Spurred by surges in both the volume and complexity of thepayments they manage, corporate treasurers entered 2020 with aheightened appetite for innovation. Our world now looks markedlydifferent, and businesses face a slew of new and unexpectedchallenges brought on by Covid-19. Cash and liquidity have taken centerstage—and for good reason. But 2020 will likely remain atransformative year for payments.

Even as the pandemic slows global and intraorganizationalexpansion, payment practices and technologies continue to adaptquickly, and they warrant companies' attention in the near term.From the rise of real-time payments to open banking and applicationprogramming interface (API)–based settlement networks, to SWIFT gpi, the payments landscape will undergotransformations across multiple fronts as we get deeper into theyear.