More insights
Co-founder Briqpay
August 26, 2026 at 09:00 AM
More business buyers are researching and buying online, and they're bringing consumer-grade expectations with them: fast checkout, clear terms, and payment options that fit how their company actually pays. A B2B checkout that only offers card or bank transfer forces many buyers to leave and pay through slower, offline channels instead, hurting conversion and cash flow alike.
Three payment methods now form the backbone of modern B2B checkouts: invoice, instalments, and direct debit. Each solves a different problem, and most merchants end up needing more than one.
Invoice (Kauf auf Rechnung in German-speaking markets, faktura in the Nordics) remains the most requested payment method in B2B commerce. It lets the buyer receive goods or services before paying, typically within 14-30 days, which matches how procurement and accounts payable departments are already set up to work.
For merchants, the challenge is credit risk and working capital. Providers like Billie, Riverty, and Ratepay specialise in B2B invoicing, running real-time credit checks on the buying company and taking on the payment risk, so the merchant gets paid upfront while the buyer keeps their usual payment terms.
As average B2B order values grow, especially for equipment, software licences, and larger stock orders, instalments give buyers a way to spread cost without opening a traditional credit line. Instalment providers such as Two and Resurs let a business split an invoice into fixed monthly payments, while the merchant is still paid in full at the time of purchase.
This is particularly useful for higher-value orders where standard 30-day invoice terms aren't enough to match the buyer's own cash flow, or where the buyer wants predictable, budgeted payments over several months rather than one large outgoing.
For recurring revenue, subscriptions, and repeat orders, direct debit (often called Autogiro in Sweden) is the most reliable option. Once authorised, payments are collected automatically on agreed dates, reducing manual chasing and late payments. Providers like Svea offer direct debit rails built for B2B, handling mandate management and collection compliance across markets.
Direct debit works best paired with invoice or instalments rather than as a sole option, since first-time buyers are rarely willing to set up a recurring mandate before they have received and been happy with an initial order.
There is no single right answer. The mix that works depends on:
The practical challenge is not picking one B2B payment method, it is offering the right combination for each buyer, market, and order size without integrating and maintaining every provider separately. That is the problem Briqpay's payment optimisation platform solves: connect invoice, instalment, and direct debit providers once, then let logic decide which options to show based on buyer, order value, and market, all through a single integration.
If you are evaluating how to expand your B2B checkout, our team can walk you through which mix of providers fits your buyer base.
Two related pieces worth reading alongside this: how to accept Billie payments if instalment BNPL is part of your mix, what the Commercial Payments Bill actually changes if you sell to UK businesses, and payment orchestration on Magento 2 if account terms need to sit inside an existing Magento checkout.
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Connect any payment provider. Optimize your payment flow. Scale without limitations - with Briqpay’s Payment Integration Platform.
