Small business owners have a message for the companies that issue business credit cards. They want digital tools, but keep a human nearby.
The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Ready for Change: Why Nearly Half of SMBs Want to Ditch Cash and Checks,” a collaboration with Mastercard, surveyed 412 small- to medium-sized business (SMB) owners, founders and executives in the United States. The standout finding was that the right service channel depends almost entirely on who the business owner is. Age, company size and how much a business leans on cash all shape what kind of help owners want.
The most popular way to apply for a business card is a digital application owners complete on their own, named by 22.8% of SMBs. Right behind it are two options that put a person on the other end. Live chat with a real person came in at 17.8%, and a human phone representative tied close at 17.6%. Owners want speed, but they also want a way out of the app when they get stuck.
Where it gets interesting is how sharply preferences split by group. Consider a few of the divides:
- Not a single Generation Z owner picked a self-serve digital app as their top choice, a flat 0%. Instead, 32.7% of them preferred email support, above the 6.9% sample average.
- Owners with no reliance on cash gravitated to self-serve digital applications at 41%, while only 7.2% wanted a phone rep. Cash-heavy owners flipped that script, with 17% reaching for the phone.
- Baby boomers leaned digital too, with 31.1% choosing the self-serve application, but 13.3% also wanted a video call, a channel no Gen Z owner selected.
The pattern carries a warning for card issuers. The businesses that most need to move off cash, namely small, rural and cash-reliant firms, are also the ones most likely to want human support. Push them toward an app with no off-ramp and adoption stalls.
The fix is a blended model. Lead with clean digital tools, then make it obvious how to reach a person during the moments that matter most, like signing up and sorting out a problem. The fact that Gen Z owners avoid the self-serve app entirely points to an opportunity to win the next wave of business owners, as long as issuers meet them through the channels they actually use.
At PYMNTS Intelligence, we work with businesses to uncover insights that fuel intelligent, data-driven discussions on changing customer expectations, a more connected economy and the strategic shifts necessary to achieve outcomes. With rigorous research methodologies and unwavering commitment to objective quality, we offer trusted data to grow your business. As our partner, you’ll have access to our diverse team of PhDs, researchers, data analysts, number crunchers, subject matter veterans and editorial experts.
