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Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
Kansas City Fed research maps the U.S. B2B shift from checks to ACH
WHAT HAPPENED
Kansas City Fed researchers estimate that U.S. B2B check payments fell from 4.6 billion in 2015 to 2.7 billion in 2024, while ACH payments rose from 3.6 billion to 8.7 billion. Checks' share by count declined from 32% to 13% and ACH's rose from 25% to 41%; despite that shift, almost 90% of businesses still use checks for at least some B2B payments.
PUBLISHED September 18, 2026SOURCE Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas CityLANE Payment infrastructure
KEY FIGURES
4.6B (2015) to 2.7B (2024)
Estimated U.S. B2B check payments
3.6B (2015) to 8.7B (2024)
Estimated U.S. B2B ACH payments
almost 90%
Businesses still using checks for some B2B payments
WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
Watch whether follow-up sources disclose whether the metric persists, the cross-border segment mix, margins, and management guidance.
Official Kansas City Fed research. The figures are researcher estimates for U.S. domestic B2B payments derived from multiple datasets and stated classification assumptions, not a transaction-level census or global result.
The page already presents the summary and analysis. This section keeps only the copy, download, and technical source record without repeating the same reading view.
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# Kansas City Fed research maps the U.S. B2B shift from checks to ACH
> Evidence tier: B1
> Evidence type: Official Federal Reserve Bank research briefing based on Federal Reserve Payments Study and related data
> Source: [Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City](https://www.kansascityfed.org/research/payments-system-research-briefings/b2b-payments-a-gradual-shift-from-checks-to-electronic-payment-methods)
> Published: 2026-09-18
> Captured: 2026-09-19T01:38:30.663Z
## Source summary
Kansas City Fed researchers estimate that U.S. B2B check payments fell from 4.6 billion in 2015 to 2.7 billion in 2024, while ACH payments rose from 3.6 billion to 8.7 billion. Checks' share by count declined from 32% to 13% and ACH's rose from 25% to 41%; despite that shift, almost 90% of businesses still use checks for at least some B2B payments.
## Why it matters
The data quantify a real operating migration toward electronic B2B rails while showing that check workflows remain entrenched. This is U.S.-domestic research, not a new rail or cross-border launch; the B2B estimates combine several datasets and assumptions for separating B2B from other business payments, so they should not be treated as a transaction-level census or a global benchmark.
## Key numbers
- **Estimated U.S. B2B check payments:** 4.6B (2015) to 2.7B (2024)
- **Estimated U.S. B2B ACH payments:** 3.6B (2015) to 8.7B (2024)
- **Businesses still using checks for some B2B payments:** almost 90%
## Topics and entities
- Industry lane: Payment infrastructure
- Entities: Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City researchers
- Payment infrastructure
- Company intelligence
## Evidence and credibility note
Official Kansas City Fed research. The figures are researcher estimates for U.S. domestic B2B payments derived from multiple datasets and stated classification assumptions, not a transaction-level census or global result.
Date evidence: Kansas City Fed JSON-LD records September 18, 2026
## First-party corroboration
No directly corresponding A1 company announcement is currently linked.
## Original-source traceback
[Open the original Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City report](https://www.kansascityfed.org/research/payments-system-research-briefings/b2b-payments-a-gradual-shift-from-checks-to-electronic-payment-methods)
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Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City