Currencycloud: Vendor Analysis (Background and Solution Overview)

The era of decoupled procure-to-pay processes and technology — including B2B payments — within finance are coming to an end. But integration is not just happening within the four walls of an organization (e.g., API-based integration between SAP and Kyriba or Oracle and Basware). It’s happening between bank and non-bank providers and their customers, and customer systems. Specifically, areas such as supply chain finance, foreign exchange (FX), cross-border payments, invoicing and related solutions are increasingly moving from independent applications to ones that are integrated into bank and non-bank partner technology environments.

FX and cross-border payments are two prime examples. Most cross-border payments occur primarily through a correspondent banking network. Yet sending payments through the network can be a costly proposition for fintechs, challenger banks, FX brokers and others that must use banks.

Typically, if you want to send money via such a network, a bank has to keep money on deposit at a Nostro account at a correspondent bank in that foreign country. The funds in the account are used to settle the payment, which is directed by a message sent over the SWIFT network. If the bank does not have a Nostro account directly, it must go through correspondent banks.

This model works. But it is antiquated and inefficient, often resulting in high costs and slow payments. There are a number of technology firms that are providing the infrastructure to upend this process, including Currencycloud.

This Spend Matters Vendor Introduction looks at Currencycloud’s capabilities as a cross-border payments provider, offering an overall introduction and summary, along with insight into how it handles foreign exchange transactions across specific use cases. Banks, non-banks and AP/P2P vendors building out global payment capabilities that are looking to OEM solutions in this area will find this analysis most relevant.