How B2B Payment Leaders Can Avoid Losing Their Competitive Advantage

Why It Matters

Banks that quickly enhance transparency, speed, and digital usability will retain high‑value SMB revenue, while laggards risk losing market share to fintech competitors.

Key Takeaways

• SMBs demand transparent pricing, real‑time settlement, and digital interfaces.
• Banks retain security and liquidity but must reduce friction for B2B.
• Fintechs are eroding bank share by offering speed and user‑friendliness.
• European SMBs generate $6‑7 trillion, representing 73% of cross‑border flows.
• Banks have a narrow window to modernize or lose leadership.

Summary

The video explores how banks can preserve their lead in B2B payments, featuring Visa Direct’s Head of Central Europe, Saskia Devolder. She outlines shifting client expectations—greater transparency, real‑time settlement, and user‑friendly digital interfaces—and how these trends reshape cross‑border transactions.

Key insights reveal that SMBs prioritize affordability combined with predictability, transparency, and ease of use. While banks still process the bulk of B2B cross‑border flows, fintechs are gaining ground by delivering speed and intuitive platforms. European SMBs account for roughly $6‑7 trillion in trade, representing 95% of importers, and banks currently hold about 73% of this market share.

Devolder emphasizes, “SMBs are willing to trade slightly higher costs for clarity, security, and reliability,” and adds that “banks win when they combine trust with performance.” She warns that the erosion seen in P2P markets is now repeating in B2B, and the window to act is “now, not later.”

The implication is clear: banks must modernize by offering transparent pricing, faster settlement, streamlined onboarding, and a seamless digital experience while leveraging their inherent strengths—security, liquidity, and FX compliance. Failure to do so risks ceding market share to agile fintechs and neo‑banks.

Original Description

In this FinextraTV 2026 interview, Saskia Devolder, Head of Visa Direct, Central Europe, discussed how banks can avoid losing their grip on B2B payments and maintain leadership in B2B cross-border payments. Devolder discusses the shifting expectations around transparency for clients, real-time payments, user experience, and how these expectations create a new era for cross-border payments. Devolder highlights why SMBs are willing to trade higher costs to ensure predictability and reliability. She notes how, in an ever changing industry, there is an an emerging need for my hybrid integrations across banks and fintech firms.

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