Hampshire, UK – 12th May 2026: New research from global tech strategists Juniper Research has found there will be 66 million corporate payments cards in use globally by 2030. However, this only represents 1 payment card per 6.7 businesses on average, and reflects low small business adoption of cards for B2B payments.
Despite this low adoption, the figure does represent 19% growth from the 55 million in use in 2026; indicating that cards are becoming more relevant for small and microbusinesses.
The report identified a lack of card products aimed at smaller businesses as a major limiting factor, with specialised cards often carrying higher fees and spend requirements than consumer cards; incentivising sole traders and microbusiness owners to use their personal cards for business expenses.
An extract from the new report, B2B Payment Cards Market 2026-2030, is available as a free download.
Virtual Cards Supporting Growth
The report predicted that virtual cards will be key in growing the adoption of corporate cards. Virtual cards allow sole traders to use business cards in their personal digital wallets; providing a familiar and convenient way to make business payments. The key challenge for business-specific corporate card providers is convincing individuals to move from using personal payment cards to specialist business ones.
“Microbusinesses do not need the full spend management solutions demanded by larger businesses; making the priority for cards targeted at this group convenience and reward versus the cost of access. Corporate card issuers must create targeted reward schemes and cashflow tools that enable small businesses to tackle their commercial challenges effectively, or they will fail to gain traction with this important demographic,” concluded report author Michael Greenwood.
The new market research suite offers the most comprehensive assessment of the B2B payment cards market to date; providing analysis and forecasts of over 69,000 datapoints across 61 countries over five years. It includes a ‘Competitor Leaderboard’ and an examination of current and future market opportunities.
About Juniper Research
Juniper Research is a global tech strategist firm providing research, data, and forecasting across the fintech, telecoms, and IoT sectors. For over 20 years, Juniper Research has delivered actionable insights that help industry leaders navigate disruption, seize opportunities, and make confident strategic decisions. www.juniperresearch.com
Press Contact
Sam Smith, Press Relations
sam.smith@juniperresearch.com
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