B2B Payments Insights | Commercial Cards, Open Banking & Late Payments

A recent European court ruling could have significant implications for airline, hotel and retail co-brand card programmes.

Illustrative image created using AI. This blog is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by American Express, KLM or any EU institution. A recent Dutch enforcement action concerns the Amex–KLM Flying Blue co-branded credit card programme. On 16 April 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) held that payments and incentives made by a three-party card scheme such as Amex to a co-branding partner could constitute implicit interchange fees, even where

David Harrison

Jul 215 min read

Anatomy of a Scam: The 30-Minute Bill for over £1,000

AI-generated illustration inspired by Spain v France. It is late on a Tuesday night. The France v Spain World Cup semi-final is about to kick off and you go to check everything is secure around the house. You used the side door earlier but the lock is broken. The door won’t lock and you realise that a locksmith is needed to secure the house. This is exactly the situation one of my neighbours found himself in. We’ll call him Mike. Taking an early morning walk the following day

David Harrison

Jul 159 min read

“Just Give Me the Facts”: Why Critical Thinking Is Now a Democratic Necessity

The House of Lords debate on threats to democratic institutions could not have been more timely. Disinformation, foreign interference, declining trust in politics, the role of social media platforms, the responsibilities of public service broadcasters and the need for media literacy were all raised as urgent issues. The debate was important because it recognised something many people now feel instinctively: democracy is not only threatened by hostile states, cyber attacks or

David Harrison

Jun 296 min read

Open Banking payments: proven infrastructure, but not yet the B2B rail of choice

The UK’s late payment problem is usually discussed in terms of behaviour, power imbalance and policy. That makes sense and reliable cashflow is key to the survival of any business. The Commercial Payments Bill, and the wider debate around 30-day and 60-day settlement terms, is fundamentally about whether large buyers should be able to use suppliers as a source of working capital. As we have continued to discuss this topic with various stakeholders, there is also a problem of

David Harrison

Jun 126 min read

Could card payments help replace construction retentions?

If the Commercial Payments Bill removes cash retentions, Visa, Mastercard and Discover could be part of the replacement conversation. The Commercial Payments Bill [HL] is moving through Parliament with a clear objective: tackle poor payment practices and improve cash flow for UK businesses. One of its most significant provisions is the proposed ban on retention clauses in the construction sector. The Bill’s long title expressly refers to banning retention clauses in construct

David Harrison

Jun 106 min read

Commercial Payments Bill: Could cVRP and Open Banking Help Improve B2B Payments?

Background The King’s Speech commitment to tackle late B2B payments has led to the Commercial Payments Bill, introduced in the House of Lords on 19 May 2026, with a second reading scheduled for 9 June 2026. It is not yet law and may change during passage. Proposed topics for inclusion: The Bill would cap payment terms at 60 days for private-sector purchasers and 30 days where the purchaser is a public authority. Late payments to carry mandatory interest at 8% above Bank of En

David Harrison

Jun 15 min read