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Thought leadership

Money in Motion

Find out what it takes to win in the next era of cross-border payments as expectations and opportunities continue to evolve.

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Global research

Cross-border payments are being redefined

SMEs and mid-market firms are reshaping the future of cross-border payments. Explore insights from Money in Motion, Mastercard Move's global research series on the trends redefining provider choice and competitive advantage.

35%

of respondents cite trust and reputation as their top purchasing criterion[1]

85%

of firms use two to four cross-border payment providers. Less than 8% use just a single provider[2]

46%

of respondents say FX visibility features would improve their perception of total true cost[3]

White papers

Explore the Money in Motion series

Six white papers explore the trends shaping the future of B2B cross-border payments. Drawing on insights from 1,028 payment decision-makers at SMEs and mid-market firms across 11 countries and major global regions.

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What this research is about:

For businesses and people sending money internationally, the challenges in cross-border payments now extend far beyond price and speed. This white paper reframes provider selection as a multi-criteria decision, where trust, transparency and technological fit sit alongside traditional performance metrics. Speed and price are expected, but they no longer decide who wins.

Why it matters:

As customers seek the best way to improve speed and transparency in B2B international money movement, they consider multiple factors when evaluating the most reliable cross-border payment solutions. Providers that understand not only the key challenges in cross-border payments, but also what matters to SMEs and mid-market firms, will be better equipped to meet their customers’ needs.

Key takeaways:

1. No single criterion wins - the decision set is broad, not binary.

2. Satisfaction is high, but it doesn't translate into loyalty.

3. The next differentiators are already emerging beyond the core three.

 

Read the white paper now

Coming soon: More insights on trends shaping B2B cross-border payments

Stay tuned for new research revealing what drives success in modern B2B cross-border payments - from delivering greater value and reducing hidden costs to strengthening customer relationships and unlocking liquidity advantages.

Designed to help customers win

The Money in Motion research revealed that businesses increasingly value trust, transparency, speed, corridor coverage, and value-added services when selecting cross-border payment providers. Mastercard Move helps organizations deliver on these expectations through a portfolio of global money movement solutions.

Mastercard Move enables banks, corporates, non-bank financial institutions, digital players, and governments to send and receive funds across borders and payment types. It delivers fast, secure, and transparent payment experiences through Mastercard's trusted card and non-card networks.

With Mastercard Move, organizations can:

  • Reach customers and partners across 200+ countries and territories and 150+ currencies[2]
  • Enable fast domestic and cross-border payment experiences[3]
  • Improve transparency with transaction tracking in a growing number of corridors
  • Enhance security with fraud prevention and risk management capabilities
  • Simplify operations with a one-stop shop for customers to unlock a variety of payment experiences.
     
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Frequently asked questions

Why is trust important in cross-border payments?

Trust is essential because businesses and people need confidence that money will move securely, arrive predictably and be visible from initiation through delivery. Trusted infrastructure can help reduce risk in cross-border payments by combining strong network controls, clear status visibility, compliance support and reliable settlement performance. The research found that trust and reputation are a top reason firms select providers, and trust is also a key reason companies stay with a provider.

What factors should banks consider when choosing a cross-border payment provider?

Banks should look for a provider that can help turn cross-border complexity into confidence for their customers. The right cross-border payment provider brings together trust, speed, transparency, reliability, cost efficiency and operational fit, while supporting the corridors, currencies and payment types customers depend on.  In the Money in Motion research, trust and reputation ranked as the leading purchasing criterion, followed by speed and transparency, reinforcing the need for secure, predictable and transparent money movement.

Why do many businesses use multiple cross-border payment providers?

Many businesses use multiple providers because no single solution may address every corridor, currency, service model or customer need. The research found about 85% of firms use two to four providers, reflecting the demand for reliable solutions for cross-border B2B transfers that can scale across markets while supporting multi-currency transfers, integration needs and value-added services.

What makes cross-border payments expensive beyond the stated transaction fee?

The true cost of cross-border payments can extend beyond the transaction fee. FX opacity, unclear deductions, delayed settlement, failed transactions, platform unreliability, manual reconciliation and exception handling can all create hidden costs for businesses. The research found that across respondents, operational inefficiencies add a median of ~11–20% to total cross-border costs, which is why operational optimization in B2B payments can help reduce rework, improve cash-flow visibility and protect the bottom line.

How can businesses improve speed and transparency in cross-border payments?

Businesses can improve speed and transparency in B2B international money movement by choosing solutions designed for real-time FX visibility, clear pricing, predictable delivery times, payment tracking, validation services and reconciliation-ready data. These capabilities help address transparency gaps in cross-border payments by giving teams a clearer view of costs, status and expected timing. The research shows lower prices alone do not improve cost perceptions; transparency does.

How can cross-border payments be made faster, easier and more secure?

Cross-border payments can be made faster and easier through streamlined integrations, reliable settlement performance, transparent pricing, multiple payout options, pre-validation, automated compliance and real-time payment tracking. Modern systems can also reduce errors in B2B payment processing by validating payment data upfront, improving reconciliation and giving teams clearer visibility into exceptions. For enterprise-grade wire transfer systems, important security features include strong authentication, fraud monitoring, transaction screening, data protection, audit trails and controls designed to help prevent common vulnerabilities such as account takeover, payment redirection and compliance gaps.

What does liquidity control mean in global payments?

Liquidity control means having the visibility and tools to manage funding, settlement timing and access to cash across currencies, corridors and payment types. It matters because many businesses conduct cross-border payments frequently, not occasionally. The research found 90% of respondents rate real-time visibility and predictability of funds as important today, a view that has remained stable over the last three years across regions, company size, and transaction volume. Payment providers can help reduce liquidity risk while supporting faster payments through clearer settlement windows, better forecasting, reliable execution and tools that help businesses monitor funds in motion.

What value-added services are most important in cross-border payments?

Value-added services are capabilities that go beyond payment execution to help businesses move money with greater control, confidence and efficiency. They can include payment tracking, fraud detection, validation services, FX tools, reconciliation support, tax reporting, expense analytics, working capital financing and liquidity management tools. For business-to-person payments, essential reporting and reconciliation tools often include transaction-level reporting, status updates, exception management, remittance data and exportable records that help finance teams match payments faster and reduce manual work. Payment tracking and fraud detection ranked highest among potential value-added services in the research.

[1] Mastercard, Money in Motion Research, 2026.
Mastercard surveyed 1,028 payment decision-makers at SMEs and Mid-market firms across 11 countries spanning all major regions (Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S.).

[2] As of October 2025. Figures represent combined totals across all Mastercard Move solutions.

[3] Actual posting times for approved transactions will depend on the receiving financial institution.

Information relating to Cross-Border Services:

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