The B2B payments market in APAC is set to exceed $1.1 trillion by 2025, yet FMCG and Agri-Chemical companies still struggle with fragmented supply chains, disconnected ERP systems, and manual payment flows. The result? Lost sales, inefficiencies, and untapped revenue opportunities for manufacturers, distributors, and retailers alike.
The Gaps: Why Traditional Systems Are Holding FMCG Back
📌 Data Reconciliation Issues – Purchase order mismatches, pricing discrepancies, and disputes over defective items create friction between FMCG companies and their B2B buyers.
📌 Lack of Real-Time Sales & Inventory Visibility – FMCG brands rely on outdated sales data, making inventory planning and restocking inefficient.
📌 Manual Promotion Execution – Promo tracking is still done manually (e.g., wrapping shampoo bottles together for a combo offer), limiting real-time insights and effectiveness.
📌 Cross-Border & FX Inefficiencies – Many FMCG companies operate across Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia, but FX volatility and high remittance costs slow down payments and impact working capital.
The Solution: A Closed-Loop, Data-Driven B2B Payment Ecosystem
To bridge these gaps, FMCG and Agri-Chemical firms must go beyond ERP-driven operations and leverage fintech-enabled B2B payments and embedded finance solutions.
Imagine a unified payments and data platform that:
✅ Integrates FMCG & B2B Buyer ERPs – Creates a real-time visibility layer between manufacturers, distributors, and retailers.
✅ Automates SKU-Based Promotions at POS – Instantly validates discounts, applies offers, and ensures compliance without manual intervention.
✅ Embeds A2A & Card-Based Payments – Leverages virtual cards, QR payments, and commercial payment rails to optimise cash flow and working capital.
✅ Enhances Supply Chain Finance – Provides instant, data-driven financing options for B2B buyers using transaction-level insights.
✅ Supports FX & Cross-Border Payments – Streamlines remittances, reducing settlement delays and costs for FMCG operating across Southeast Asia.
How Networks & Fintech Players Are Already Driving This Shift
Qwikcilver / Pine Labs has already built powerful closed-loop solutions:
✔ Integrated B2B Loyalty & Prepaid Programs – Helping FMCG companies incentivise distributors & retailers while capturing real-time sales data.
✔ Automated SKU-Based Promotions – Plugging loyalty solutions into payment terminals to offer instant discounts at checkout.
✔ High Volume Transactions – With over USD 3 billion in annual sales processed through its platform, Qwikcilver serves more than 500 large retailers and brands across the APAC region.
✔ Customised Loyalty Solutions – From Visa and Mastercard prepaid solutions to multi-partner loyalty programs, Qwikcilver enables FMCG companies to create tailored experiences for their distributors and consumers.
✔ Enhanced Transparency and Real-Time Reporting – A central hub for distributor sales, product promotions, and inventory optimisation, which helps FMCG firms track everything from sales rep performance to outlet promotions.
Mastercard is already moving towards modernising B2B payments:
🚀 Mastercard Track & Commercial Cards – Expanding acceptance of virtual cards for B2B procurement & cross-border trade.
🚀 Collaboration with Boost (Malaysia) – Helping FMCG players digitalise last-mile distribution via embedded fintech.
🚀 Consumer Goods Team Initiative – Dedicated support for sales, finance, and supply chain optimisation.
Visa has also been a key player in enhancing B2B payments in this space:
🚀 Visa B2B Connect – A cross-border payments platform built to streamline and speed up transactions between large corporate buyers and suppliers in Southeast Asia, including FMCG brands.
🚀 Visa’s Commercial Payment Solutions – Facilitating digital B2B payments through virtual cards and digital wallets, enabling FMCG firms to optimize working capital and make better purchasing decisions in real time.
🚀 Collaboration with Payoneer – Visa’s partnership with Payoneer supports cross-border payments and streamlines transactions for FMCG and Agri-Chemical companies, simplifying FX and reducing manual efforts.
Marqeta & Other Issuers are also innovating:
📌 Modern Card Issuance & Embedded Payments – Providing virtual card-based procurement & real-time expense controls.
The Future: FMCG & B2B Payments Networks Must Evolve Together
The opportunity for Mastercard, Visa, and fintech players is clear: B2B payments need to move beyond transactions and become enablers of sales growth, inventory efficiency, and loyalty engagement.
The question is: Who will lead this transformation in APAC? Would love to hear thoughts from industry leaders driving B2B & FMCG payment innovation!