Mastercard has launched Advanced B2B Analytics, an AI-based analytics platform that helps financial institutions and their corporate clients identify which vendors are more likely to accept card payments. The tool analyzes accounts payable data to guide purchasing decisions, improve working capital management, and extend the use of commercial cards in business-to-business transactions.
AI-driven B2B payments in 20 seconds
- Advanced B2B Analytics applies AI models to estimate which vendors are more likely to accept card payments.
- The platform offers interactive dashboards to analyze outstanding payments and cash flows.
- Absa Group and Emirates NBD are among the first financial institutions offering the service to their corporate clients.
- Mastercard positions this initiative within its strategy to bring analytics and AI into commercial payments.
The offering targets a common problem in business-to-business payments: even when a company manages hundreds or thousands of invoices, it doesn’t always have enough information to know which vendors would accept a change in how they get paid. Mastercard proposes using available data to reduce that uncertainty and help finance teams prioritize the opportunities most likely to succeed.
How Advanced B2B Analytics works
The platform uses AI-based propensity models to rank vendors by how likely they are to accept card payments. To do this, it analyzes accounts payable data and combines it with enriched data from Mastercard and third parties. The company says users can upload payment files to get dynamic analysis of their vendors.
The goal is for companies to avoid reaching out to every vendor the same way. With a ranking of the available options, procurement and treasury teams can focus their efforts on vendors that show stronger acceptance indicators.
Advanced B2B Analytics also includes interactive dashboards to review results and configurable calculators that estimate the potential financial benefit for buyers and vendors. Mastercard presents these features as decision-support tools, not as a guarantee that a given vendor will accept card payment or that a given transaction will generate a specific saving.
The solution also includes access controls and data governance mechanisms to limit the use of information to authorized users. Mastercard’s marketing materials describe these measures, though the information reviewed doesn’t detail every technical control, retention period, or condition that applies to each deployment.
Working capital and virtual card adoption
One of the tool’s goals is to improve working capital management, meaning the resources a company needs to keep its day-to-day operations running. Getting a clearer view of vendor payments can help review when and how disbursements are made, as well as decide which transactions could be routed through commercial cards.
Mastercard also points to the potential of discounts and rebates tied to certain card programs. If a company identifies invoices suited for card payment, it could increase the volume of transactions that qualify for those benefits. The outcome will depend on commercial agreements, fees, program terms, and vendor acceptance.
Virtual cards are part of that strategy. These are digital payment credentials that can be used for specific transactions and allow specific controls to be applied. In business-to-business payments, their adoption can help digitize processes that still rely on bank transfers, manually managed invoices, or other payment methods.
The new platform focuses on spotting where there’s an opportunity to expand that use. It doesn’t replace accounts payable systems on its own, nor does it automatically execute every payment: its stated function is to provide information to decide which vendors to approach and which transactions are worth exploring.
Absa Group and Emirates NBD among the first institutions
Mastercard has announced that Absa Group and Emirates NBD are among the first financial institutions offering Advanced B2B Analytics to their corporate clients. Both can use the tool to identify vendors with acceptance potential and guide conversations aimed at expanding card payments.
Pascalle Albrecht, commercial issuing product head at Absa Business Banking, said the collaboration is meant to give clients a clearer view of their payment and vendor networks, as well as to improve cash flow management. Her statement describes the initiative’s goal, but Mastercard doesn’t provide results figures from companies already using the platform in the announcement.
The company frames the launch within its strategy to bring data, analytics, and AI into different stages of the commercial payments cycle. Advanced B2B Analytics is the first capability in this line focused on business-to-business payments. Mastercard says it plans to gradually extend these features to other participants, including vendors and acquirers, though the announcement doesn’t spell out a full timeline for those expansions.
The company puts the addressable market opportunity in B2B payments at roughly $80 trillion, a figure it presents as part of its business case. That doesn’t equal the volume the new platform will actually process, nor revenue Mastercard has secured.
The solution’s practical reach will depend on the quality of available data, each vendor’s payment terms, and companies’ ability to turn analytical recommendations into real agreements. The tool aims to help identify those opportunities more precisely, but card acceptance will still depend on decisions made by buyers, vendors, and financial institutions.
Frequently asked questions
What is Mastercard Advanced B2B Analytics?
It’s an AI-based analytics platform that helps financial institutions and their corporate clients identify which vendors are more likely to accept card payments.
How does it use artificial intelligence?
It applies propensity models to accounts payable data and enriched information to rank vendors and flag potential card payment opportunities.
Which institutions offer the platform first?
Mastercard names Absa Group and Emirates NBD among the first financial institutions offering the service to their corporate clients.
Does Advanced B2B Analytics guarantee payment savings?
No. The platform identifies potential opportunities to improve working capital management and access possible card program benefits, but results depend on commercial terms and each vendor’s acceptance.
