One of the primary objectives of the BPC is to promote greater usage of electronic payments in B2B transactions. Electronic payments are generally recognized as less expensive and less fraud-prone than checks.
One key enabler for electronic payments and B2B payment efficiency is for payers to obtain trusted payment information for their suppliers. The BPC completed a B2B Directory project in 2016 that resulted in the Business Payments Directory Association (BPDA) (Off-site), a non-profit organization dedicated to creation of a B2B Directory. The B2B Directory is a public utility database, or “public phone book” of business payees and payee information that will allow payers to find the information needed to make payments to their payees electronically.
Resources
- SMB Accounting Software APIs Initiative (PDF) (2019)
This paper documents the work of the BPC to research Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) available to facilitate electronic payments in small-to-medium business accounting software. - Retail Debit Balances Best Practices and Procedures (PDF) (2016)
This Technical Report offers best practices and procedures for standardizing the handling of debit balances from both the supplier and retailer perspectives. The scope includes account reconciliation, notification guidelines, timeframes, roles and responsibilities of each party, and supporting documentation. - Best Practices for Handling Retail Debit Balances Webinar Recording (YouTube) (2016)
This technical report is a useful tool for retail industry members and software vendors who desire to improve and standardize how debit balances are handled by various trading partners. - B2B Directory Concept Paper (PDF) (2014)
2014 whitepaper from the B2B Directory workgroup documenting the directory concept - Survey of Business Practitioners – Final Report (PDF) (2012)
Summary of results of the 2012 survey of business practitioners about Electronic Payments & Remittance Data: Pain Points & Solutions