New research reveals many UK SMEs feel underserved by payments providers, highlighting demand for faster settlements, stronger security and better support.
This whitepaper, based on independent 2026 research with 500 UK SME decision-makers, examines the persisting gap between merchant needs and payment provider delivery. While 82% of SMEs remain resiliently optimistic about the future, many feel underserved by the payments industry.
The data highlight that cash flow velocity is a major bottleneck, with 19.4% citing slow fund retrieval as their primary pain point. Furthermore, merchants are not a monolith; rather than prioritising cheaper fees or advanced tech, a decisive 51.8% majority rank data security as their ultimate priority. Simultaneously, merchants face mounting pressure to support cross-border commerce, as 53.8% sell globally, and to deliver seamless checkouts with diverse options such as buy now, pay later.
Ultimately, 40% of merchants do not feel adequately supported by the current payments industry. This whitepaper serves as a strategic roadmap for providers, calling for transparent pricing, faster settlements and robust security architecture to transform standard vendors into genuine business partners.
