4 financial trends for 2026 and what CFOs need to know

Financial leaders are managing competing priorities across risk, liquidity, efficiency and talent. In a recent survey of 2,400 finance leaders conducted by Visa in collaboration with U.S. Bank,¹ respondents identified their top concerns as:

• Preventing fraud
• Forecasting working capital
• Improving receivables efficiency
• Hiring talent
• Automating payment processes
• Gaining real-time cash flow visibility

Respondents ranked them all nearly equally.

To understand what this means for financial planning, we look more closely at these priorities in our new report. The survey results reveal four financial trends shaping how finance teams manage payments, control business risk and unlock more days of working capital – and where modernizing the payment mix can deliver the greatest impact.

Data-driven decisions challenge long-held assumptions

The survey found that assumptions, not evidence, may shape how companies evaluate their payment options. For example, financial professionals perceive virtual cards and checks as costing roughly the same, but checks actually cost 22% more per transaction. Plus, checks have been the most-targeted payment method for fraud 10 years in a row, according to the 2025 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey Report.²

With chief financial officers focused on improved cash flow, reducing fraud, increasing automation and strengthening profitability, using data from internal systems can help show the true cost of payments before making changes.

Check and wire usage are declining

Legacy payment types remain deeply embedded in purchasing habits – but their dominance is waning. Checks are projected to decline from 12.3% of total payment volume to 10.1% by 2027, the steepest drop of any method. One in four companies plans to reduce check usage, including nearly half of large market companies (48%). Wires, the most expensive payment method, are also expected to decline from 10.4% to 9.5%.

Virtual payments are growing

Virtual cards have the lowest cost and fraud risk, as demonstrated in the survey and across the broader industry. Even so, only a small share of spend (8%) flows through this method, despite nearly half of all companies surveyed (47%) reporting they use them.

Virtual cards are expected to see the fastest growth, with projected volume rising from 8.1% to 10.4%. Seventy-eight percent of companies already using virtual cards also plan to expand their programs and 84% expect to increase virtual credit card usage for payments.

A broader mix of payment solutions can extend working capital

As check use declines, organizations are adopting a broader mix of payment solutions. One often overlooked benefit of modernizing payments is improved working capital. When a company pays a supplier with a virtual card, the bank funds the transaction on day 1, bills the buyer on day 30 and gives them an additional 15 days to pay. Funds that would leave the business in fewer than seven days with traditional payment methods can remain available for up to 45 days when paid with a card.

Download the full report to learn more about Payment modernization: understanding the gap between perception and reality.