{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1645795,
        "msgid": "visa-working-capital-index-asia-pacific-cfos-call-for-flexible-digital-finance-solutions-1774943673",
        "date": "2026-03-31 13:24:30",
        "title": "Visa Working Capital Index: Asia Pacific CFOs Call for Flexible, Digital Finance Solutions",
        "author": "",
        "source": "ANTARA_EN",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Finance",
        "summary": "The 2025\u20132026 Visa Growth Corporates Working Capital Index highlights a significant gap in Asia Pacific, where nearly half of mid-sized firms are not using working capital solutions despite facing inflation, rising interest rates, and liquidity pressures, underscoring the need for more flexible and digital financial tools. Key insights reveal that 41% of firms seek simplified digital credit management and 38% desire on-demand financing aligned with cash flows, while those adopting such solutions report average annual benefits of $17.7 million, equivalent to a 4.3% revenue boost. CFOs are increasingly viewing working capital as a strategic growth lever, with 61% utilising AI for optimisation, and Visa is partnering to deliver tailored digital solutions to bridge this misalignment and enhance business resilience.",
        "content": "<p>Singapore (ANTARA\/PRNewswire)- Findings from the recently released\n2025\u20132026 Visa Growth Corporates Working Capital Index (WCI) reveal a\nsignificant gap between Asia Pacific companies\u2019 working capital needs\nand the financial tools available to them.<\/p>\n<p>Amid rising inflation, interest rates, and liquidity pressures, Asia\nPacific Growth Corporates (mid-sized firms with annual revenues between\n$50 million and $1 billion) increasingly view efficient cash flow\nmanagement as essential, with working capital becoming a more strategic\ntool for driving growth and resilience. Yet, nearly half of the region\u2019s\nGrowth Corporates are not utilising any working capital solutions, even\nas companies need more flexible access to cash.<\/p>\n<p>Visa has identified three key themes from the WCI report that are\nrelevant to businesses in Asia Pacific:<\/p>\n<p>Misalignment Between Financial Products and Operational Needs<\/p>\n<p>Mid-sized businesses across Asia Pacific face shifting working\ncapital realities, including longer cash cycles, more structural payment\ndelays and growing pressure to free up cross-border liquidity faster.\nHowever, most financial solutions have not kept up, with many remaining\ntoo rigid or generic for Asia Pacific\u2019s diverse industries and\nfast-moving markets.<\/p>\n<p>This growing disconnect between traditional financial product design\nand the real-world needs of businesses is driving CFOs to call for\nfaster, more flexible and fully digital tools that align with real cash\ncycles and deliver capital at the speed of business.<\/p>\n<p>Key insights include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><p>47% of Growth Corporates do not utilise working capital tools,\noften because existing solutions do not align with their operational\nmodels.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>41% of firms want simplified digital tools for credit and account\nmanagement, while 38% seek on-demand financing aligned with cash flow\ncycles, signalling demand for more flexible financial\nsolutions.<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Working Capital as a Strategic Growth Lever<\/p>\n<p>While many firms lack suitable tools, leading finance teams in Asia\nPacific are treating working capital as a strategic lever rather than a\nlast resort, using early supplier payments, virtual cards and flexible\nfunding to strengthen liquidity and respond more quickly to market\nopportunities. As a result, cards are evolving from transactional tools\ninto working capital levers.<\/p>\n<p>Key insights include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><p>Late customer payments can cost companies an average of $15.7\nmillion annually, but those using card payments to speed up collections\nhave reduced late-payment losses by around 10%.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>Firms using working capital solutions can realise an average of\n$17.7 million in annual bottom-line benefits, equivalent to a 4.3%\nrevenue boost.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>9% of firms used working capital solutions to fund unplanned\ngrowth, up from 5.6% in 2024-25.<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Shifting Demands on Banks<\/p>\n<p>Across regions, CFOs rank fast, on-demand access to capital and\nsimplified digital credit management among their top priorities, but\nthese needs are especially pronounced in Asia Pacific, where companies\noperate in fast-moving and often volatile markets.<\/p>\n<p>Key insights include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><p>61% of Asia Pacific Growth Corporates now use AI or machine\nlearning for working capital optimisation, including forecasting, risk\nscoring and automated approvals, as demand grows for embedded analytics\nand simpler digital credit management within banking platforms.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>CFOs expect fast, on-demand access to liquidity through digital\nrails, including tools such as virtual cards, automated approvals and\ndigital platforms that enable businesses to respond quickly to\ntime-sensitive opportunities.<\/p><\/li>\n<li><p>Finance leaders prioritise industry-specific expertise from\nbanking partners, seeking relationship managers who understand\nsector-specific business cycles, supplier relationships and capital\nexpenditure needs.<\/p><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cCFOs across Asia Pacific want flexible, sector-specific tools that\nmatch their operational realities,\u201d said Chavi Jafa, Head of Commercial\nand Money Movement Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa. \u201cOur data shows that\nagile, digital-first strategies and smarter forecasting are helping\ncompanies stay resilient and reinvest freed-up capital into growth. The\nWorking Capital Index continues to spotlight how Growth Corporates are\nturning volatility into opportunity. At Visa, we are partnering across\nthe ecosystem to deliver tailored, digital-first commercial solutions,\nlike virtual cards integrated in ERP and digital enabler platforms, that\nhelp unlock working capital, accelerate approvals, and turn liquidity\ninto a strategic growth lever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For more information on the Growth Corporates Working Capital Index,\nvisit: https:\/\/workingcapitalindex.visa.com<\/p>\n<p>About the Index<\/p>\n<p>Visa\u2019s Working Capital Index tracks financial behaviour among\nmid-sized firms, defined as companies with annual revenues between $50\nmillion and $1 billion. The 2025-2026 edition is based on survey\nresponses from over 1,300 CFOs and Treasurers across 23 countries and\nterritories and 8 industry segments, with 298 respondents surveyed\nacross Asia Pacific. The Index provides fresh insights into strategy\ntrends, efficiency gains and the evolving behavioural profiles shaping\ncorporate finance, including the emergence of strategic and adaptable\nworking capital users.<\/p>\n<p>About Visa<\/p>\n<p>Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating\ntransactions between consumers, sellers, financial institutions and\ngovernment entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our\nmission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient,\nreliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses\nand economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone\neverywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to\nthe future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.<\/p>\n<p>Source: Visa Worldwide Pte Ltd<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/visa-working-capital-index-asia-pacific-cfos-call-for-flexible-digital-finance-solutions-1774943673",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}