Can B2B payments ever be truly real-time?

For years, real-time payments (RTPs) have been heralded as the holy grail of financial transactions. While consumers now expect instant transfers—thanks to solutions like Zelle in the US, Faster Payments in the UK, and PIX in Brazil—B2B transactions are lagging behind. But why is it so hard to bring that same speed and convenience to businesses?

This article explores why real-time payments are more complex in B2B than B2C, the technical and regulatory hurdles that slow down adoption, and how innovations like central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) could change the future of enterprise transactions.

Why B2B payments lag behind B2C

In B2C environments, payment workflows are relatively straightforward. A customer taps a card or clicks “pay now,” and the transaction is completed within seconds. B2B payments, on the other hand, are riddled with complexity. These aren’t just simple transfers of funds—they’re often tied to invoices, payment terms, contractual obligations, and compliance checks.

Three key differences explain the gap:

1. High transaction values and risk mitigation

A B2B transaction can easily reach millions of euros. For such high-value transfers, companies require additional layers of verification—authentication, reconciliation, fraud detection, and internal approvals—that naturally slow the process.

2. Dependence on legacy infrastructure

Many companies still rely on batch processing systems, SWIFT messages, and ERP platforms that were never built for real-time interactions.

3. Multiplicity of stakeholders

In B2C, you usually have a buyer and a seller. In B2B, each transaction may involve procurement teams, finance departments, external auditors, and multiple banks—each with their own timing constraints and compliance layers.

As Gomber et al. (2018) explain, financial innovation doesn’t advance uniformly across segments—especially in ecosystems where institutional and operational complexity is high.

📘 Reference: Gomber, P., Kauffman, R. J., Parker, C., & Weber, B. W. (2018). On the Fintech Revolution: Interpreting the Forces of Innovation, Disruption, and Transformation in Financial Services. Journal of Management Information Systems, 35(1), 220–265.

The hurdles to real-time adoption

Even when the intention is there, the systems don’t always follow. Several barriers make real-time adoption particularly challenging in the B2B space.

Fragmented systems and outdated formats

Real-time payment networks—like SEPA Instant in Europe or RTP in the US—exist, but many businesses still operate on legacy systems. ERP and treasury tools aren’t always connected to these networks in real time, and often rely on batch reconciliation processes.

🔍 Example: A supplier using SAP may require overnight batch runs to update account balances and perform payment matching. Even if the money arrives instantly, the system doesn’t process it in real time.

Regulatory and compliance requirements

Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and anti-fraud regulations create friction, particularly in cross-border payments. These checks often involve manual steps and slow down the payment lifecycle.

A 2022 Deloitte study found that 61% of CFOs see compliance processes as the top blocker to real-time payments in their organization.

Cross-border complexity

Real-time infrastructure is often limited to domestic systems. B2B transactions across time zones, currencies, and jurisdictions face constraints in terms of clearing windows, foreign exchange volatility, and liquidity management.

As the Bank for International Settlements (2021) notes, aligning clearing and settlement cycles across borders remains one of the core challenges to scaling RTPs globally.

📘 Reference: Bank for International Settlements (2021). Cross-border payment systems and the role of central banks. BIS Quarterly Review.

Can CBDCs unlock true real-time B2B payments?

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) offer a potential breakthrough. By digitizing central bank money and enabling programmable, peer-to-peer settlement, CBDCs could bypass many of the intermediaries and delays that currently weigh down B2B payments.

CBDCs could enable:

• Settlement at the speed of trust: Funds clear instantly, with finality guaranteed by the central bank.

• Smart contract triggers: Payments can be tied to delivery milestones, compliance verification, or specific dates.

• Cross-border interoperability: Multi-CBDC platforms could eliminate delays caused by currency conversions and mismatched time zones.

🔍 Example: In Project Dunbar, the BIS, along with the central banks of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa, demonstrated that CBDCs from different countries could be used for real-time, cross-border settlements between commercial banks—on a shared platform.

📘 Reference: Bank for International Settlements, 2022. Project Dunbar: International Settlements Using Multi-CBDCs.

However, CBDCs also raise difficult questions around data privacy, system interoperability, governance, and commercial bank integration.

What to expect in the coming years

Technologically, the building blocks for real-time B2B payments exist. But real change requires more than fast rails. It depends on:

• Regulatory harmonization, especially across borders

• ERP and treasury system modernization

• Adoption of ISO 20022 and open APIs

• Willingness to revisit internal workflows and compliance culture

Until then, B2B payments will likely remain a hybrid: real-time on the surface, but often delayed by the underlying complexity.

Still, pressure is mounting. Supply chain fragility, embedded finance, and instant working capital needs are pushing businesses toward speed. If CBDCs mature and API-first infrastructures become the norm, the dream of real-time B2B payments may soon become a reality—just not evenly distributed.