Across Europe and the UK, reflecting the economic pressures in these increasingly unpredictable times, finance teams have intensified their focus on cash flow and risk.
At the same time, regulatory change, eInvoicing requirements and cross-border complexity continue to add friction in the order-to-cash process. That’s one side of the B2B payments seesaw. On the other side, B2B buyers are bringing a host of digital native, B2C-style expectations to the purchasing experience.
Against this backdrop, how are businesses responding? How do they want to buy and pay going forward? And what drives long-term loyalty in interrelated yet also subtly different European geographies?
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We may have some clues. Our recently-published market analysis based on insights from more than 550 senior line-of-business leaders, begins to shed light on these questions.
A mixed picture of innovation being held back by inefficiencies
What B2B payment leaders told us:
Payment and invoicing experiences now play a decisive role in supplier selection. Alongside traditional net terms, B2B buyers also increasingly prioritise flexibility, visibility and ERP system integration.
AI is radically reshaping the landscape 80% of buyers say they are already using AI in their payments workflows. However, adoption is not uniform, with significant regional differences. Spain led in interest in using AI for decision-making (26%), versus 13% in Germany.
AI is not replacing human judgement. Instead, the most impactful use cases are the ones giving humans value around better decision making, improved ways of managing risk and reducing manual work.
Lastly, Pay by Invoice has emerged as a core expectation for UK and European companies. But, again, payment preferences vary by country and company size, underlining the need for a nuanced, regionalised approach.
In parallel, our research consistently found finance teams across Europe and the UK are navigating a mix of economic pressure, regulatory complexity and rising buyer expectations.
Users are also ‘voting with their feet,’ with payment and invoicing experiences now playing a decisive role in supplier selection. The bottom line: if you’re not willing to work with digital speeds with B2C-level ease, you risk becoming part of the problem rather than part of the solution.
What European users look for from payment partners today
Let’s unpack the research data further to better understand what finance, sales, and operations leaders across Europe and the UK expect from payments, invoicing and technology in 2026.
AI is here, but purchasing options vary by country
As noted, nearly 8 in 10 business buyers confirm they ‘always’ or ‘often’ use AI in B2B purchasing and payment processes. AI is primarily valued as a means to improve decision-making through data insights (20%), strengthen fraud prevention and risk management (16%) and reduce manual tasks along with associated inefficiency and manual error. Emerging use cases include the technology being explored as a way to gain visibility into invoice status and automatically matching invoices to purchase orders, helping to address persistent pain points around invoice inaccuracy.
The criticality of pay by invoice
Almost half (47%) of businesses said they consider pay by invoice as a factor when deciding whether to work with a partner again. It’s clear this has become table stakes in what UK and mainland European B2B teams expect from their suppliers.
Widespread digitalisation, but friction remains
Yes, businesses have a wide array of technology, both old and new. Yet, frustratingly for CEOs, CFOs and CPOs, buyers reported ongoing challenges such as incorrect invoices, limited ERP integration, inconsistent invoice formats and delays in approval workflows.
Interestingly, the experience and impact of these issues vary significantly. In Germany, 76% of buyers reported issues with payment options overall, but only 37% in Spain. In terms of size, larger (500+ employees) enterprises prioritise ERP integration and purchase controls more heavily, while mid-sized businesses value speed and flexibility. In the UK, fast onboarding stands out as one of suppliers’ most powerful competitive levers.
Payment preferences vary by region and company size
The research underscores why it’s essential to view Europe as a collection of distinct markets rather than a single entity. Preferences for settling bills vary significantly: trade credit remains popular in the UK and Germany, while Spanish buyers show a strong preference for invoice customisation (93% versus the survey average of 82%).
The implications for the market are as follows:
- Invoicing drives repeat purchasing. If 82% of respondents say invoice customisation is important when choosing a supplier, then this clearly matters and it’s something suppliers must act on.
- Choice consistently outperforms standardization. In 2026, buyers aren’t interested in working with suppliers if they refuse (or are unable) to offer a spread of payment options, flexible credit terms, and control over how and when they pay.
- AI is already embedded, but unevenly. Many businesses report frequent use of AI in purchasing and payments, yet confidence and investment priorities differ by region. Be sensitive to this.
- Poor or indifferent CX won’t win repeat business. Manual onboarding, disconnected ERP systems and invoice friction are major obstacles. To build strong, lasting supplier relationships, these kinds of roadblocks and irritants need to be left in the past.
Ultimately, while there will always be regional differences, success comes down to reducing friction at every stage of the buying journey. Flexibility is key for suppliers to cement repeat business and deliver sustainable growth. The good news is once firms get this right, even in challenging times, they can continue to grow while delighting customers.
Inez Berkhof-Hollander is EMEA Vice President at TreviPay
