MINDING THE $336 BILLION GAP:
Many service providers believe their payment experience is unified and seamless. Most consumers disagree. The 2026 Service Commerce Performance Gap report reveals the hidden friction driving customer dissatisfaction—and how Service Commerce can answer this critical challenge.
Forward-thinking organizations are already benefiting from finding and addressing the critical billing gaps confronting them. Take advantage of this opportunity to get ahead of rising consumer expectations with new data from thousands of consumers.
58% of consumers judge a provider’s service quality by its billing
Only 5% of providers view billing as a key loyalty driver
40% of consumers have had to contact customer service to fix a billing problem, making it the most common point of friction (and the one service providers track least)
With $336 billion at stake due to payment delays, this report gives you actionable insights to solve today's toughest billing and payment challenges.
Payment Friction Puts $28 Billion Per Month At Risk Of Payment Delays
Close Service Gaps By Understanding Where They Exist
Discover Where the Breakdowns Happen and How To Fix Them
54% Find Billing Frustrating and Are Most Likely To Withhold Payment
Outdated Tech Remains the Greatest Barrier to Growth
“Roughly one in 4 consumers has withheld a payment because of a dispute or dissatisfaction, and that behavior is concentrated among the youngest, fastest-growing and most financially pressured bill payers. The providers who treat billing as a relationship rather than a transaction will build an advantage that compounds over the years. Those who do not are already paying for it.”
Visit Paymentus.com/service-commerce to learn more about our AI-Native Service Commerce Platform, or contact us today to schedule an exclusive demo with a Paymentus Service Commerce expert.
Let's TalkAbout the Report
The Service Commerce Performance Gap is a PYMNTS Intelligence report produced in collaboration with Paymentus. It draws on two parallel surveys conducted in March 2026. The consumer edition surveyed 2,566 U.S. consumers from March 13 to March 29, 2026. The sample was balanced to match the U.S. adult population by age, gender, education and income. Both surveys use the Service Commerce Performance Index (SCPI), a 0-to-100 scoring framework built on three equally weighted pillars (Journey Performance, Friction Frequency and Relationship Quality) measured across seven billing-lifecycle dimensions. The service provider edition surveyed 240 U.S. billing and payment decision-makers across industries.
All data sourced from "The Service Commerce Performance Gap" PYMNTS Intelligence report.
