Instant Payment Adoption Surges as Microbusinesses Race to Fill Paycheck Gaps

The payments landscape for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) is undergoing a transformation thanks to the growing adoption of instant methods. Such businesses rely on receiving nonrecurring, or ad hoc, disbursements for an increasing share of their monthly income. Thus, the speed and efficiency of receiving immediate payments are critical factors influencing an SMB’s operational stability and competitive advantage.

Currently, more than 6 in 10, or 61%, of all SMBs surveyed received at least one ad hoc payment via instant methods within the past 12 months. This shows a steady increase from 59% a year ago. Meanwhile, the proportion of micro SMBs, those with less than $100,000 in annual revenue, that rely most on instant payments, has tripled year over year.



These increases signify a fundamental shift toward payment methods that better meet a business’s challenges in managing its cash flow.These are some of the findings detailed in “Fast Funds, Steady Cash Flow: How Instant Disbursements Empower SMBs,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and Ingo Payments collaboration. This report is based on a survey of 628 SMBs that are instant payment receivers generating less than $25 million in annual revenue in the United States.

It was conducted between Jan. 14, 2025, and Feb. 3, 2025.

The report examines SMBs’ reliance on instant ad hoc payments, exploring the drivers behind the increasing need for instant disbursements and the implications for SMBs across various industries.Inside “How Instant Ad Hoc Payments Benefit Digital-First SMBs”Gain insight into why micro SMBs have tripled their use of these payments in just one year—and what this shift means for the future of small business cash flow.Discover how digitally forward SMBs are leading the retreat from checks and ACH.

Explore why 1 in 5 SMBs urgently needs more than 40% of their payments — and how instant options are helping them meet payroll and vendor obligations on time.Learn more about the link between urgency and willingness to pay for instant access. .

free-download-sec { width: 100%; font-family: "Roboto", sans-serif; } .free-download-sec .inner { background: rgb(35, 36, 150); background: linear-gradient(129deg, rgba(35, 36, 150, 1) 0%, rgba(14, 14, 49, 1) 87%); padding: 20px; border-radius: 10px; /* max-height: 210px; */ } h2.

report-title { font-size: 1.6rem; font-weight: 600; color: #fff; } h2.report-title span { display: block; font-weight: 400; } .

free-download-sec .form-control { line-height: 2.2; } .

free-download-sec .form-control::placeholder { color: #000; } .free-download-sec .

form-control::-ms-input-placeholder { color: #000; } .free-download-sec p { font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; color: #000; } .free-download-sec a { text-decoration: none; color: #0D4EB5; } .

free-download-sec .btn-primary { background-color: #00A469; font-size: 21px; color: #fff; font-weight: 700; border: 2px solid #00A469; padding: 13px 32px; }.free-download-sec .

btn-primary:hover { background-color: transparent; color: #00A469; border: 2px solid #00A469;}@media (max-width: 767px) { .free-download-sec .inner { /* max-height: 430px; */ } .

free-download-sec { margin: 40px auto 450px auto; }}@media (max-width: 359px) { .free-download-sec { margin: 40px auto 470px auto; }}/* Additional styles */h2.report-title { text-transform: initial;}#DownloadForm form.

wpcf7-form { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; background-color: transparent !important; padding: 0px !important; box-shadow: none!important;}#DownloadForm form.wpcf7-form input { padding: 0.4rem 0.

75rem !important; font-size: 0.875rem !important; font-weight: 400 !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; color: #212529 !important; background-color: #fff !important; background-clip: padding-box !important; border: 1px solid #ced4da !important; -webkit-appearance: none !important; -moz-appearance: none !important; appearance: none !important; border-radius: 0.

375rem !important; transition: border-color 0.15s ease-in-out, box-shadow 0.15s ease-in-out; width: 100%;}#DownloadForm .

wpcf7-form label { font-size: 0.9rem; width: 100%;}#DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(6) { width: 100% !important;}#DownloadForm .

wpcf7-form input[type="submit"] { background-color: #00a469 !important; font-size: 0.9rem !important; color: #fff !important; font-weight: 500 !important; border: 2px solid #00a469 !important; padding: 0.4rem 0.

75rem !important; border-radius: 6px !important; width: 100% !important; margin-top: 0.5rem;}#DownloadForm .wpcf7-form input[type="submit"]:hover { background-color: #03b573 !important;}#DownloadForm .

wpcf7-spinner { display: none;}#DownloadForm .form-sec { padding: 140px 0 45px 0;}#DownloadForm .wpcf7-response-output { border: none !important; color: #000 !important; margin: 0.

25rem !important; font-size: .85rem; font-weight: bold;}#DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(7) { width: 100%;}#DownloadForm div p { margin: 0.

25rem;}#DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(1),#DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(2),#DownloadForm .

wpcf7-form div:nth-child(3),#DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(4),#DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(5) { width: 100%;}@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) { #DownloadForm .

wpcf7-form div:nth-child(1), #DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(2), #DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(3), #DownloadForm .

wpcf7-form div:nth-child(4), #DownloadForm .wpcf7-form div:nth-child(5) { width: 50%; }}@media (max-width: 767px){ #DownloadForm .free-download-sec { margin: 0px; }} Download the Data Brief Fast Funds, Steady Cash Flow: How Instant Disbursements Empower SMBs [contact-form-7] The report explores SMBs’ growing adoption of instant methods for receiving ad hoc payments.

Featuring 10 charts of insightful data detailing how businesses benefit from receiving one-off payments immediately, this report explores how some SMBs rely so much on instant payments to manage their cash flow and meet payroll that they are willing to pay for it. Download the report to learn more.The post Instant Payment Adoption Surges as Microbusinesses Race to Fill Paycheck Gaps appeared first on PYMNTS.

com..