How better payment remittance drives AP efficiency and security

Cash shortfalls. Poor supplier relationships. Fraud. There are some ways you could turn these setbacks into opportunities by enhancing your payment remittance process. You might be surprised to learn all the ways that virtual cards can help improve remittance. 

What is payment remittance?

Payment remittance is the process of sending funds from one party to another using some sort of payment method. Remittance information is required by the biller (or seller) to post customer bill payments effectively. 

Why does improving payment remittance matter?

Chief financial officers (CFOs), payment directors, and accounts payable (AP) teams care about improving payment remittance for many reasons. The benefits could include: 

• Increased cash flow and cost management because greater efficiency means faster transactions.
• Enhanced financial reporting when more detailed transaction data is available. 
• Streamlined AP processes that would reduce manual tasks and the potential for errors. 
• More secure transactions to reduce fraud during the remittance process.
• Improved vendor and supplier relationships. 

How can virtual cards improve payment remittance?

Faster payment processing

Virtual cards speed up payment processing when compared with other payment methods. For example, check payments are delivered in 1 to 5 business days via standard mail. 

Increased data capture

Virtual cards allow for more data to be transmitted on the front end of a transaction, which speeds up payment processing and reduces the potential for data integrity issues later in the process. 

Reduced manual tasks

With more data transmitted electronically, virtual cards make it easier for AP teams to reconcile payments without hands-on involvement. Streamlining this process allows your AP teams to be more productive and focus on other responsibilities.

Greater security

Fraud occurrences and the fraud detection process can slow down remittance. With virtual cards, you can dramatically reduce your risk of fraud during the payment process. For example, according to the 2024 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey, checks are seven times more likely to be subject to fraud than virtual cards. Conversely, findings from the survey show that digital payments, such as virtual cards, saw a drop in fraud from 9% of organizations in 2022 to 3% in 2023.

How do WEX virtual cards work during the remittance process?

Virtual card payments flow over the major card networks, and rebates are earned based on spending volumes. 

1. You use your current ERP (enterprise resource planning) solution for tracking and approval of invoices. 
2. Once you’re ready to make payments, the payment file is sent to WEX via API or secure upload.
3. When your data is received, WEX validates the security of the payment file.
4. Customized remittance is emailed to the supplier with a secure link to access the virtual card info in the WEX supplier portal. 
5. WEX sends a reconciliation file back to your ERP solution.

For more insights and updates on corporate payments, check out:

• Your guide to virtual card rebates
• 2025 payment trends
• Is the secret to better cash flow management AI?

Learn more about how WEX payment solutions can be tailored to your business, so you can accelerate and streamline operations while creating lasting growth and success for your organization.

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The information in this blog post is for educational purposes only. It is not legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, you should consult your own legal counsel, tax, and investment advisers.

Sources:
Association for Financial Professionals