SMB Cross-Border Payments Shift To FinTechs Without Leaving Banks

FinTech Use Rises In 2026 SMB Payment Plans

Small businesses buying goods overseas are adding FinTech providers to their cross-border payment mix, but the PYMNTS Intelligence data does not show banks being displaced.

PYMNTS Intelligence said 36% of internationally active U.S. SMBs expect to use FinTechs or payment providers for cross-border transactions in 2026.

The 2025 figure was 30%, giving the category a larger role in payment planning for companies that source or sell across borders.

The shift is not a single-provider replacement story.

PYMNTS Intelligence said 69% of SMBs expect to use traditional banks for cross-border payments this year, compared with 64% that relied on them in 2025.

Banks therefore remain the largest named provider category in the report, even as businesses add specialist payment firms.

Banks Keep The Largest Provider Share

The cross-border payments data describes a toolkit problem for SMBs rather than a clean migration away from banking relationships.

PYMNTS Intelligence said companies can keep banks for reach and familiarity while using FinTech platforms for faster digital experiences or more specialised workflows.

Satisfaction remained high across nearly every provider category, according to PYMNTS Intelligence.

It said 91% of SMBs using FinTech payment providers rated their experience as good, placing FinTechs among the highest-rated categories in the study.

That provider satisfaction figure is still a survey result, not proof that FinTechs are taking bank volume.

The study provides adoption expectations and experience ratings, while the public record still lacks payment value, transaction counts or revenue captured by each provider type.

Stablecoin And Accounting Platforms Gain Attention

Accounting platforms with payment capabilities are projected to grow from 26% to 29% adoption, according to the report.

Stablecoin and cryptocurrency platforms are expected to increase from 11% to 17%, according to the same the report Intelligence findings.

Those figures show that SMBs are considering more rails for international sourcing and settlement.

Individual FinTechs, banks, accounting platforms, stablecoin issuers, or cryptocurrency platforms remain outside the public record.

Traditional money transfer operators remain part of the ecosystem, although projected usage edged down slightly, according to the report.

The public record does not yet include a named percentage for that decline.

The report's strongest evidence is direction of use rather than transaction value.

It says more SMBs expect to use FinTechs, accounting platforms, stablecoin platforms and cryptocurrency platforms, while banks still keep the broadest expected reach.

Provider choice is shifting from default banking habits toward matching each international payment need with a suitable provider, according to the report.

That finding supports a payments-stack reading, where SMBs may use different rails for cost, speed, supplier preference or platform fit across global sourcing relationships and suppliers.

Provider Mix Lacks Volume Evidence

The study described SMB intent around cross-border payments, including businesses buying goods overseas.

It also separates provider use from provider performance by reporting both expected adoption and satisfaction.

The remaining public gaps are the survey sample size, the total payment volume covered by respondents, named provider market shares, or the revenue impact for banks and FinTech payment firms.