12 Charts Tell the Story of Instant Payments

The trucking and transportation industry depends on timing. When parts, fuel or payments don’t arrive on time, everything downstream suffers. In recent years, instant payments have helped address part of this challenge, enabling fast and secure vendor disbursements. However, while fuel providers now receive urgent payouts, drivers often don’t — and that imbalance is becoming harder to ignore. PYMNTS Intelligence finds that 97% of logistics companies say they must complete fuel payments in a timely manner, yet less than half apply the same urgency to driver pay. This gap reflects a lingering mindset that drivers will wait. In actuality, 93% of truckers say they would opt for instant disbursements if offered, and many say it’s a key factor in choosing where to work. Instant payments are already on the rise in the vendor landscape. Nearly 48% of transportation firms use them for ad hoc vendor payouts, with many willing to pay fees for the speed. Among businesses with frequent urgent payment needs, full-fee instant payments occur twice as often compared to those with fewer urgency demands. Drivers are also willing to pay for speed. Roughly 37% say they would be very or extremely willing to pay a fee for instant earnings, citing access to fuel money, fewer banking delays and peace of mind. That level of preference — stronger than the general population — suggests the industry is overdue for a shift. To meet the moment, companies must modernize internal systems, simplify payment flows and embed instant payout options wherever possible. Real-time rails such as the RTP® network and the FedNow® Service offer the infrastructure to make this happen. Truckers don’t just want to get paid faster — they need it. Companies that deliver will gain efficiency and loyalty in an industry where both are in short supply.

The ability for large enterprises to disburse funds instantly has become a key strategic priority, especially when demands for immediate payments are high. For businesses where a large share of ad hoc payments needs to be sent urgently, instant methods are evolving into a vital strategic tool. Enterprises with a high need for urgent ad hoc payments are significantly more inclined to adopt instant payment methods. As detailed by PYMNTS Intelligence and Ingo Payments in the report “Instant Payments: A Strategic Tool for Vendor Relationships and Urgent Transactions,” businesses with elevated urgent payment needs are five times more likely to use instant payments to maintain strong vendor relationships. This necessity extends beyond mere operational efficiency; it is deeply rooted in the business need to avert disruptions, guarantee timely service or delivery, and, crucially, strengthen and safeguard positive vendor relationships. Drawing on recent data from a survey of 200 large U.S. enterprises, several specific use cases stand out where instant payments address critical high-urgency demands: Payments to Gig Workers: Gig economy workers rely on immediate payments to sustain their work and financial stability. This makes instant disbursements an essential feature for companies utilizing freelance or gig labor. Data indicates that 97% of payments sent to gig workers were deemed urgent. Payments to Fuel Providers: Providers of fuel to trucking companies also have a very high urgency level for payments. The sources show that 97% of payments due to companies that provide fuel to trucking companies need to be sent urgently. Tip Payouts to Tipped Service Workers: Hospitality service workers receiving tips represent another group with a significant need for urgent payment. According to the sources, 95.5% of tip payouts to service workers require immediate disbursement, while 96% for payments due on tips to hospitality workers were classified as urgent. Payments to Vendors to Avoid Service Interruption: A critical driver for instant payment adoption, particularly among businesses with high urgent needs, is preventing vendors from refusing to provide goods or services until payment is made. Fifty-four percent of senders with high payment urgency needs would pay even more to send a payment instantly if a vendor refused delivery before payment. Payments for Temporary or Seasonal Workers: One percent of payments for temporary or seasonal workers were deemed urgent by senders. Ensuring these workers are paid promptly upon completion of their tasks is essential for managing temporary workforces effectively and maintaining operational flow.

A shift in public-sector disbursements is underway. Beginning Sept. 30, all federal agencies must replace paper-based payments with digital disbursements, including real-time payments, direct deposit, prepaid cards and digital wallets. The move stems from a March executive order — Modernizing Payments to and From America’s Bank Account — and marks an evolution in how the United States government delivers money. At stake is more than convenience. The federal government processed $175 billion in paper checks in 2024, at a cost of nearly $700 million in system support alone. Fraud concerns are another key driver. Department of Treasury-issued checks are 16 times more likely to be lost, stolen or altered than digital payments. According to the 2025 AFP Payments Fraud Survey, 63% of organizations still experienced check fraud, despite a decline in usage. Replacing checks with digital and real-time rails — including automated clearing house (ACH), the RTP® network, the FedNow® Service and digital wallet disbursements — introduces a higher standard for speed, transparency and operational resilience. The shift also addresses consumer demand. Ninety percent of Americans now say they would prefer to receive disbursements instantly if given the choice. The data signals a generational shift, especially as Generation Z’s preference for mailed tax refunds dropped 10 percentage points in one year. Still, digital transformation at this scale requires more than policy. It demands system overhauls, user education and infrastructure investment. Financial institutions and government agencies must coordinate to ensure access for underbanked households and those without digital tools. Phasing out paper checks isn’t just a tech upgrade — it’s a redefinition of how the U.S. government meets its financial obligations. For the financial sector, this moment creates an opportunity to lead in building the rails, systems and relationships that will shape the future of disbursements.