New Mastercard research shows procurement teams are accelerating plans to digitize spend and modernize payments, with embedded finance emerging as one of the most influential shifts. The findings reflect a wider industry move toward real-time visibility, automated controls, and tighter integration between procurement and finance.
Embedded Finance Sharpens Controls and Strengthens Working Capital
Mastercard’s survey of more than 1,100 global procurement leaders points to a clear shift: digitization is no longer a modernization goal but a foundational requirement for managing spend. Seventy-nine percent of respondents say digitizing procurement is now a top organizational priority, and 74% expect embedded finance adoption to grow sharply over the next five years.
Early adopters report improvements that extend beyond efficiency. According to the survey, 73% of users have gained stronger cash-flow visibility and control, 71% have reduced costs, and 69% have enhanced working-capital flexibility. These outcomes align with broader industry reporting that shows virtual cards and embedded payment tools are helping companies reduce reconciliation workloads and accelerate invoice processing cycles.
Long-term users are also seeing a rise in relationship benefits: 84% say embedding payments directly into procurement platforms has strengthened supplier partnerships, and 73% report a better supplier experience. With 74% expecting at least a quarter of their transactions to move to virtual cards within three years, payment digitization is becoming a lever for improving trust, transparency, and speed, especially in categories with tight fulfillment windows or complex cross-border flows.
Security and compliance advantages are also coming into sharper focus. Seventy-four percent of users say embedded finance significantly reduces fraud risk, a view reinforced by card-program users who report better controls and auditing capabilities. These trends mirror what recent trade reports describe as a steady shift toward tokenized payments, automated verification layers, and real-time compliance monitoring across B2B transactions.
AI Accelerates Payment Decision-Making
AI-driven payments are gaining broad acceptance. Mastercard’s data shows that 78% of procurement leaders now trust AI-based payment decisions, and nearly four in five are willing to use agentic AI within their ERP systems to execute payment workflows. This reflects the momentum seen across procurement platforms, where machine-learning models are increasingly used to classify spend, validate invoices, and flag exceptions before they hit accounts payable.
The contrast between users and non-users of embedded finance is sharp. Manual processes remain the biggest hurdle for organizations yet to adopt these tools. Among active users, 73% report that embedded finance has significantly reduced manual work and improved accuracy, an impact particularly valuable for companies handling large volumes of cross-border transactions, where currency, tax, and document requirements add complexity.
Recent industry data also shows that digitized payment rails help teams adapt to rapid policy shifts, including new compliance demands, export-control checks, and ESG-linked procurement requirements. According to the survey, 69% of respondents see better alignment between procurement and finance as these systems modernize, and 73% say digitization has improved adherence to procurement policies.
The Coming Shift in How Liquidity Shapes Supplier Stability
One element gaining attention in industry reporting, but still underweighted in many procurement strategies, is how embedded finance could reshape liquidity across supply networks during periods of stress. As more suppliers face tightening credit conditions and higher working-capital costs, real-time settlement tools, virtual cards, and automated payment terms may become a stabilizing force rather than purely an efficiency play. Companies that use these systems to extend earlier visibility into supplier cash positions, or to offer structured early-payment programs at scale, could end up improving supply continuity in ways traditional procurement levers cannot match.