Cover for the May 2026 PYMNTS Intelligence and Mastercard SMB Growth Report. PYMNTS Intelligence reports how SMBs source globally and why faster cross-border payments can help providers win them over.

57% of US Small Businesses Source Overseas as Payment Gaps Widen

The Cross-Border Opportunity: What Global Sourcing by US SMBs Means for Payment Providers

PYMNTS surveyed 535 U.S. SMB owners and executives to understand how they source goods and materials from overseas suppliers. The findings show a large market already operating globally, but still looking for faster, clearer and more flexible ways to pay suppliers abroad.
Read more in “The Cross-Border Opportunity: What Global Sourcing by US SMBs Means for Payment Providers,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and Mastercard collaboration.

Inside the May Report

  • Global sourcing is now common for U.S. SMBs. Fifty-seven percent buy goods or materials from overseas suppliers.
  • Speed is the top priority for businesses paying suppliers abroad. Forty-three percent cite faster payment processing and settlement as their top improvement area.
  • Payment providers have a clear opening to win SMB business. More than one in four internationally active SMBs that source heavily from abroad are open to switching providers.

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