High-performing chief financial officers in the Asia-Pacific region are turning working capital into a growth lever, with digital payment tools reducing late-payment losses by around 10%.
This is the findings of a recent report by Visa, revealing a significant gap between Asia-Pacific companies’ working capital needs and the financial tools available to them.
The growing disconnect between traditional financial product design and the real-world needs of businesses is driving CFOs to call for faster, more flexible and fully digital tools that align with real cash cycles and deliver capital at the speed of business.
According to the 2025–2026 Visa Growth Corporates Working Capital Index (WCI), 47% of Growth Corporates do not utilise working capital tools, often because existing solutions do not align with their operational models.
Meanwhile, 41% of firms want simplified digital tools for credit and account management, as 38% seek on-demand financing aligned with cash flow cycles, signalling demand for more flexible financial solutions.
Visa says financial institutions that create offerings around real business cycles, while rethinking underwriting, approval speed and flexibility, will be better positioned to support the evolving needs of Growth Corporates.
The study also found that leading finance teams in the region are treating working capital as a strategic lever rather than a last resort, using early supplier payments, virtual cards and flexible funding to strengthen liquidity and respond more quickly to market opportunities. Because of this, cards are evolving from transactional tools into working capital levers.
Key insights include:
- Late customer payments can cost companies an average of $15.7 million annually, but those using card payments to speed up collections have reduced late-payment losses by around 10%.
- Firms using working capital solutions can realised an average of $17.7 million in annual bottom-line benefits, equivalent to a 4.3% revenue boost.
- 9% of firms used working capital solutions to fund unplanned growth, up from 5.6% in 2024-25.
By improving cash flow visibility and accelerating receivables, Visa says these finance leaders can unlock additional capital within their operating cycles, turning liquidity management into a competitive advantage with direct improvements to the bottom line.
Furthermore, the study revealed that across regions, CFOs rank fast, on-demand access to capital and simplified digital credit management among their top priorities, but these needs are especially pronounced in Asia Pacific, where companies operate in fast-moving and often volatile markets.
Key insights include:
- 61% of Asia Pacific Growth Corporates now use AI or machine learning for working capital optimisation, including forecasting, risk scoring and automated approvals, as demand grows for embedded analytics and simpler digital credit management within banking platforms.
- CFOs expect fast, on-demand access to liquidity through digital rails, including tools such as virtual cards, automated approvals and digital platforms that enable businesses to respond quickly to time-sensitive opportunities.
- Finance leaders prioritise industry-specific expertise from banking partners, seeking relationship managers who understand sector-specific business cycles, supplier relationships and capital expenditure needs.
Visa says these trends signal a shift in how CFOs expect to access and manage liquidity.
As demand grows for faster, more flexible financing and digitally enabled finance management, banks and financial institutions will need to move beyond generic products by integrating AI-driven insights, streamlining approval processes and pairing digital capabilities with deeper industry expertise to better support the evolving expectations of Asia-Pacific CFOs.
