Slow Payouts Are Starting to Cost Banks Consumer Trust

As consumers grow accustomed to instant digital interactions in nearly every aspect of their lives, the timing of when money arrives is no longer a back-office detail. It is a visible signal of reliability, trust and financial control. Disbursement speed is now a defining factor in the modern payment experience.

“Money Mobility: Who Gets Paid Fast and Who Waits,” a collaboration between PYMNTS Intelligence and Ingo Payments, examines who benefits from fast payouts, who is still waiting days to receive funds and why these differences matter more than ever.

The research reveals a clear stratification in payout speed. Roughly 30% of consumers receive funds instantly or near-instantly. One in four still waits three days or more. Consumers under financial pressure—such as paycheck-to-paycheck households and those who rely on disbursements as their primary source of income—adopt faster payment methods more quickly. Financially comfortable and older consumers are more likely to rely on slower rails, even when faster options are available.

There is a clear connection between disbursement speed and consumer satisfaction. Consumers who receive funds quickly are far more likely to report positive experiences, while slow payments consistently undermine confidence. The type of payout also plays a critical role. Tips, contractor payments and winnings tend to arrive fastest, reflecting both urgency and willingness to adopt instant options. Refunds and rebates remain among the slowest payouts, highlighting how motivation and perceived importance influence payment choices.

Together, the findings reveal a growing gap between expectations and reality. As instant payments become more common, slow disbursements stand out sharply and risk damaging trust. For banks, FinTechs and payment providers, the ability to deliver fast, predictable payouts is now a competitive differentiator with real implications for loyalty and financial well-being.

In “Money Mobility: Who Gets Paid Fast and Who Waits,” learn how:

Consumer urgency reshapes payment behavior. Financial pressure and reliance on disbursements dramatically increase adoption of instant and same-day options, changing how consumers choose and value payout methods.

Payment rails influence perception, not just speed. Instant transfers, same-day ACH and traditional methods carry very different experiential signals that shape trust and confidence in the sender.

Disbursement design creates winners and losers. The structure and default settings of payout programs can either reduce financial friction or amplify stress. This makes speed a strategic decision rather than an operational afterthought.

Download the Report Money Mobility: Who Gets Paid Fast and Who Waits

About the report

“Money Mobility: Who Gets Paid Fast and Who Waits” is based on a survey of 4,170 U.S. adult consumers conducted from June 1, 2025, to June 12, 2025. Our analysis relies on 2,270 complete responses from consumers who received disbursements in the past year. The analysis explores how payout speed affects consumer satisfaction, financial resilience and the use of modern payment methods. In our sample, 57.6% of respondents were female, the average age was 49.8 years and 34.6% had annual household incomes of more than $100,000.