Opinion: A Welcome Push to Modernize America’s Payment Infrastructure—What It Means for B2B

This week, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to modernize the way payments are made to and from the United States General Fund —referring to it as “America’s bank account.”

The order is focused on improving the speed, security, cost-efficiency, and resilience of government payments. It’s a bold step—and a much-needed one. Regardless of political affiliation, this is the kind of action that should earn bipartisan support.

The inefficiencies in our country’s payment infrastructure affect everyone: citizens, businesses, and government alike. And while much of the attention is on consumer payments—federal disbursements, benefits, and tax refunds—the principles outlined in the order are just as relevant to the business-to-business (B2B) payments space, where outdated systems continue to hold back innovation and growth.

Every day, U.S. businesses send and receive trillions of dollars in payments. Yet nearly half of B2B payments are still made by check—a system that’s slow, costly, and vulnerable to fraud. Manual processes waste time and resources. Suppliers are often left in the dark about payment statuses. And finance teams are forced to operate without the visibility or controls they need to manage risk effectively.

The executive order’s emphasis on modern payment rails, identity verification, fraud prevention, and financial inclusion is directionally aligned with what we at Finexio—and many in the private sector—have been building toward.

At Finexio, we embed intelligent, secure payments into the platforms businesses already use, helping finance teams digitize and simplify payments while strengthening supplier relationships and reducing fraud. Tools like Finexio's Payment Risk Score and Finexio Shield help organizations manage their AP payment operations with greater confidence, insight, and control.

To modernize America’s payments infrastructure, government and business must move in parallel. This executive order signals clear intent from the federal level—but the private sector, especially those leading finance and procurement teams, must also take this opportunity to reassess outdated payment practices.

Modernizing B2B payments isn’t just about keeping up with technology—it’s about driving economic resilience, operational efficiency, and national competitiveness. It’s also about innovation. The executive order explicitly opens the door for “other modern electronic payment methods”—including virtual cards—to:
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✅ Optimize payments to move faster and more efficiently
✅ Monetize payments to generate new revenue
✅ Secure payments to stop fraud before it happens

By embracing these innovations, finance leaders can streamline operations and unlock new value—turning payments from a back-office burden into a forward-looking strategic advantage.

The modernization of payments is not a partisan issue. It’s a practical one. We welcome the administration’s focus on this long-overdue initiative and encourage all stakeholders—public and private—to take action.

Because when payments work better, everything else can, too.