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Business-to-business (B2B) collaboration is when two businesses in the B2B industry work together strategically and seamlessly to achieve a goal. Often, one business has a complementary product or service that the other business needs to enhance its offerings or operations.
For example, a B2B furniture company may collaborate with a B2B marketing agency that can develop targeted campaigns and leverage the right channels to reach and engage businesses that are interested in new furniture.
B2B collaboration can see both businesses benefit from expanded market reach, new skills and expertise, cost savings, and more. In most cases, the success of a B2B business comes from its ability to collaborate with and build a relationship with other B2B businesses.
This article will explore virtual cards and how businesses can use them to transform their B2B collaboration in 2025 and beyond.
A virtual card is a digital version of a debit or credit card, typically stored in the user’s online banking app or digital wallet. They are accepted by the same payment systems that accept payments from plastic and metal physical cards.
A debit or credit card has a 16-digit card number and a three-digit CVV code, which is used to make purchases repeatedly until the card’s expiry date. Meanwhile, the payment details of a virtual card are generated for each purchase.
Virtual cards have various features and benefits that make them valuable to businesses. This includes their significantly improved security features, which minimize the risk of fraudulent activity, and the ability to set customized spending controls for each card.
The popularity of digital transactions in recent years has driven the demand for virtual cards. In fact, The global virtual cards market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.2% from 2025 to 2030.
For effective B2B collaboration, both businesses must communicate clearly, set and follow their defined roles, and commit to achieving the same goal. Virtual cards are set to transform how B2B businesses work together in 2025 and beyond. Here’s how:
Businesses often owe each other money when collaborating, meaning they must trust each other with their payment information.
Luckily, the payment information from a virtual card payment is encrypted, which reduces the amount of sensitive data your business needs to store. This will encourage more businesses to collaborate with you because they can trust their payment information is safe in the case of a data breach.
Some B2B businesses collaborate with several other businesses or suppliers simultaneously, meaning they must manage multiple invoices.
Luckily, virtual cards can expedite invoices by connecting orders and payment status. This will increase prompt payments and boost cash flow.
In addition, the transaction data of each virtual card can be automatically entered into an accounts payable system, reducing the risk of manual error and increasing efficiency and accuracy. This can strengthen relationships between businesses through trust.
Your employees may need to travel to a different town, city, or country to collaborate effectively with another B2B business. Getting access to a business card eliminates the need to pay with a personal card and wait for reimbursement.
If you opt to link a virtual card to your business account, you get access to customized spending controls, such as budget, time, and location limits. For example, virtual cards issued to cover the costs of a two-day business trip in Chicago won’t work after the two days are over or in another city.
In addition, employees with virtual cards will never see the actual details of the business account, ensuring businesses are safe from internal fraud and employee theft.
Access to enhanced data also means that corporate travellers who use virtual cards may not have to save physical receipts to keep track of their expenses.
By accepting and using virtual card payment, you encourage more B2B businesses to collaborate with your business by increasing trust, expediting invoices, and improving corporate travel.
In addition, you are ensuring you keep up with the advancements in payment processing technology and stay ahead of your competitors.
