The digital disbursement landscape has evolved dramatically over the past seven years, reshaping how consumers receive payments. U.S. consumers increasingly receive disbursements from a variety of corporate and government agencies. In the same time, the demand for instant payments has surged, driven by a desire for speed, security and convenience. Consumers no longer view instant disbursements as a luxury but as a necessity, particularly in scenarios where rapid access to funds is critical.
This shift is evidenced by a threefold increase in the number of consumers using instant payments since 2018. While consumer preference for instant disbursements has remained steady, actual adoption has skyrocketed. Additionally, security concerns, along with speed and convenience, have made what’s known as the push-to-debit method the preferred choice for consumers when receiving disbursements. Consumers aren’t just embracing instant payments; they’re increasingly willing to pay for them.
These are some of the findings explored in “The State of Digital Disbursements: Why Consumers Prefer Instant Payments,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and Ingo Payments collaboration. This is the seventh year we have done this report, providing insight into consumers’ growing interest in instant disbursements. This edition draws on seven years (2018–2025) of consumer data and 42,683 responses to pinpoint the strongest drivers of preference for receiving disbursements instantly and to explore how receiving disbursements instantly drives satisfaction.
Inside “The State of Digital Disbursements: Why Consumers Prefer Instant Payments”
- Discover why instant disbursement usage has tripled since 2018 — and what’s fueling the shift.
- Learn how disbursement methods impacts consumer satisfaction, with 94% reporting high satisfaction when given a choice.
- Explore why nearly 4 in 10 income recipients are willing to pay for instant access — and which payment types drive this demand.
- See how push to debit and digital wallets are emerging as preferred, secure channels for real-time fund delivery.
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Download the Study
The State of Digital Disbursements: Why Consumers Prefer Instant Payments - April 2025
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The report explores consumers’ increasing use of instant payment methods for the disbursements they receive from nongovernment entities. Featuring 10 charts of insightful data, this study explores consumer satisfaction with instant pay and recipients’ willingness to pay a fee for that option. It provides insight into how disbursement preferences are evolving — and what it means for companies shaping the future of payments. Download the report to learn more.
The post New Data: Consumers Want Control and Choose Instant Payments to Get It appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
