American Express launches BIP Connect to simplify B2B payments

By Milan Rojan

American Express has introduced BIP Connect, a new capability designed to simplify invoice-based business payments by connecting its Buyer Initiated Payments (BIP) platform with Bottomline’s Paymode network. The move aims to improve payment efficiency, strengthen fraud controls and streamline transactions between buyers and suppliers.

The new feature has enabled businesses to initiate payments through their existing American Express BIP accounts, while suppliers receive funds via Premium ACH through Paymode. The integration has incorporated embedded authentication and fraud protection, helping businesses process payments more securely. Paymode’s network includes authenticated suppliers across sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, commercial real estate and higher education.

Alongside BIP Connect, American Express has introduced new invoice management capabilities within the BIP platform. The enhancements have improved invoice matching through automated reporting using supplier data, provide greater visibility into invoice status and support faster, more accurate payment processing.

The launch has followed new Amex Trendex research, which highlighted persistent inefficiencies in invoice-based payments. The survey found that buyers and suppliers spend an average of 29–32 business days processing an invoice payment, while financial decision-makers spend around 37 business days each year correcting invoice-related issues.

The research also found that 90% of financial decision-makers experienced payment errors during the past year, with duplicate invoices, pricing discrepancies and incorrect payment details among the most common issues. In addition, 67% said payment inefficiencies prevent their organisations from operating at full potential.

American Express said the new capabilities are designed to reduce manual processes, improve payment visibility and strengthen buyer-supplier relationships. By integrating payment execution, invoice management and fraud controls into a single workflow, the company has aimed to help businesses accelerate invoice processing, reduce operational complexity and support more efficient B2B payment operations.