How FNBO and WEX are delivering simple, sophisticated payment solutions

For more than 167 years, FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha) has built a legacy of trust and service. As one of the largest privately held banks in the U.S., FNBO has always sought to meet the changing needs of their business customers, ensuring they have the tools to grow and thrive. 

To develop innovative solutions that improve the customer banking experience, FNBO (Member FDIC) partnered with WEX – a leader in business payments – to deliver a seamless, secure, and scalable payment solution.

“WEX’s brand recognition in the market drew us to them as a potential partner,” said Maria Line, FNBO’s Head of Customer Engagement, Portfolio Management and Commercial Card. “Learning their customer-centric philosophy and how their approaches are very similar to ours, propelled us to work with them.”  

Hear the full story from Maria at FNBO

A growing demand for smarter business payments

Businesses today are under pressure to keep cash flow steady, minimize fraud risks, and run operations more efficiently. Recent trends in business payments show a fast-paced market, driven by rising competition and the shift from traditional methods to digital solutions. Traditional payment methods like paper checks and physical credit cards were once the norm. Now, businesses are starting to recognize the need for payment solutions that are faster and more secure.

FNBO knew that to stay competitive and better serve their business clients, they needed to offer a commercial card solution that could address those pain points head-on. The answer to their challenge came in the form of WEX virtual cards.

FNBO turned to WEX for its industry expertise and modern payment technology. By integrating WEX’s virtual card solutions, FNBO was able to offer its clients a more secure, efficient, and flexible way to manage payments.

“The WEX business payments technology is very flexible,” Line said. “This allows us to help our clients, from small businesses to large corporations, optimize their payment practices to mitigate risk and reduce fraud by replacing checks and other payment types that expose account numbers.”

Why virtual cards are the next step in business payments efficiency

Virtual cards are quickly becoming a go-to payment solution for businesses. In fact, the global virtual card market was valued at $19.02 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to over $60 billion by 2030 – an annual growth rate of 21.2% – according to Grand View Research. 

The B2B sector is driving this growth, making up more than 69% of global revenue in 2022. With more businesses shifting to digital payments, banks like FNBO are stepping up to offer virtual card solutions that make payments faster, safer, and easier to manage.

So how do virtual cards work? Unlike traditional cards, virtual cards are digitally generated, single-use or limited-use numbers designed for secure, controlled transactions. Businesses using virtual cards can benefit from:

• Enhanced security: Unique card numbers minimize fraud risk and prevent unauthorized transactions.
• Improved efficiency: Payments are processed faster, eliminating the delays associated with paper checks.
• Better control: Businesses can set custom spending limits, automate reconciliation, and gain better visibility into expenses.

Partnering with WEX for a smarter payment experience

This strategic partnership gave FNBO the competitive edge needed to improve its commercial card offerings and provide businesses with an easy transition to digital payments.

What set WEX apart was not only its technology but also its hands-on approach to implementation. WEX’s dedicated relationship manager, Garth, served as a key point of contact for FNBO, guiding the bank through the process and connecting it to other experts for support. This hands-on support was instrumental in ensuring that FNBO’s internal teams understood the product, its benefits, and how to best position it to their clients. 

From integration to fraud prevention, credit, sales, and account management, WEX’s support helped FNBO build a strong foundation for its commercial card program and fine-tune its strategy in the market.

“WEX helps us dig into the verticals we target to understand best practices in reaching those markets, areas where there’s greater opportunity, and where we can pull back on less successful approaches,” Line said. 

A solution built for business growth

For businesses of all sizes, adopting virtual cards means reaching new levels of financial efficiency. Whether a company needs a simple plug-and-play solution or a more customizable payment infrastructure, FNBO can now offer the flexibility required to meet diverse needs of all business sizes.

“Partnering with WEX has helped us offer a simple, sophisticated solution for our clients that want to plug and play with virtual cards, and a more robust, customizable solution for clients that need it,” Line said.

The future of business payments is here

As the financial industry continues to evolve, businesses are prioritizing payment solutions that offer both security and efficiency.

Together, FNBO and WEX are delivering a simple, secure, and scalable solution, helping businesses move beyond outdated payment methods and adopt more efficient ways to manage their finances.

“We could not have asked for a better payment technology partner than WEX,” Line said. “From the very first step of contract discussions all the way through launch and beyond they’ve been the ideal partner.”

With virtual cards gaining momentum, FNBO’s journey is a testament to how strategic partnerships and forward-thinking technology can be transformative. 

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?

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