- Report identifies next SME digitization opportunity: connecting payments with day-to-day business management.
- 31% of SMEs surveyed find an all-in-one payment and business solution appealing, compared with 43% that currently use one.
- Integrated payment and business solutions can give financial institutions a more holistic view of SME cash flow and transaction patterns and support more tailored financing solutions over time.
Doha, Qatar – Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar have largely moved beyond the first stage of digital payment adoption, but a productivity gap remains. According to Visa’s new survey for its Pay and Get Paid 2026 report, the vast majority of surveyed SMEs in Qatar actively accept and make digital payments, underscoring how deeply digital commerce is now embedded in the country’s small business economy. However, many SMEs still manage the related financial and operational tasks separately, with only 43% currently using an integrated solution that connects payments with broader business management.
The report shows that financial administration and disconnected tools create friction for SMEs, with surveyed businesses citing challenges in tracking outstanding invoices (46%), keeping payroll records organized (42%), and keeping financial records organized (40%). These pain points reflect a disconnect between payments and the operational tasks that follow, with some businesses juggling multiple systems to keep their business running.
According to the report, 31% of SMEs find an all-in-one solution appealing. Meanwhile, 43% currently use an integrated payment and business platform, and the same proportion say they are likely to switch providers if offered a unified solution. With stated appeal trailing current adoption, the findings suggest providers will need to demonstrate more clearly how integrated tools can simplify business operations and deliver tangible value.
The report points to several perception barriers that may be limiting broader adoption. Among SMEs not currently using an integrated business tool, cited concerns include the belief that their business is too small to need one (18%), that such tools may be too expensive (14%), or that they do not trust relying on a single provider (14%). These findings suggest that broader adoption will depend on helping SMEs better understand how integrated tools can be relevant, accessible, and scalable for businesses at different stages of growth.
At the same time, the experience of SMEs already using integrated solutions points to a developing value case. The report found that Qatari businesses using an integrated payment and business platform report 51% satisfaction, with 57% reporting efficiency gains, including reductions in the time and effort required to manage their business.
Beyond efficiency, integrated platforms may also create new opportunities for financial institutions to deepen SME relationships by using richer payments and business-management data to better understand cash flow patterns, support risk assessment, and potentially enable more relevant lending solutions over time.
Luca Bianconi, Vice President and Country Manager for Qatar at Visa, said, “As digital transactions become part of everyday commerce, the value for SMEs increasingly lies in what those payments can enable after the transaction. For issuers, this points to a broader opportunity: secure, reliable, and integrated platforms can help reduce administrative friction while building a more complete, data-informed view of SME needs. This can open the door to more tailored support and, where appropriate, financing solutions that can help businesses manage working capital and grow. At Visa, we’re focused on helping financial institutions turn payment innovation into more connected, high-performing, and data-informed platforms that create value for their SME clients.”