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New research from PYMNTS Intelligence shows what many agribusinesses already feel every day: payments are no longer just an accounting function. They shape customer experience, influence revenue, and play a bigger role in business growth than many companies realize.
For grain elevators and ag retailers, that finding hits close to home.
Like many small businesses, agribusinesses often manage lean teams, tight margins, seasonal swings, and constant pressure to keep cash moving. A payment delay does not stay in the back office for long. It affects the farmer waiting on settlement. It affects the team tracking down status updates. And it affects how quickly money moves back into the business.
That is why the latest PYMNTS research matters. In its December 2025 report, B2B Platforms Expand Embedded Finance to Enhance Customer Experience, Drive Revenue, PYMNTS found that 54% of B2B platforms reported direct revenue increases from embedded finance capabilities. The research also found that 73% of respondents said seamless integration is a top priority when implementing or improving those capabilities.
From our perspective at Bushel, those findings point to a clear shift. Payment management is no longer just about moving money. It is about improving the experience around every transaction.
One of the clearest takeaways from the PYMNTS report is that B2B platforms now connect payments to business outcomes that matter across the company. The research ties embedded finance to better customer experience, stronger retention, more efficient operations, and direct revenue lift.
That is a meaningful shift for grain elevators and ag retailers.
In agriculture, payments touch nearly every part of the customer relationship. They affect how farmers receive grain settlements. They affect how quickly agribusinesses collect invoice payments. They affect how much time staff spend answering questions, reconciling records, or following up on paper checks. When payment processes run smoothly, teams get time back and customers feel it.
For agribusinesses that operate with a small-business mindset, that matters. Better payment management can protect margin, improve working capital, and make it easier for farmers to do business with you.
The PYMNTS research focuses on B2B platforms broadly, but the themes line up with what we see across grain and ag retail.
Farmers still value relationships. They still want to talk through bigger decisions with grain buyers, agronomists, and ag retail teams. But once those conversations happen, many want an easier way to complete the transaction.
Bushel’s State of the Farm research shows faster payments are one reason farmers choose one grain buyer over another. It also shows 62% of respondents said they were not choosing checks because of issues like lost checks, slow mail delivery, and the inconvenience of picking them up or depositing them. Among farmers under 40, 61% prefer mobile apps for payments or fund transfers.
That creates a real gap between what farmers want and how many agribusinesses still operate. Overall, less than 60% of farmers want to be paid by check, while 77% say they still receive payment that way.
So when PYMNTS says payments can improve customer experience and drive revenue, we think grain elevators and ag retailers should pay attention. In agriculture, the payment experience is part of the customer experience.
PYMNTS found B2B platforms are looking to improve the capabilities they already have, not just add more features. That makes sense. Most businesses do not need more complexity. They need systems that remove friction.
In agriculture, paper checks still create plenty of friction.
They take time to print, mail, track, and reconcile. They create uncertainty for farmers. And they pull staff into low-value work that keeps them away from customer conversations and revenue-generating tasks.
Bushel’s internal ROI analysis estimates the median cost of issuing a paper check at $12, with some customers reporting costs as high as $18 once labor, materials, postage, bank fees, and follow-up are included.
For a grain elevator or ag retailer, those costs add up quickly across settlements, invoices, and repeat transactions throughout the year.
One of the strongest points in the PYMNTS report is not just that embedded finance works. It is that it works best when it fits the rest of the business.
Seventy-three percent of the B2B platforms PYMNTS surveyed said seamless integration into existing systems is a priority. Seven in 10 also said the availability of a third-party provider that meets their specific needs is a core factor in success.
That matters in grain and ag retail, where disconnected systems create extra work fast.
Payment status should not live in one place while invoices live in another and customer activity lives somewhere else. Teams need a clear view of what is paid, pending, or overdue. They need that visibility without chasing information across spreadsheets, inboxes, and separate systems.
That is where payment management becomes more than a finance issue. It becomes an operational advantage.
The PYMNTS report makes the case that stronger payment capabilities support revenue and efficiency. In agriculture, one of the clearest ways that shows up is cash flow.
When agribusinesses collect invoice payments faster, cash stays in the business instead of sitting in receivables. When they pay farmers faster, they reduce friction in a moment that carries real weight in the customer relationship.
Bushel’s internal ROI work shows customers with Pay enabled collect payments 13 days faster on average than teams still relying on manual or check-based workflows. In one modeled example, that could free up about $1.78 million in working capital for a business with $50 million in annual revenue.
That is the kind of result small businesses notice. It can reduce pressure on borrowing, support inventory needs, and give teams more room to operate during the busiest times of year.
PYMNTS frames embedded finance as a way for B2B platforms to enhance customer experience and drive revenue. We believe that same idea applies directly to agribusinesses serving farmers every day.
For grain elevators and ag retailers, payment management now sits at the intersection of customer service, operations, and growth.
It can help you reduce check friction. It can help you collect faster. It can help your team spend less time tracking down payment details and more time serving farmers. And it can help your business meet a clear change in customer expectations, especially among younger farmers who already prefer more digital ways to move money.
The bigger point is simple. Payments are no longer the last step in the process. They are part of the experience farmers remember.
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