Equals say that poor customer service from embedded finance providers is costing businesses revenue

Businesses are overlooking one of the most important factors when choosing embedded finance providers, according to new research from Equals and Visa Consulting & Analytics, with poor customer service contributing to lost revenue, delayed international expansion and mounting operational challenges.

The report, based on a survey of more than 150 senior decision-makers across banks, fintechs, trading platforms and digital asset exchanges in the UK and Western Europe, suggests many firms focus heavily on technology and pricing during procurement while underestimating the long-term importance of ongoing service and support.

According to the findings, 82% of respondents believe their embedded finance provider plays a critical role in helping them scale successfully, while 71% say internal teams alone cannot manage the operational and regulatory complexity associated with embedded international business payments.

However, many organisations believe providers are falling short once implementation begins. Sixty per cent of CFOs said they had lost revenue due to poor provider support, while more than two in five respondents reported that service issues had delayed international expansion.

The report also found that 45% of businesses believe inadequate service and support have prevented them from fully realising the benefits of embedded finance. More than half (54%) described servicing challenges as an ongoing operational burden rather than isolated incidents.

Respondents highlighted onboarding delays, slow resolution of technical issues and compliance shortcomings as common frustrations after contracts had been signed.

Equals also points to a growing dissatisfaction with the market’s largest and smallest providers. Around 63% of CFOs said some providers were “too big to care” about their individual requirements, while 60% believed others lacked the scale and operational capability to support growing businesses.

Despite increasing investment in artificial intelligence, businesses remain cautious about replacing human support. Six in ten respondents said greater automation risks reducing access to the relationship managers and specialist expertise they rely on when dealing with complex compliance and cross-border payment issues.

Ed Chandler, Chief Operating Officer at Equals, said embedded finance environments have become too complex for standardised solutions. He argued that businesses increasingly need flexible payment infrastructure combined with expert support to navigate regulatory requirements, international expansion and operational complexity.

With embedded finance forecast to become a €100 billion market in Europe by the end of the decade, the findings suggest that service quality could become an increasingly important differentiator as businesses look for long-term payments partners rather than simply technology providers.