In a new research report, Supplier Enablement of Cards in B2B E-Payments Requires Persistence, Data, and Technology, Mercator Advisory Group discusses supplier enablement, recommending fundamental approaches for success, suggesting tools to enhance suppliers’ recognition of the value proposition of business-to-business, or B2B, e-payments, and reviewing innovative business/technology trends that will have an impact on the industry. Fundamentals remain key, but issuers must consider alternative approaches to advance virtual card use by suppliers.

1. Supplier Enablement of Cards in B2B E-Payments
Requires Persistence, Data, and Technology
December 2016

2. 2016 Mercator Advisory Group
Historical difficulties in gaining mass-scale adoption of commercial cards for
use in corporate payables have been rooted in friction around pricing and
technical requirements for acceptance. Issuers, buyers, and financial
technology firms (fintechs) are now approaching this challenge from several
angles, using the rising popularity of virtual card accounts as the catalyst for
achieving the long-sought broad acceptance of card-based payments
among suppliers. The commercial card industry is an integral and growing
portion of the broader business-to-business (B2B) payments landscape.
Mercator estimates that the overall noncash value transfer between U.S.
businesses within the B2B payments ecosystem was close to $24 trillion
during 2015. This includes payments by check, ACH, cards, and wires.
Recent research from Mercator Advisory Group examines
traditional and new methods for advancing supplier enablement

3. 2016 Mercator Advisory Group
In a new research report, Supplier Enablement of Cards in B2B E-
Payments Requires Persistence, Data, and Technology, Mercator
Advisory Group discusses supplier enablement, recommending
fundamental approaches for success, suggesting tools to enhance
suppliers’ recognition of the value proposition of B2B e-payments, and
reviewing innovative business/technology trends that will have an impact on
the industry.
Fundamentals remain key, but issuers must consider alternative
approaches to advance virtual card use by suppliers

4. 2016 Mercator Advisory Group
“While the commercial card industry continues to benefit from the ongoing shift
away from cash and checks and the increase in purchase volume, vast
opportunities still exist for growth in cards as payables tools,” commented Steve
Murphy, Director of Mercator Advisory Group’s Commercial and Enterprise
Payments Advisory Service and author of the report. “There is substantial
untapped potential, given the size of the market. The effort to drive further
adoption of virtual cards among suppliers is one of the key activities of commercial
card issuers and their corporate clients.”
Steve Murphy
Director
Commercial and Enterprise Payments Advisory Service
Mercator Advisory Group

5. 2016 Mercator Advisory Group
Highlights of the research report:
• A step-by-step approach for fundamental success
• A discussion of the opportunities around driving revenue through scale
versus interchange and rebates
• Methods to overcome the continuing greatest single hurdle, suppliers’
resistance to pricing
• A detailed review of the value proposition for suppliers
• A review of next-generation technology driving new business
approaches that allow for flexible pricing and ease of card payments

6. ©2016 Mercator Advisory Group
One of the 10 exhibits in this research report:
Figure 3: The Fundamentals of Supplier Enablement
1. Analyze Current Suppliers and Spend
2. Conduct Supplier Match
Merchant/Spend Analysis
3. Identify Key Targets
4. Supplier Campaigns
Communication, Strategy, Supplier Tracking
5. Supplier Enrollment
© 2016 Mercator Advisory Group
Source: Mercator Advisory Group

7. About the research report:
2016 Mercator Advisory Group
The research note is 24 pages long and contains 10 exhibits.
Companies mentioned in this document include: AOC, Bora Payment Systems,
Boost Payment Solutions, Comdata, Invapay Payment Solutions, Ixaris Technologies,
MasterCard, PayPal, Stripe, and Visa.
Members of Mercator Advisory Group's Commercial and Enterprise Payments
Advisory Service have access to this research report as well as the upcoming
research for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access, and other membership
benefits.
Please visit us online at www.mercatoradvisorygroup.com.
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main line: 1-781-419-1700; send email to media@mercatoradvisorygroup.
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8. About Mercator Advisory Group
Mercator Advisory Group is the leading independent research and advisory
services firm exclusively focused on the payments and banking industries. We
deliver pragmatic and timely research and advice designed to help our clients
uncover the most lucrative opportunities to maximize revenue growth and
contain costs.
Our clients range from the world's largest payment issuers, acquirers,
processors, merchants and associations to leading technology providers and
investors. Mercator Advisory Group is also the publisher of the online payments
and banking news and information portal PaymentsJournal.com.
2017 Mercator Advisory Group