It can be a lonely world, and twice over for businesses. Many of us don’t want to admit that we need others to achieve our dreams. This was never truer than in business payments.
Yet there’s a thaw coming to parts of this frozen B2B tundra as banks and corporates realize they need help. Sometimes that help comes from a commercial bank to a corporate customer. It can be a Payments Service Provider (PSP) supplying processing muscle.
We think this partnership thing could yield dividends with AI inevitably in the mix. Here’s what a collection of experts had to say about partnering for profitable payments.
Digital Transformation is Easier with Friends
After a recent appearance on The Payments Podcast, Michelle Pasquerillo, Head of Bank Channel Strategy at Bottomline, said collaborations are transforming the industry and creating new forms of value.
"Partnering [with established payment service providers] allows banks to go to market faster with advanced technology without the high costs and time-consuming nature of building solutions in-house," Pasquerillo said.
She describes a collaborative model that enables banks to focus on their core strengths while still offering cutting-edge payment solutions to commercial clients. And legacy system issues fade away when APIs can be designed to overcome limitations.
Pasquerillo warns, "Establishing a trusting, collaborative relationship with bank partners is essential for mutual success," adding that "Digitizing AP processes and payment methods can optimize cash flow, enhance operational efficiencies, and improve overall customer and supplier satisfaction.”
This foundation of trust is built through consistent communication and a demonstrated commitment to shared goals. Regular check-ins at various levels of the organization help ensure that partnerships remain strong and that any issues are addressed promptly.
AP Automation Nation
Modernization can be a partner-fest, you might say, as organizations become more willing to lower their guard and invite even competitors to discuss ways of working together.
And there’s more than cross-pollination happening. AP automation is turning cost centers into money generators, and that gets noticed quickly.
Jeff Feuerstein, Senior Vice President of Paymode Product Management and Market Strategy at Bottomline, recently told us that Accounts Payable (AP) automation is one area where organizations can see a rapid lift after choosing the right partner.
"AP automation helps businesses optimize resource constraints, maximize working capital, and improve cash flow," Feuerstein said. "You can turn what has traditionally been a constrained area into a profit center by digitizing checks and reducing hard costs.”
This conversion extends beyond simple cost controls. Feuerstein said the evolution of AP automation crosses into cybersecurity. This is a time to partner with care.
"Finding partners that use the best technology and multiple layers of security is crucial," Feuerstein said. "The right provider should validate vendors and transactions to ensure security and reduce fraud risks."
But when to get this project underway? As Ben Franklin reminded us, time is money.
"The best time to start an AP automation project is now," Feuerstein said. "The right partner can reduce the workload for the end customer and help integrate payments into existing systems."
ISO 20022 and You
The deadline that is obsessing the payments world – the ISO 20022 cutover in November of 2025 – is one of those highly technical matters best undertaken with expert advice.
Eli Shoshani, Head of APAC at Bottomline, is happy to oblige, noting in a recent blog that, “The November 2025 deadline remains fixed and applies specifically to payment messages in categories 1 and 2 under the CBPR+ umbrella. For banks still relying on MT messages, solution partners like Bottomline offer a transformation and enrichment service that bridges the gap. Alternatively, Swift provides a chargeable translation service.”
In that blog (a good read, incidentally), Shoshani quoted some notable experts and excellent examples as others progressed through their ISO journeys.
“At HSBC,” Shoshoni writes, “ISO 20022 is not merely a compliance requirement; it’s a core pillar of transformation. Sara Amara, Director and Head of Currency Clearing at HSBC, shared how the bank has gone beyond message mapping to embed structured ISO data into its payment systems end-to-end.”
Then a mic-drop quote from Amara herself: “The goal isn’t just compliance,” she said. “It’s enabling clients to thrive in a data-first environment.”
And now… Our Favorite Stat of the Month
“78% of corporate banking leaders say they are actively pursuing or planning strategic partnerships with fintechs and technology providers to accelerate digital transformation, modernize core platforms, and deliver tailored services to business clients.”
– The KPMG 2025 Banking Technology Survey