Instant disbursements whether from government or private entities are increasingly popular with consumers when offered and have a major impact on consumer perceptions of senders.
For the Disbursements Satisfaction Report 2022, a PYMNTS and Ingo Money collaboration, we surveyed over 3,600 U.S. consumers about their payout preferences, finding that the instant version is understandably in-demand, although being offered less this year than last.
We found that “nearly half of U.S. consumers who receive disbursements would choose to receive them via instant payment rails if they could, but many recipients are never given the choice,” with data showing that 17% of the consumers who received disbursements last year over instant rails, which is the highest yet, but well below the share who want them.
Even though instant disbursements still represent a low percentage of actual usage compared to the appetite for the service. We found that 22% of consumers received at least one instant disbursement in 2022, and 17% of all disbursements received were made via instant payment rails. Out in front are “purchase-related disbursements such as rebates, manufacturer incentives and refunds — those in which disbursement speed could jeopardize a business’s reputation.” In other words — loyalty.
Of all consumers, we found that 47% will opt for instant disbursements if available, “showing that the demand for instant disbursements is far higher than the current market supply. This also indicates a tremendous opportunity for growth in this space for senders that are willing to provide such options to their users.”
Interest is particularly high among millennial and bridge millennial consumers, with 66% of consumers in these age groups saying instant disbursements would be their first choice.
An eye-opening finding is the impact that disbursement type has on consumer loyalty to senders. This is especially important for corporates and financial institutions (FIs) as consumers are more likely to take their transfers elsewhere if not offered the instant option.
Per the study, “No other payment option has such a drastic impact on consumers’ willingness to do business with the organizations from which they receive disbursements. Only 36% of consumers would continue a relationship with senders that offered direct deposits, and only 40% would continue client relations with senders that offered a wide array of payments choice, but not instant.”
