Embedded finance and payments buyers are ignoring the one thing that matters most in a long-term partnership: service levels
Report demonstrates that servicing is critical to achieving successful commercial outcomes from embedded finance and payments
Buyers fail to consistently prioritise client service as a factor in partner selection despite linking it to revenue growth and international expansion
Full report available here
London, UK, 19 June – New research from Equals and Visa Consulting & Analytics finds that service gaps from embedded finance providers are limiting growth and resulting in avoidable revenue loss.
The research reveals a gap between how businesses choose payments partners and what drives long-term value, trust, and scalability.
Embedded Finance and Payments Service Report: Are Buyers Missing the Most Important Requirement for Long-Term Value?
82% of all respondents agree that providers play a critical role in helping them scale embedded finance successfully
71% of all respondents agree that internal teams alone cannot manage the operational and regulatory complexity of embedded finance
60% of CFOs have lost revenue due to poor embedded provider support
More than 2 in 5 have seen global expansion delayed by poor service
More than 60% of CFOs say providers are ‘too big to care’ or ‘too small to deliver’
Visa Consulting & Analytics was commissioned by Equals, a next-generation global money movement platform, to progress the conversation and understand the realities of embedded finance and payments strategy. The study interviewed more than 150 senior leaders and decision-makers across banks, fintechs, trading portals and digital asset exchanges in the UK and Western Europe.
Embedded finance is estimated by McKinsey to be worth over €100 billion in Europe by the end of the decade. Yet report findings show that operational gaps are slowing progress, with 45% of respondents saying service and support issues have restricted their ability to realise business benefits.
The findings reveal a persistent gap between business expectations and the service, support and operational expertise that they receive when challenges arise. Four in five CFOs (81%) say internal teams alone cannot manage the operational and regulatory complexity of embedded finance.
Qualitative responses reveal that problems typically begin at onboarding. While providers tend to perform well at pitch stage, clients report integration delays, slow resolution of technical issues and compliance gaps that should have been caught earlier. For many organisations, those problems do not go away: over half (54%) of respondents say servicing challenges are a constant operational burden rather than occasional incidents.
Service alignment is a recurring issue. 63% of CFO respondents feel that providers are too large to care about their needs, rising to 76% among neobank respondents. At the same time, 60% of CFOs say other providers are too small to deliver their operational and compliance needs reliably at scale.
When it comes to people, respondents are clear. 60% of businesses agree that increasing automation or AI-driven servicing from providers risks reducing the level of human expertise and relationship support their organisation relies on. They want direct access to relationship managers and specialists, not ticket systems that make accountability difficult to pin down.
Ed Chandler, Senior Executive Leader of Equals, commented:
“The findings suggest that organizations operating complex payment environments often require a higher level of operational support than is currently available from many providers such as Equals. Survey respondents indicated that successful embedded finance initiatives depend not only on technology capabilities, but also on implementation expertise, compliance support, and the ability to manage operational complexity as businesses expand into new markets.”
To download the report in full, visit our website.
Methodology
The research comprised an online survey of more than 150 senior decision-makers, including CFOs (over +40%), as well as CTOs, Heads of Payments and Finance Directors. This was across banks, neobanks, fintechs, trading portals and digital asset exchanges in the UK and Western Europe. Fieldwork was conducted between 9th March and 17th April 2026, supplemented by 10 in-depth qualitative interviews.
This research was commissioned by Equals and conducted by Visa Consulting & Analytics. Visa's involvement is as research partner; the findings reflect the views of survey respondents, not Visa.
About Equals
Equals is an an FCA-regulated UK-based Electronic Money Institution (EMI) and Payment Institution (PI) that provides payment infrastructure, embedded finance services, and business spending solutions to corporate clients. The company operates across international payments and financial technology services, supporting businesses with cross-border transaction capabilities and payment operations.
Media Contact
Speed Communications
equals@speedcomms.com
About Visa Consulting & Analytics
Visa Consulting & Analytics are a global team of hundreds of payments consultants, digital marketing specialists, data scientists and economists across six continents.
Our consultants are experts in strategy, product, portfolio management, risk, digital and more with decades of experience in the payments industry.
Our data scientists are experts in statistics, advanced analytics, and machine learning with exclusive access to insights from VisaNet, one of the largest payment networks in the world.
Our economists understand economic conditions impacting consumer spending and provide unique and timely insights into global spending trends.
The combination of our deep payments consulting expertise, our economic intelligence and our breadth of data allows us to identify actionable insights and recommendations that drive better business decisions.
For more information, please contact your Visa Account Executive, email VCA@Visa.com or visit us at Visa.com/VCA
