Why Frictionless B2B Payments is The Next Frontier in Global Trade and Travel

The global B2B cross-border payments market is on a path of rapid growth — forecasted to reach US$47.8 trillion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.3% from 2024, according to a newly released white paper by FXC Intelligence and SUNRATE.  

This upward trajectory highlights a world economy increasingly dependent on frictionless B2B payments to enable seamless global trade and support high-volume industries such as travel. From multinational corporations to fast-growing medium and small travel businesses, the ability to move money swiftly, transparently, and securely across currencies and regions is essential for maintaining competitiveness, improving cashflow, and building trust across global supply chains. 

Globalisation, Travel, and the Demand for Instant Payments 

As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, businesses, particularly those in travel and hospitality, can no longer rely on legacy systems or manual processes riddled with hidden fees, delays, and compliance friction.  

Supply chains are deeply interconnected, and travel, being one of the world’s most globalised industries, depends heavily on seamless cross-border transactions. Airlines, online travel agencies (OTAs), hotels, and travel platforms rely on instant settlements and multi-currency capabilities to manage supplier payments, agent commissions, and customer refunds efficiently. 

Empowering Travel Payments beyond Commercial Cards 

To meet rising expectations around speed, transparency, and automation, the travel industry is increasingly turning to forward-thinking global payment fintech companies like SUNRATE with a global payment infrastructure that is purpose-built to address these evolving demands.  

For instance, SUNRATE enables businesses to send, receive, and manage cross-border payments effortlessly across 190+ countries and regions while having a platform that supports 130+ currencies. Its API-driven platform provides modular tools for multi-currency FX, real-time rates, and secure global payouts — giving travel and corporate clients the ability to scale internationally with confidence. 

What’s more, SUNRATE’s commercial and virtual cards, trusted by global travel partners such as Atlas and Outpayce from Amadeus, are transforming how travel companies manage B2B payments. With support for over 15 settlement currencies, businesses can customise card parameters such as spending limits and use cases, ensuring better financial control alongside real-time transaction visibility and automated reconciliation tools. 

Through its partnership with Outpayce from Amadeus, SUNRATE is enabling travel sellers, including OTAs and Travel Management Companies (TMCs), to generate and use virtual cards via the Outpayce B2B Wallet. This allows them to seamlessly pay airlines, hotels, and other suppliers while benefiting from: 

• automated reconciliation 

• improved cashflow management 

• reduced fraud exposure 

• a more predictable fee structure 

• Mastercard-backed virtual payment technology 

For a sector characterised by high booking volumes and globally dispersed supply chains, these enhancements translate to smoother operations and stronger supplier relationships — particularly across the fast-growing Asia-Pacific (APAC) travel market. 

Navigating FX and Fees with Smarter Infrastructure 

In traditional cross-border trade and travel, FX uncertainty, intermediary bank fees, and fluctuating settlement timelines create bottlenecks that erode margins and slow growth. For travel companies processing thousands of multi-currency B2B payments daily, such inefficiencies directly obstruct frictionless payment operations. 

SUNRATE solves this by offering real-time FX visibility and transparent pricing that removes ambiguity from global payments. OTAs managing transactions in USD, EUR, or CNY can process B2B payments without hidden markups or unexpected conversion costs — enabling more frictionless payment flows, optimised cash management, and improved customer experience. 

The Rise of Real-Time Payments and “Frictionless Compliance” 

Real-time payments are reshaping the global economy, and travel is at the forefront of this shift. Emerging markets such as China, India, and Brazil have already adopted real-time settlement systems that improve liquidity and operational agility. However, large economies like the U.S., U.K., and Germany still face fragmentation across payment rails. 

SUNRATE bridges this gap through its real-time payment capabilities and integrated compliance systems. With “frictionless compliance”, regulatory checks are embedded directly into payment flows using AI, machine learning, and tokenization — automating KYC, AML, and watchlist screenings without slowing transactions. 

This ensures that businesses — especially those in regulated sectors like travel — can scale globally while maintaining full transparency and control. 

The Era of AI, Stablecoins, and Blockchain 

The evolution toward frictionless B2B payments is accelerating. Earlier digitalisation replaced manual, paper-based processes; then came into the application era, enabling programmable, API-driven payments. Yet, global access remained uneven, and treasury teams still required significant manual intervention — limiting true frictionless. Now, the automation era — powered by AI, stablecoins, and blockchain — is transforming and modernising global trade and travel payments by: 

• Reducing settlement friction: Stablecoins and blockchain rails can enable near-instant, borderless B2B transfers, eliminating long settlement windows. 

• Enhancing treasury automation: AI can automate decision-making, detect errors, and optimise routing — core to achieving frictionless B2B payment workflows. 

• Strengthening compliance: AI-driven monitoring and tokenisation ensure secure, friction-free verification across global operations. 

• Expanding global accessibility: Blockchain networks can provide consistent access for emerging markets, ensuring frictionless participation in global trade and travel ecosystems. 

The coming years will see rapid adoption of automation, tokenisation, and AI-driven payment intelligence — reshaping how businesses conduct frictionless B2B payments across borders, platforms, and supply chains. 

What’s Next: The Future of Frictionless B2B Payments 

As global trade and travel continue to accelerate, the next frontier will revolve around: 

• faster settlement networks across continents 

• greater tokenisation and card virtualisation 

• embedded finance solutions within travel platforms 

• AI-powered treasury automation for multi-entity organisations 

For travel companies seeking to expand across borders, modernise operations, and optimise cashflow, frictionless B2B payments will become a core competitive differentiator — not just an operational feature.

With our global network, virtual card capabilities, intelligent compliance, and real-time cross-border payment rails, SUNRATE is uniquely positioned to power the next generation of travel payments — enabling businesses to operate globally, transact securely, and grow without borders.

To get started and partner with a solutions provider that can help your business optimise payments and help you scale both locally and globally, open a SUNRATE account today or contact our sales team.