Outdated Positive Pay Leaves Banks Exposed

Community banks know fraud isn’t slowing down. In March 2025, Datos Insights reported that more than 90% of U.S. financial institutions have seen a rise in fraud attacks against business customers in the past year. 

Yet adoption of Positive Pay still lags. Legacy systems leave gaps criminals exploit, frustrate business customers who expect more, and miss opportunities to grow non-interest income. 

Modern Positive Pay changes that story. Cloud-based, mobile-ready, and continuously updated, it gives community banks both protection and flexibility—plus new ways to generate revenue. 

Protect Internal Accounts and Lay the Groundwork for Business Banking 

Positive Pay isn’t just for institutions with established business accounts. Even if you don’t serve business clients today, it can deliver immediate value by shutting down on-us check fraud and tightening oversight of operational accounts. 

But here’s the catch: nearly three-quarters (74%) of institutions only require Positive Pay after a client has already been a fraud victim (Datos Insights). That reactive stance puts both banks and customers at risk. Building Positive Pay in before fraud strikes helps examiners see your institution as proactive—and positions you with a premium service ready to roll out as your business portfolio grows. 

Keep Business Customers Loyal in a Fintech Era 

For community banks already serving business accounts, Positive Pay should be more than a defensive tool. It’s a treasury tool. Bundling it into relationship tiers or offering it as a premium feature is a concrete way to re-engage clients and demonstrate value. 

It also answers the competitive threat. Fintechs and neobanks are winning business owners by promising sleek, digital-first fraud tools. Meanwhile, only 29% of financial institutions say they are satisfied with their current Positive Pay adoption rates (Datos). Closing that gap strengthens loyalty and proves that community banks can match fintech polish while delivering trust and local service. 

Turn Positive Pay Into a Revenue Stream 

Positive Pay isn’t just about preventing losses. Community banks are turning it into a growth lever by: 

• Charging per item or per account 

• Bundling it into higher-tier business packages 

• Using it as a differentiator in relationship pricing 

What used to be a defensive service can now contribute directly to non-interest income. 

What’s Next for Positive Pay 

The data is clear: fraud pressure is rising, adoption remains uneven, and too many banks wait until after a loss to act. Community institutions that modernize Positive Pay now close fraud gaps while building trust, strengthening business relationships, and creating new sources of non-interest income. 

But what does “modern” Positive Pay really look like? What features separate the tools that protect and grow from the ones that fall behind? 

That’s where our 5-Point Buyer’s Checklist comes in. It highlights the core capabilities every institution should expect in 2025 and beyond. 

Download the 5-Point Checklist for Positive Pay