Despite tariffs, geopolitical turmoil, and currency volatility, global business is becoming more connected – not less. Cross-border transactions continue to rise. According to a July 2025 report by Juniper Research, B2B cross-border payment volumes are expected to hit 18.3 billion transactions by 2030, up from 16.3 billion in 2025. That’s about a 13% increase in just five years.
In practice, this simply means that more companies are executing more payments across more markets. Obviously, this is usually done in multiple currencies, at high speed, and with less margin for error. For finance departments, this increases complexity. And for businesses still relying on traditional banks or manual payment systems, it creates new risks.
So the question is: what’s holding businesses back, and what should they do about it?
The Growing Challenge of Global Payments
Despite the intensification of international trade, many companies still rely on outdated payment processes unadapted to global operations. There are many pain points: delays, hidden FX fees, unclear rates, and poor visibility across teams and currencies.
In other words, international B2B payments are often anything but seamless – with too many intermediaries, slow settlement times, and unexpected charges. All of which adds friction, not just financially but operationally too.
The worst part is that the problem scales. A business with just one supplier in another country may tolerate the inefficiencies. But what about, for example, a media agency running campaigns in three currencies, or a SaaS company billing clients in seven markets? Not to mention logistics firms that move funds daily between entities.
Simply put, without a proper system in place that supports global spend in real time, spend management becomes a growing liability. Decision-making slows down, cash flow becomes hard to predict, and every month-end close feels like a fire drill.
FX: Still One of the Most Expensive Blind Spots
When it comes to international business operations, currency exchange remains one of the most expensive hidden costs. Many banks and payment providers still apply vague spreads and FX markups – often ranging from 1–5% – without clearly disclosing them. The result is typically visible only in hindsight, when the amounts received don’t match expectations.
No surprise, then, that modern finance teams are pushing for more transparency, faster execution, and control over when and how currency conversion actually happens.
The Juniper report highlights the growing potential of stablecoins in solving some of these issues, but also notes the lack of infrastructure to support them at scale. For now, in other words, companies need tools that work with existing currencies, banking rails, and real-world accounting needs.
A Simpler Way to Handle Cross-Border Spend
Wallester Business was designed for companies that seek clarity and control over international payments. It’s not a bank, but a financial operating system that helps you manage corporate spend – whether that’s across currencies, markets, or teams.
One of its most useful features is 24/7 currency exchange. You can move funds instantly between accounts in 10 supported currencies, including EUR, USD, GBP, SEK, NOK, DKK, CZK, RON, PLN, and HUF.
It’s fast, transparent, and free of service fees. You’re not limited by banking hours, and you don’t have to guess what will land in the destination account. The exchange rate is fixed for five minutes and shown upfront.
And beyond seamless currency conversion, Wallester Business also gives you:
- 300 free virtual Visa cards – unlimited users, no time limits
- Unified dashboard – track and control spend in real time, across all cards
- Tokenised cards – works with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Garmin, and more
- Payroll & team cards – up to 1,500 transactions in one click
- Native integrations with Xero and Quick Books + REST API – connect to your internal systems and automate accounting
- BIN sponsorship – use dedicated BINs to reduce card declines and improve platform compatibility
- Merchant whitelisting – skip security checks at trusted merchants to speed up payments
Wallester is a licensed Visa Principal Member, which means card issuance is handled directly. There are no third-party banks and no added delays – just a clear, direct setup for managing international company spend.
Scaling Cross-Border Operations Starts Now
As global trade continues to grow and trade routes diversify, companies that plan ahead will be well positioned to benefit. But they’ll need systems that match the pace and complexity of modern business.
That means real-time reporting, instant currency exchange, and flexible infrastructure that works reliably across borders – without driving up costs. Wallester Business is here to support that shift, and help companies prepare for what’s next.
