Managing cross-border risks in B2B e-commerce

As cross-border B2B e-commerce accelerates towards a US$36 trillion market, businesses pursuing international growth face rising exposure to non-payment, fraud and regulatory complexity — risks that demand real-time credit assessment, secure payment infrastructure and automated safeguards to trade overseas with confidence

The global B2B e-commerce market continues to grow at pace. Already more than four times larger than its B2C counterpart, the total value of B2B online sales is expected to reach US$36 trillion by 2026, according to Allianz Trade.

Increasingly, B2B firms are turning to e-commerce platforms to expand internationally. In 2024, cross-border sales accounted for 44% of the global B2B e-commerce market and are projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 16.2% through to 2030, according to data from Mordor Intelligence.

B2B e-commerce offers powerful growth opportunities in international trade but also exposes businesses to new risks like non-payment, buyer identity fraud, and regulatory complexity across foreign jurisdictions.

To sustain international growth over the long-term, managing the financial risks of international trade is just as important as finding new markets and buyers. Allianz Trade pay is your B2B e-commerce solution that mitigates risks and secures your payments across borders.

Why cross-border B2B payments are more complex

B2B transactions are inherently complex. Compared with B2C, B2B payments are typically larger, with buyers often paying for goods or services on invoice rather than upfront, and with an expectation that sellers will extend payment terms. The nature of international trade makes cross-border B2B payments even more complex.

Here, we outline some key risk factors associated with B2B transactions across borders and how Allianz Trade pay  reduces the complexity:

• Payment terms: Allianz Trade pay automates Know Your Business (KYB) and buyer identity fraud checks, enabling B2B sellers to extend terms to buyers and significantly reducing manual admin.
• International buyer ID fraud: Leveraging Allianz Trade’s global reach, extensive database, and deep knowledge of local markets, Allianz Trade pay helps you easily onboard new buyers with automated buyer identity fraud checks.
• Multiple banking systems: Partnerships with global financial institutions ensure that your payments flow smoothly and securely through banking and clearing systems in different markets. Delays are reduced, while tracking payments and reconciling orders is simpler.
• Counterparty risks: With Allianz Trade pay, creditworthiness checks are clear and instant, allowing you to build trust with new overseas trading partners.

Real-time credit assessment and payment security

For cross-border B2B e-commerce to work, you need real-time credit assessment tools to make instant, data-driven credit decisions. By analysing financial and trade data from multiple sources, these tools allow exporters to assess a buyer’s creditworthiness before extending payment terms.

Allianz Trade pay integrates real-time checks, buyer identity fraud detection, trade credit insurance (TCI), and secure payments in one platform. You can verify a buyer’s reliability and extend terms instantly. If a buyer fails to pay, Allianz Trade steps in with automatic indemnification, covering any losses through TCI.

Automation is at the core of the solution. When a buyer registers or places an order, application programming interfaces (APIs) collect and analyse company data, replacing manual checks and accelerating credit decisions while reducing admin.

In cross-border trade, this capability is particularly valuable, and the impact for your business is immediate. Allianz Trade pay reduces manual credit checks and lengthy approval processes, helping you focus on growth instead of admin. Automated decisions mean faster onboarding of new buyers and order fulfilment, while secure, insured payments unlock new revenue streams and build lasting trust with your overseas customers.

By assessing risks in real time, Allianz Trade pay helps you avoid high-risk counterparties, prevent fraud, and move money across borders more securely.

The Allianz Trade pay advantage

If you’re looking to grow internationally, Allianz Trade pay helps to close the trust gap with new overseas partners.

The platform offers a simple and secure end-to-end solution for cross-border B2B e-commerce transactions. For example, a manufacturer selling to a new buyer overseas can verify credit and apply TCI instantly, avoiding delays or the need for manual checks.

Once payment terms are agreed and invoices are issued, buyers will have to settle their payment on agreed terms. Allianz Trade pay then reconciles payments automatically, optimising the order-to-cash process. On the sellers’ side, payment activity and reconciliation documents can be accessed in real-time via the Allianz Trade pay dashboard.

Meanwhile, both buyers and sellers benefit from the global reach and financial strength of the Allianz Group. 

With coverage of more than 90% of global GDP and deep expertise in risk management, both locally and globally, Allianz Trade pay comes with a level of capability and security that few B2B e-commerce platform providers can reach.

Expanding overseas with greater confidence

In today’s fast-moving global marketplace, proactive payment risk management is essential. Allianz Trade pay delivers secure, real-time, and globally compliant B2B transactions.

With Allianz Trade pay, cross-border trade isn’t a risk – it’s an opportunity. Talk to our A-Team to discover how Allianz Trade can help you expand safely across borders.

Further Information

Produced with support from Allianz Trade. To find out more about Allianz Trade pay and managing cross-border B2B payment risk, visit www.allianz-trade.com

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