Mastercard to Supercharge Commercial Payment Structure

Mastercard introduced Commercial Connect API and clearing controls to empower B2B platforms and financial providers to meet corporate demands for efficiency, simplicity, and transparency in every transaction.

“We are committed to empowering enterprise growth around the world through smarter, digital-first solutions,” says Marc Pettican, global head of corporate solutions, Mastercard. “By enhancing access to our commercial payments technology and unlocking more sophisticated virtual card controls, our goal is for payments to be so seamless and secure they fade into the background — freeing organizations to focus on what truly matters: growth, innovation, and people.”

Key takeaways:

·        Commercial Connect API requires multiple APIs by simplifying integration even further through one, scalable connection. B2B platforms will accelerate go-to-market timelines for embedding payments through one front door to Mastercard’s issuer ecosystem and commercial payment capabilities, starting with the company’s innovative virtual card platform in 2025. With faster integrations, platforms can enable more corporate customers to utilize their commercial card programs — and associated credit lines through their banks — directly within the tools they already use regularly.

·        Clearing controls is said to be a first-of-its-kind capability that enables issuers to enforce controls on virtual card transactions through clearing. This builds on the existing controls available through Mastercard’s virtual card platform at authorization, extending issuer and corporate oversight across the full transaction lifecycle.  

·        By applying targeted controls - such as transaction limits and merchant category code restrictions - at the clearing stage, issuers can proactively block non-compliant transactions before settlement, thereby reducing chargebacks, improving reconciliation and bringing even greater trust to virtual card payments.  

·        To fast-track the next era of commercial payment innovation, Mastercard is expanding on its embedded virtual card number (VCN) program with integrations across enterprise resource planning, procurement and expense management platforms.