AFP Payments Guide
Revisiting Your Payments Strategy
As treasury leaders, we are navigating one of the most dynamic periods in decades. A wave of innovation — from faster, 24x7payments to richer data and connectivity to AI tools — is creating new opportunities to improve the way organizations move money and manage working capital. These advancements are reshaping expectations around speed, liquidity and customer experience, offering treasury teams more tools than ever to design flexible payment strategies.
Today’s environment calls for a refreshed perspective on how and when to use different payment types, how to streamline end‑to‑end workflows and how to equip teams to operate confidently in a landscape rich with choices. As new capabilities continue to emerge, adaptability and strategic clarity are just as important as operational accuracy.
The purpose of this guide is to provide the context and direction organizations need to take advantage of this moment. Payments are no longer simply an operational necessity — they are a powerful lever for efficiency, resilience and growth. We hope this helps you evaluate your current approach, explore the many opportunities today’s payment innovations offer and prepare your organization for what comes next.
Best regards,
Sarah Billings Head of Global Payments, PNC Bank
Introduction
Conducting a regular review of a company’s payments strategy against its current processes is a sound practice that helps ensure perennial issues, such as unclaimed property concerns, are being addressed appropriately. A regular review also enables companies to take advantage of recent innovations in the payments landscape while staying current in the evolving fight against fraud.
The introduction of new Nacha rules adds a level of urgency. Companies have been mandated to review their payment processes to confirm they are designed to identify fraudulent transactions. Many companies have these controls in place, but fewer have them clearly documented. For those that have not yet done so, the requirement presents a good opportunity to revisit, update and strengthen their payments strategy.
This guide discusses the primary objectives of a company’s payments strategy and outlines some key methods of updating an existing approach. It includes examples of fraud-prevention measures taken by different companies and concludes with some key takeaways for practitioners about to review their payments strategies.