Paper checks have been almost completely replaced by electronic bank transfers in the consumer arena, but business-to-business payment methods have evolved more slowly. While many businesses still conduct their transactions in cash or check, we see an increase in the number of companies that use B2B electronic payment methods. However, compared to B2C organizations, B2B companies are lagging in adopting payment innovations such as electronic payments.
Research shows that about two-thirds of global B2C spending is processed electronically, while only one-third of global B2B spending is processed electronically. To avoid losing money, more and more B2B companies are switching to modern payment systems. As the process gets more complex, companies turn to technological innovation for more traceable payment methods.
Peer-to-peer (P2P) payment applications are becoming more popular and are projected to account for $ 240 billion in transactions by 2021. Despite the risks, B2B digital payments are not going anywhere, offering higher levels of security than cash and checks. And helps companies become more agile. Despite these multiple opportunities for disruption, B2B payment solutions lag behind consumer payments, and paper checks are still the most popular way of doing business. However, most companies are moving away from paper checks and moving towards electronic and digital payments.
B2B companies prefer electronic payments because of their speed, security, and ability to integrate with the b2b e-commerce platform. B2B card payments are when a buyer makes a full prepayment using a credit card. B2C payments are usually a one-time payment for a product and a lower amount.
The Difference Between B2B and B2C
B2B and B2C payments differ in terms and structure of the transaction. In B2B, there are business people on both sides, whereas, in B2C, there is usually a business person and a consumer. Meanwhile, business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions are transactions made between a business and individual consumers. Business-to-business transactions are expected in a typical supply chain as companies buy components and products as other raw materials for use in manufacturing processes.
Companies enter into deals with many other companies to obtain the initial product needed to produce the final product they sell to consumers. On the other hand, peer-to-peer (P2P) payments are payments that take place between individuals. Many small businesses use third-party commercial service providers to process B2B payments. B2B payment processing occurs when the seller is a business, just like the buyer, so the seller charges another company for its products and/or services.
While the actual process is the same, there are some key differences between B2B and B2C payment processing, such as preferred payment methods, rates, and even the minimum order.
B2B or Business to Business is a unique business model that offers growth opportunities, high transaction costs, and fewer customers to serve. Business to Business (B2B), also called B-to-B, is a form of transaction between a business, such as between a manufacturer and a wholesaler or a wholesaler and a retailer. Business to Business (B2B) is a transaction or activity carried out between one company and another, such as between a wholesaler and a retailer. B2B transactions typically take place in the supply chain, where one company buys raw materials from another for use in a manufacturing process.
B2B payments are transactions made between two companies to exchange products or services. Businesses pay for other assets in B2B transactions in several ways; the most popular of which is by check. It is one of the fastest payment methods for both B2B and consumer businesses. Many B2B companies use credit cards or bank transfers for their payments.
Credit cards are notorious for high processing fees that can hurt a business’s bottom line, and bank transfer fees can also skyrocket, especially for international transactions. As such, payment processing speed affects B2B and B2C businesses in different ways and should be considered when looking for your own payment processor. The volume of payments. Inter-enterprise payments are often much higher than inter-consumer payments.
Despite this, in the B2B world, 64% of businesses still pay by check. Checks are still the most common way for businesses to make and receive payments, according to Mastercard’s latest report on B2B payments. Still, there has also been an increase in credit card payments, cryptocurrency payments, and ACH payments per day.
Due to the inefficiency of existing payment methods, more and more B2B companies are looking for an economical and risk-free payment method. Automatic payments are popular with B2B companies with a steady supply of products or services and require recurring payments. New automated solutions are changing how companies approach business payments and enable companies to profit from every invoice payment. For most B2B businesses, electronic checks are the preferred payment method.
Since B2B payments are dependent on two activities, spending money is much less impulsive because there are administrative processes and more people involved than in a simple P2P or B2C transaction. This repetitive manual work becomes automated with a B2B payment solution, which speeds up invoice processing and gives your AP team more time to focus on more critical business strategies. Automating B2B processes (instead of relying on paper checks to make/receive payments) makes it easy to identify cash flow patterns.
This efficiency makes processing payments easier and enables companies to manage their cash flow better. B2B digital payments: B2B digital payments include an electronic online debt instrument that provides businesses with an efficient way to pay suppliers while reducing risk exposure. Whether it’s ACH, RTP, or mobile payments, the convenience and security of electronic payments make them popular with B2B wholesale companies.
Unlike B2C (business customer) or P2P (person-to-person) payments, B2B payments are faster for issuing, receiving, and processing transactions for a smoother cash flow. B2B payments are more complex than B2C (business-to-consumer) or P2P (peer-to-peer) payments as they involve much more processing steps. The amount of transactions tends to be higher among B2B businesses than B2C businesses, although exceptions are depending on the industry and the goods and/or services in question.
B2B companies operate on a much larger scale than B2C companies because companies are consuming faster than consumers. However, in a B2B environment, large companies can have many businesses, resources, and information advantages over small businesses. The UK government, for example, created a Small Business Commissioner under the 2016 Business Act to “provide small businesses with an opportunity to resolve disputes” and “address complaints from small business providers about security concerns when paying by large companies that provide services.”
So the main difference between B2B and B2C is that the former refers to a commercial transaction between a manufacturer and a retailer. In contrast, the latter refers to a retailer supplying goods to a consumer. In B2B, they have to deal with back-office connectivity and billing from several different partners and vendors, while B2C results in smoother transactions as options like cybercash allow the entire company to accept a broader range of payment options.
