2026 Payouts Landscape

Mobile-Centric financial behavior has rewired consumer payout preferences.

Preference for checks and ACH are on the decline, while payment apps and mobile wallets surge. Consumers receive more payouts eahc month than before and they want their funds quicklyand securely, via the method of their choice.

_{Onbe & NRG surveyed 1500 US consumers who have received a corporate payout in the last year.}

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A disconnect that's hard to ignore

Digital is the default expectation,
but payouts are still stuck on checks.

89%

of consumers prefer digital methods when receiving payouts, yet paper checks remain the third-most common payout method

74%

of consumers are comfortable using mobile wallets to make in person payments - a payment method that rose 14% in preference among Gen Z and Millenials since 2025

98%

of consumers use digital payments monthly in their financial lives

49%

of consumers who received a payout via check experienced some inconvenience, and 21% say they plan to use checks less in 2026

More payouts. More business risk. More opportunity.

Ongoing economics shifts have caused corporate payouts to become more frequent across generations, making payout experiences more visible and more consequential.

Payouts are no longer isolated events. They're recurring brand touchpoints: The share on consumers receiving 5 to 10 payouts per month doubled since 2024.

Clear signal it's time to replace hard-to-track legacy payouts methods: One in three consumers experienced an issue receiving a payout.

Checks are still common, but more and more out of step

Sending a payout via check in the mail is still the third most common method, even though the method is ranked sixth in preference by consumers.

Younger consumers are accelerating the shift to premium digital options

Digital expectations are broadening across all generations, but Gen Z and Millenials preference for payment apps, mobile wallets, and virtual cards surpass preference for legacy methods like checks and ACH.

For Gen Z & Millenials:

Speed has become an expectation and a monetization lever

How quickly a consumer receives their payout increasingly defines how they judge the experience as a whole. Faster payouts are no longer just a service upgrade. They're a revenue opportunity and brand differentiator.

Consumers' trust depends on security, communication and choice

Consumers don't separate payout execution from payout experience. They want security protections, visibility into timing, and the ability to choose how they receive funds.

Four generations of American consumers.
All signaling a single trend:

Cut the checks

Learn more about how consumer expectations are changing what it will take to modernize payouts before legacy processes become a competitive liability.