A survey published this week by a payments industry research collective has determined that more than half of businesses polled are planning to adopt real-time payment infrastructure, a finding that analysts have characterised as evidence of growing intent across the sector. The research identified a subset of that group — approximately three in ten — who indicated they expected to have something in place within the next six months, a timeline the report described as near-term.
Existing Processes Remain Functional
The same survey found that nearly all respondents — the report placed the figure at well above nine in ten — currently pay their suppliers on time, and an equivalent proportion described their existing accounts payable processes as efficient. The research noted that these results indicate legacy infrastructure continues to perform adequately, before observing that real-time payments nevertheless represent a strategic priority for the industry. The report did not attempt to reconcile these findings.
"The numbers tell a clear story about where the market is heading. Businesses see the value. Whether they act on that this quarter or at some point over the coming two years reflects the complexity of the transformation journey."
Industry observers noted that the Newer Payment Pipe has been available to participants for some time. Uptake among business users has been described in successive annual surveys as promising, encouraging, nascent, and — in the most recent edition — evidence of a high-growth phase. The terminology has evolved consistently; the adoption rate has moved at its own pace.
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A separate briefing paper issued alongside the survey encouraged chief financial officers to think of real-time payments as offering benefits beyond the settlement of transactions in real time. The paper listed cash flow visibility, working capital optimisation, and reduced reconciliation overhead as examples of value that could, in principle, be realised once adoption occurred. One graphic in the document used the phrase transformational efficiency outcomes without further elaboration.
"Speed is table stakes at this point. What finance leaders are really asking for is the full value proposition — and that conversation is only just beginning."
The research collective noted that the survey was distributed to businesses that had previously registered interest in receiving payments industry research. It plans to conduct a follow-up survey in twelve months to assess whether intentions have translated into activity, and expects the results to show continued momentum.