AvidXchange Survey Reveals 47% of Mid-Market Firms Lack a Formal B2B Payment Strategy

AvidXchange’s 2026 B2B Payments Strategy survey highlights a critical gap in mid-market finance: while 63% of organizations have adopted ePayments, nearly half still lack a formal strategy to optimize costs and rebates. For fintech professionals, this underscores a massive opportunity to move beyond simple digitization toward sophisticated, data-driven financial intelligence.

What was announced

The survey, which gathered insights from over 500 finance decision-makers, explores the transition from manual processes to strategic accounts payable (AP) management. Despite the high adoption of electronic payments, 47% of mid-market businesses operate without a formal payment mix strategy. This lack of structure prevents firms from fully optimizing for cost, capturing rebates, or meeting specific supplier preferences. The data suggests that businesses with a formal strategy are significantly more likely to create financial value through their payment decisions.

Data visibility remains a primary differentiator. Organizations with a formal strategy are twice as likely to report real-time visibility into their financial data (67%) compared to those without one (33%). Furthermore, 23% of respondents identified improved visibility into cash flow and payment timing as the factor that would most significantly impact their AP or payment strategy over the next 12 months.

The survey also emphasizes the shifting role of the supplier relationship. Nearly half of finance leaders (46%) now view the supplier payment experience as having a “very significant” impact on broader business relationships. Consequently, 50% of respondents are now leveraging their AP or payment automation providers to inform high-level strategy decisions, including rebate capture and cash flow management, rather than treating them as purely administrative tools.

The companies involved

AvidXchange, Inc. is a prominent player in the mid-market sector, specializing in AI-powered accounts payable and payment automation solutions. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company focuses on automating the entire AP process, from invoice receipt to supplier payment, specifically targeting the needs of middle-market businesses and their suppliers. The company is part of the portfolio of TPG, a global alternative asset management firm, which provides significant institutional backing to its operations.

Under the leadership of Michael Praeger, who serves as Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer, AvidXchange has positioned itself as a bridge between traditional banking functions and modern fintech efficiency. The company’s platform is designed to handle complex workflows across various industries, offering flexible payment options and security enhancements. By focusing on the mid-market—a segment often underserved by enterprise-level ERPs and overlooked by small-business tools—AvidXchange has carved out a specific niche in the B2B payments landscape, emphasizing the conversion of raw payment data into actionable financial intelligence.

What this means

The findings suggest that the "first wave" of B2B digitization—simply moving from paper checks to electronic transfers—is reaching maturity, but the "second wave" of strategic optimization is lagging. The fact that nearly half of mid-market firms lack a formal payment strategy indicates that many CFOs are sitting on underutilized data. In a high-interest-rate environment where cash flow management is paramount, the inability to leverage real-time visibility is a competitive disadvantage. This creates a clear mandate for AP providers to evolve from transactional utilities into strategic advisory platforms. The industry is moving toward a model where the value lies not in the movement of money, but in the intelligence surrounding it.