FinTech Use Rises In 2026 SMB Payment Plans

Small businesses buying goods overseas are adding FinTech providers to their cross-border payment mix, but the PYMNTS Intelligence data does not show banks being displaced.

PYMNTS Intelligence said 36% of internationally active U.S. SMBs expect to use FinTechs or payment providers for cross-border transactions in 2026.

The report said 30% used those providers in 2025, giving the category a larger role in payment planning for companies that source or sell across borders.

The shift is not a single-provider replacement story.

PYMNTS Intelligence said 69% of SMBs expect to use traditional banks for cross-border payments this year, compared with 64% that relied on them in 2025.

Banks therefore remain the largest named provider category in the report, even as businesses add specialist payment firms.

Banks Keep The Largest Provider Share

The report frames cross-border payments as a toolkit problem for SMBs rather than a clean migration away from banking relationships.

PYMNTS Intelligence says companies can keep banks for reach and familiarity while using FinTech platforms for faster digital experiences or more specialised workflows.

PYMNTS Intelligence said satisfaction remained high across nearly every provider category.

It said 91% of SMBs using FinTech payment providers rated their experience as good, placing FinTechs among the highest-rated categories in the study.

That provider satisfaction figure is still a survey result, not proof that FinTechs are taking bank volume.

The report gives adoption expectations and experience ratings, but it does not disclose payment value, transaction counts, or revenue captured by each provider type.

Stablecoin And Accounting Platforms Gain Attention

The report also said accounting platforms with payment capabilities are projected to grow from 26% to 29% adoption.

Stablecoin and cryptocurrency platforms are expected to increase from 11% to 17%, according to the same PYMNTS Intelligence findings.

Those figures show that SMBs are considering more rails for international sourcing and settlement.

They do not show which providers will handle the largest dollar flows, and PYMNTS did not name individual FinTechs, banks, accounting platforms, stablecoin issuers, or cryptocurrency platforms.

Traditional money transfer operators remain part of the ecosystem, although PYMNTS said projected usage edged down slightly.

PYMNTS Intelligence did not provide a named percentage for that decline.

The report's strongest evidence is direction of use rather than transaction value.

It says more SMBs expect to use FinTechs, accounting platforms, stablecoin platforms and cryptocurrency platforms, while banks still keep the broadest expected reach.

PYMNTS says provider choice is shifting from default banking habits toward matching each international payment need with a suitable provider.

That finding supports a payments-stack reading, where SMBs may use different rails for cost, speed, supplier preference or platform fit across global sourcing relationships and suppliers.

Provider Mix Lacks Volume Evidence

The report gives a useful snapshot of SMB intent around cross-border payments, especially for businesses buying goods overseas.

It also separates provider use from provider performance by reporting both expected adoption and satisfaction.

PYMNTS Intelligence did not disclose the survey sample size, the total payment volume covered by respondents, named provider market shares, or the revenue impact for banks and FinTech payment firms.