AccessPay has released its Finance Trends 2026 report, outlining how finance leaders across financial services and general corporate sectors are reshaping priorities amid continued economic pressure.
Now in its fourth year, the annual survey highlights a growing focus on efficiency, cost control and the accelerating role of AI, while also exposing a widening gap between financial institutions and corporates when it comes to technology adoption.
The research shows that efficiency and cost control have become the defining priorities for finance teams heading into 2026. Nearly half of respondents across both sectors identified this as a core focus, with 47% of general corporates and 46% of financial services firms citing it as a top concern. While cost discipline has long been part of the finance remit, the report suggests that sluggish economic growth, rising operating costs and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty have pushed it higher up the leadership agenda.
This renewed pressure to “do more with less” is also shaping attitudes towards technology investment. According to the findings, 47% of general corporates and 43% of financial services firms plan to prioritise the adoption of AI within the next 18 months. The report indicates that finance leaders increasingly view automation and AI-driven tools as essential to maintaining performance while operating under tighter budgetary and headcount constraints.
The survey also reveals clear differences in the pace of finance transformation between sectors. A relatively small group of organisations in both financial services (29%) and general corporates (24%) report having highly automated and fully integrated finance functions. Beyond this leading cohort, the gap becomes more pronounced. Almost half of financial services firms (45%) described themselves as advanced in their finance transformation journey, with most processes automated. By contrast, 41% of corporates said their transformation efforts were still progressing, characterised by partial automation and ongoing manual workarounds. The findings suggest that many corporates still have significant opportunities to improve efficiency through relatively straightforward automation initiatives, particularly around bank connectivity.
When it comes to AI adoption specifically, financial services firms are significantly ahead. The report found that 46% of financial services organisations have already implemented AI enhancements in finance operations to a high degree, compared with just 28% of corporates. While both sectors face similar challenges — including limited internal expertise and resistance to cultural change — budget constraints appear to weigh more heavily on corporates. Almost a third of corporates (31%) cited insufficient budget as a barrier to AI adoption, compared with 17% of financial services firms.
Commenting on the findings, Anish Kapoor said, “The disparities between the financial and non-financial sectors in terms of their attitudes towards technology investment are striking. Longer-term, the underinvestment in general corporates could backfire. In the current macroeconomic environment, finance teams will need to stress-test plans to ensure they can operate at the low end of their scenarios. This is why we predict 2026 will be a key year for automation in payment and treasury operations. If finance departments are to operate with reduced headcount or scale without increasing staff, leaders also need to consider how to make up that shortfall with technology.”
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