57% of Firms in Payment-Heavy Industries Face More Fraud

Faster payments can feel like a victory lap until fraud reaches the finish line first. Businesses want money to move in seconds, but their defenses often need far more time to catch up.

“Payment Protection: Why Firms Still Aren’t Real-Time Ready” was produced by PYMNTS Intelligence in collaboration with Plaid. The report draws on a double-blind survey of 150 senior executives conducted from May 18 to June 1, 2026. The executives work across seven industries that handle large volumes of payments.

The findings show a clear gap between the tools firms own and the results they achieve. Nearly every firm surveyed has secure bank connectivity. Many also use real-time identity checks and several layers of fraud screening. Yet these tools often cover only selected payments or limited parts of the payment process. That leaves businesses exposed when funds move faster than their teams can review them.

Download the Report Payment Protection: Why Firms Still Aren’t Real-Time Ready

In “Payment Protection: Why Firms Still Aren’t Real-Time Ready,” learn how:

Secure bank connectivity can improve more than account verification. Ninety percent of firms link it to better customer onboarding. Another 89% report lower payment operating costs and 85% report fewer failed or returned payments.

Real-time account ownership checks can help firms spot fraud sooner. Among firms that verify ownership in real time, 60% detect fraud before funds move or within minutes. Only 23% of firms without those checks act that quickly.

Payment friction can weaken the customer experience. Only 17% of firms describe their payment experience as excellent. Failed payments, slow reviews and strict fraud rules can delay good transactions and frustrate customers.

The report also explores what firms plan to improve next. Seventy percent expect to adopt or expand automated payment matching within 12 months. Sixty-five percent plan to strengthen identity verification. Another 59% plan to expand secure bank connectivity and artificial-intelligence-based fraud detection.

These upgrades can help firms reduce manual work, lower fraud losses and improve payment reliability. They can also help businesses prepare for new ACH fraud rules and wider use of real-time payment rails.

Download the report to see where payment protection falls short and how firms can build faster, safer payment experiences with the tools they already have.

About the Report

“Payment Protection: Why Firms Still Aren’t Real-Time Ready” is based on a double-blind survey of 150 senior executives conducted May 18–June 1, 2026 The report examines how firms in money movement-intensive industries are adopting secure payment infrastructure, managing fraud risk and preparing for real-time settlement. The sample contained executives at the VP level and above at firms across seven money movement-intensive industries, screened for direct involvement in at least two payment functions. The seven verticals (telecommunications; insurance/health insurance; healthcare and medical; consumer finance, lending and digital lending; payment servicing; property management/property technology, and public sector and government) were fielded and reported in three balanced groups. Firm sizes span the mid-market through the enterprise. Measures are self-reported by senior decision-makers and reflect how each organization assesses itself.