B2B Platforms Bring Finance to the Moment Decisions Are Made

It’s a turbulent landscape out there for B2B enterprises. And B2B platforms have a front-row seat to the environment.

Persistent inflation in services and inputs, supply chains uncertainty, higher-for-longer interest rates and growing geopolitical risk are all putting pressure on both buyers and suppliers.

For B2B platforms that sit at the center of commercial ecosystems, from marketplaces and vertical SaaS providers to procurement and logistics networks, these pressures show up as slower payments, tighter working capital, higher churn risk and greater sensitivity to pricing and terms.

Under these conditions, traditional financial workflows, which can be reliant on separate banking systems, spreadsheets and manual reconciliation, impose real operational drag.

But findings in the October 2025 Embedded Finance Tracker® Series, a PYMNTS Intelligence and Galileo collaboration, reveal that this is where embedded B2B finance enters the picture.

Companies are looking for tools that don’t just process transactions but actively help manage cash flow and operational risk. While the first wave of embedded finance in B2B platforms focused on payments to improve user experience and capture incremental revenue, that phase is now table stakes.

The report noted that what is changing for embedded B2B finance is the ability for firms to unlock working capital financing, trade credit, expense management, insurance and cash optimization all tailored to their specific needs.

Embedded Finance as a Defensive Strategy

For small businesses in particular, the report highlighted that 2025 has been marked by persistent cost pressures. A record share, roughly 58% of small business owners, cited inflation as their top financial concern early in the year as rising costs squeeze margins and complicate growth strategies.

To smooth things out, enterprises are embedding financial capabilities including working capital solutions, digital credit, virtual cards and automated workflows for accounts payable (AP) and receivable (AR) directly into systems such as ERP tools, procurement platforms and vertical SaaS applications.

By integrating these services where financial decisions already happen, firms can reduce friction, accelerate cash conversion cycles and unlock operational agility that was previously the domain of only the largest corporates.

At the heart of the embedded B2B finance surge is liquidity, the lifeblood of business operations. Signed invoices and delivered services are valuable only when they convert to cash efficiently. For firms operating on thin margins and elongated payment terms, slow receivables can freeze liquidity, forcing CFOs to lean on credit lines or delay payments to suppliers.

Read the report: The Next Frontier: Why Embedded B2B Finance Is Breaking Out in 2025

Embedded working-capital solutions such as real-time financing, automated advances and dynamic discounting are designed to close these gaps. Integrated directly into existing platforms, they smooth cash flow without requiring users to jump between systems.

Just as important, embedding finance into billing, purchasing and payables workflows allows platforms to contextualize financing decisions using live operational data, something traditional banking interfaces may not offer.

A deeper shift underlies the rise of embedded B2B finance. It is not merely about making payments easier; it is about platforms owning the financial experience instead of outsourcing it to banks or traditional payment providers.

Another key pillar of embedded B2B finance is instant digital issuance, particularly virtual cards. These tools give businesses precise control over spend while accelerating supplier payments and reducing fraud.

The economic case for embedded B2B finance extends beyond operational efficiency. While consumer embedded finance often rewarded convenience, the B2B variant can drive new revenue and stickiness.

In a world where liquidity is constrained, time is scarce and differentiation is hard to sustain, embedded B2B finance offers a powerful proposition: turning financial operations from a persistent headache into a strategic asset.