The security tradeoffs of real-time payments in Accounts Payable
- Real-time payments and AP security
- The rise of real-time payments in B2B finance
- How to choose the best payment automation provider
- The security tradeoffs: Faster rails, smaller windows
- Common RTP vulnerabilities in AP workflows
- How automation and AI close the risk window
- AP fraud fighter’s toolkit
- Enabling speed without sacrificing security
- Balancing speed and security in a real-time payments era
Hear what's covered in this article:
Real-time payments and AP security
As real-time payments (RTP) gain momentum in B2B finance, accounts payable (AP) teams face a critical question: can faster payments coexist with strong security? RTP offers unprecedented speed and convenience, but it also comes with tradeoffs, namely, a reduced window for fraud detection and response. For CFOs, controllers, and AP leaders, balancing these tradeoffs is crucial to protecting company funds while meeting supplier expectations.
Real-time payments offer unmatched speed, but they also introduce urgency to fraud detection. With AP teams under pressure to process payments instantly, the risk of error or fraud rises exponentially. That’s why robust internal controls, automated workflows, and advanced anomaly detection tools are essential components of any secure RTP strategy. Medius Payments supports real-time payment capabilities while ensuring finance teams maintain full visibility, oversight, and control throughout the process.
The rise of real-time payments in B2B finance
In the consumer space, real-time payments have become the norm, think Zelle, Venmo, and contactless card payments. Now, this trend is extending into the B2B world. RTP rails like The Clearing House’s RTP® network and the Federal Reserve’s FedNow® Service are enabling instant payments between business bank accounts, often within seconds.
These faster rails bring tangible benefits:
Improved cash flow and liquidity management
Immediate supplier payment for just-in-time supply chains
Faster reconciliation and reduced AP cycle times
Yet, speed can be a double-edged sword. With traditional payment methods, companies had more time to catch and reverse suspicious transactions. Real-time payments remove that buffer, increasing the risk of irreversible fraud.
When the pace of payments feels like a sprint, you need a partner, not a hurdle.
Between frustrated stakeholders, nonstop approvals, and the endless barrage of alerts, finance teams deserve a payments solution that works with them, not against them. The eBook How to choose the best payment automation provider cuts through the chaos, showing you exactly how to choose a provider that brings clarity, peace of mind, and a smoother workflow.
The security tradeoffs: Faster rails, smaller windows
Real-time payments settle nearly instantly, offering little to no time for fraud teams to intervene. In practice, this means:
No chargebacks or reversals once a payment is sent
Less time to verify anomalies in payment amounts, recipient details, or timing
Limited reliance on manual intervention, which is too slow to keep pace
In this environment, traditional fraud prevention methods fall short. Spreadsheets and manual approval chains can’t detect payment fraud or anomalies in time to stop real-time disbursements.
This makes real-time payments a high-stakes decision. Without robust automation and security workflows, businesses risk exposing themselves to fraud, misdirected payments, and internal compliance failures.
Common RTP vulnerabilities in AP workflows
Let’s break down where AP teams face the greatest exposure when implementing RTP:
Fraudsters may spoof supplier emails to request urgent payment changes. In a real-time payment setting, these requests could be fulfilled before AP has time to verify.
If approval chains lack segregation of duties or audit trails, unauthorized payments can fly under the radar.
Fat-fingering a routing number or mistyping an amount becomes significantly riskier when transactions settle instantly and can't be pulled back.
RTP rails can be exploited by malicious insiders if AP controls aren’t tightly configured or monitored.
The faster the payment, the more critical it becomes to eliminate human error and automate fraud detection.
The faster the payment, the more critical it becomes to eliminate human error and automate fraud detection.
Learn how an automated payment system can support error-free execution and reduced risk.
How automation and AI close the risk window
To manage RTP securely, companies must adopt a proactive, technology-first strategy. This includes:
Touchless invoice processing
Automation speeds up approvals without skipping control points.
AI-powered anomaly detection
Machine learning flags unusual patterns, amount changes, new vendors, or deviations from norms.
Pre-defined approval rules
Transactions over a threshold or to new vendors require multi-person approval.
Full audit trails
Every decision and action is logged to support audits and investigations.
With real-time payments, the goal is not reacting to fraud after it happens. t’s to prevent it before the payment is ever authorized.
See how Medius Accounts Payable Automation incorporates fraud mitigation directly into AP workflows.
Instant payments can also mean instant regrets
Real-time payments leave no room for second thoughts and no time to reverse a bad transaction. The AP fraud fighter’s toolkit arms your team with the tactics, controls, and tech to block fraud attempts before they ever reach the payment stage.
Enabling speed without sacrificing security
Medius Payments supports real-time payment capabilities through a global network of local accounts and straight-through processing. But unlike payment platforms focused solely on speed, Medius bakes security into every stage:
- Real-time fraud detection through behavioral analysis
- Policy-aligned approval routing to enforce oversight
- Seamless ERP integrations to ensure consistent data visibility
This lets finance teams benefit from faster payments while preserving control, compliance, and peace of mind.
Looking to implement RTP in your AP environment?
Start with the right controls in place. Learn how Medius Fraud Risk Detection can support your journey.
Balancing speed and security in a real-time payments era
Real-time payments aren’t inherently risky, but they demand a more mature approach to AP security. As faster rails reshape B2B payments, the organizations best prepared to benefit will be those that pair speed with discipline.
By investing in automation, anomaly detection, and integrated payment workflows, finance leaders can support instant payments while keeping fraud and errors at bay.
Explore how Medius can help you future-proof your AP strategy with a security-first RTP strategy.
