 2022 AFP Digital Payments Survey, check usage for B2B payments in the U.S. and Canada has declined to an all-time low of 33%, a significant drop from 81% in 2004. However, while check usage is down, fraud is on the rise.

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“It’s shocking to me how much more check fraud there has been in the last few years and how creative people are getting with this stuff,” said BC Krishna, CEO and Founder of Centime. “If there’s nothing else, this chart should be an indication of why everybody needs to really double down on this idea that you just have to commit to removing checks from your operation.”

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Check fraud has surged as bad actors exploit outdated systems. Businesses that continue relying on paper checks not only expose themselves to financial risk but also miss out on the efficiency and security of digital payment methods.

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Faster Payments, Stronger Cash Flow

Beyond security, payment speed is a major concern for finance leaders. The traditional ACH system, while widely used, often takes two to three days to process payments. That lag can create cash flow challenges, especially for businesses with tight operating margins.

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“Those three days, by the way, are three days that you don’t have access to your capital,” Krishna noted. “Or said another way, if you were able to hang on to your cash for three more days, in the interest rate environment that we are in, that’s meaningful.”

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Faster payments allow businesses to optimize working capital by keeping funds in their accounts longer while still meeting obligations on time. The push toward real-time payments (RTP) is expected to accelerate in the coming years, following global trends where instant payments are already the norm.

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Virtual Cards and Payment Controls

For companies looking to modernize their payment processes, virtual cards present a compelling option. Unlike traditional corporate credit cards, virtual cards can be assigned to specific vendors, departments, or even individual transactions, adding an extra layer of control and reducing fraud risks.

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“In our world, we’re seeing the emergence of virtual card instruments, which actually help control costs, control fraud, and enable faster reconciliation,” said Yash, CEO of Fyle. “Locking a specific card to a merchant or a category provides automation and security that wasn’t possible before.”

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Virtual cards also streamline expense reconciliation, a common pain point for finance teams managing large volumes of transactions. With automated tracking and integration into accounting systems, businesses can eliminate manual processes and reduce errors.

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What CFOs Should Do Now

The transition away from checks and toward faster, more secure digital payments isn’t just a trend—it’s a necessity. Businesses that delay modernization risk increased fraud exposure, slower cash cycles, and missed opportunities for efficiency.

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To stay ahead, CFOs should:

Assess current payment methods: Identify where checks are still in use and transition those payments to ACH, wire transfers, or virtual cards.
Implement payment controls: Use tools like virtual cards to limit exposure and automate reconciliation.
Leverage faster payment options: Stay informed about real-time payments and integrate solutions that reduce settlement delays.

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As Krishna put it, “The real benefit of digitizing payments is to move to faster payments and to eliminate check fraud so that you can get the benefit of reducing risk as well as improving your own working capital.”

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The message is clear: Payments optimization is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s an essential strategy for finance leaders looking to strengthen cash flow and protect their organizations in 2025 and beyond.

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**Deposit placement through ICS is subject to the terms, conditions, and disclosures in the applicable agreements. Although deposits are placed in increments that do not exceed the FDIC standard maximum deposit insurance amount (“SMDIA”) at any one destination bank, a depositor’s balances at the institution that places deposits may exceed the SMDIA (e.g., before settlement for deposits or after settlement for withdrawals) or be uninsured (if the placing institution is not an insured bank). The depositor must make any necessary arrangements to protect such balances consistent with applicable law and must determine whether placement through ICS satisfies any restrictions on its deposits. A list identifying IntraFi network banks appears at https://www.intrafi.com/network-banks. The depositor may exclude banks from eligibility to receive its funds. IntraFi and ICS are registered service marks, and IntraFi Cash Service is a service mark, of IntraFi Network LLC.

^††3.0% Annual Percentage Yield (APY) as of 01/07/25. Deposit rate may adjust to current market rate and may change daily. Fees may reduce earnings.

*Centime is not a bank and is not authorized by any federal or state agency to engage directly in core banking activities.
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*All banking products and services available through Centime are provided by FNBO and are governed by the applicable agreements and related disclosures provided to you by FNBO. Member FDIC.
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‍*While Centime facilitates traditional banking activities (such as the acceptance of deposits or extensions of credit), these services are actually provided by our banking partner, FNBO.
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*Centime may provide support services to FNBO, as permitted by applicable law, to facilitate the delivery of its bank products and services.

**Deposit placement through ICS is subject to the terms, conditions, and disclosures in the applicable agreements. Although deposits are placed in increments that do not exceed the FDIC standard maximum deposit insurance amount (“SMDIA”) at any one destination bank, a depositor’s balances at the institution that places deposits may exceed the SMDIA (e.g., before settlement for deposits or after settlement for withdrawals) or be uninsured (if the placing institution is not an insured bank). The depositor must make any necessary arrangements to protect such balances consistent with applicable law and must determine whether placement through ICS satisfies any restrictions on its deposits. A list identifying IntraFi network bank

B2B Payments Are Changing: How CFOs Can Optimize Cash Flow with Faster, Safer Transactions

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