Global CFOs Turn Virtual Cards Into Cash Flow Catalysts

Late payments and cash flow unpredictability remain among the most pressing challenges for businesses, with nearly half of B2B invoices in North America still paid late. The latest PYMNTS Intelligence report, “Virtual Cards Cut Payment Delays and Protect Buyer-Supplier Ties,” done in collaboration with American Express, shows that virtual cards are uniquely positioned to reduce these frictions. Yet despite strong interest, adoption has not yet matched potential. The imperative for 2025 is clear: move from intent to action by deploying strategies that broaden virtual card use across industries and workflows.

Educating Suppliers to Close the Perception Gap

One of the biggest hurdles lies with supplier hesitation. Many suppliers still perceive virtual card programs as complex or burdensome. However, the report underscores that virtual cards accelerate payments, reduce days sales outstanding and minimize time spent chasing invoices. Education is therefore a critical strategy — suppliers need to see how virtual cards directly improve their own cash flow and lower administrative costs.

Turning CFO Interest Into Implementation

Interest among financial leaders is already high. Seventy-eight percent of middle-market chief financial officers (CFOs) report being highly interested in accepting virtual cards, yet fewer than half of companies globally have implemented them.

The gap points to a need for better translation of intent into execution. Organizations that prioritize payments modernization can leverage this interest to champion adoption internally and with their supplier networks.

Leveraging Automation and Streamlined Integration

Another misconception slowing adoption is the idea that virtual card programs require heavy IT resources. The report highlights the opposite: providers such as Boost Payment Solutions note that programs can often be implemented within days when combined with straight-through processing. Automating reconciliation and eliminating manual entry not only speeds integration but also strengthens security and reduces human error. Emphasizing this ease of adoption can help financial leaders overcome resistance tied to perceived complexity.

Expanding Use Cases Across Spend Categories

Virtual cards are not confined to supplier payments alone. Their spend controls — by amount, merchant or date range — make them suitable for a wide range of use cases, from employee expenses to recurring vendor payments and cross-border transactions. By broadening the spend categories where virtual cards are deployed, companies can unlock additional efficiency gains, reduce fraud exposure and provide finance teams with greater visibility and control.

Positioning Adoption as a Competitive Necessity

Finally, highlighting the growth trajectory of the virtual card market can make adoption a strategic priority rather than a “nice-to-have.” The report projects that the B2B virtual card market will quadruple from $14.65 billion in 2025 to $61 billion by 2032. Among current users, 82% plan to expand use in the next year. These statistics demonstrate a competitive reality: businesses that delay adoption risk falling behind peers who are already scaling their use of virtual cards to strengthen cash flow and buyer-supplier ties.

By combining supplier education, internal advocacy, streamlined automation, expanded use cases, and a clear understanding of market momentum, businesses can boost virtual card adoption at scale. The result is not only faster, safer payments but also stronger commercial relationships and more resilient working capital strategies. As the PYMNTS Intelligence report makes clear, 2025 could be the year when virtual cards move from the margins of B2B payments into the mainstream.

Strategies to Boost Adoption:

Educate suppliers: Virtual cards reduce days sales outstanding and invoice chasing, but misconceptions about complexity remain.

Convert CFO interest into action: 78% of middle-market CFOs are highly interested, but fewer than half of firms currently use virtual cards.

Leverage automation: Providers note that programs can be live in days with straight-through processing.

Expand use cases: Spend controls allow deployment across supplier payments, employee expenses and cross-border transactions.

Highlight market momentum: The market will quadruple to $61 billion by 2032, with 82% of current users planning expansion.