The news: Visa launched Visa and Main, a commerce platform to help small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) access capital, customers, and other resources, per a press release.

• Visa will launch a $100 million working capital facility through Lendistry for SMB loans.
• The payment network will contribute practical marketing support for entrepreneurs to gain visibility at events like the FIFA World Cup 2026.
• Visa and Main will expand SMBs’ access to digital payment acceptance tools, everyday savings programs, and other offers through Visa’s small business network.

Why this matters: Commercial spend is boosting profits. PayPal and Visa both noted in their most recent earnings that business spending contributed key growth in the quarter. 

Investing in these sellers gives SMBs more room to expand—which means more B2B spending volume and more opportunities for consumers to spend as well.

Other payment peers are also trying to serve SMBs:

• Fiserv launched Unknown Shopper, an AI tool to help SMBs track customer profiles with demographic information for merchants without rewards profiles.
• Toast announced Toast IQ, an AI assistant trained to help small businesses track inventory, pricing, and catalog insights.
• And Affirm is bringing buy now, pay later (BNPL) to SMB invoicing through a tie-up with Intuit.

Implications for payment providers: As non-wealthy consumer spend dampens, payment providers can boost volume from small businesses that need the support and whose growth will also enrich those platforms. With AI tools, platforms can offer even more tailored support to particular verticals to support business expansion.