A new payments tool from fintech firm PingPong, developed in partnership with Visa, could give restaurant and hospitality operators a meaningful edge in managing cash flow: the ability to pay any supplier invoice using a commercial credit card, even if that supplier has no card-acceptance infrastructure in place.

The product, called the Card to Account Payment Solution, operates under a Business Payment Solution Provider (BPSP) framework. In practice, it means an operator can tap an existing commercial card to settle invoices from produce vendors, linen services, smallwares distributors, or virtually any other supplier—without requiring that supplier to upgrade their payment setup. According to PingPong, the arrangement can extend working capital by up to 45 days without taking on additional debt, a meaningful buffer for operators navigating tight margins and unpredictable revenue cycles.

For food and beverage businesses, where supplier relationships are foundational and invoice timing can be a persistent pressure point, that runway matters. Many small and mid-sized restaurant groups lack the negotiating leverage to push net-60 or net-90 terms with key vendors. A card-based bridge payment effectively creates a similar outcome while keeping supplier relationships intact—and without drawing on a line of credit.

The solution is currently live in the United Kingdom, European Union, and Hong Kong. PingPong has confirmed that rollout to the United States and Singapore is planned across the remainder of 2026. For U.S. operators, the timing aligns with continued industry pressure around restaurant cash flow and cost management, as labor expenses and food costs remain elevated heading into the back half of the year.

PingPong positions itself as embedded financial infrastructure for global businesses, and the Visa partnership signals a push to bring enterprise-grade payment flexibility to a broader range of operators—including those in hospitality procurement and supply chain management. The BPSP model is not new at the enterprise level, but packaging it for mid-market and independent operators via an existing commercial card represents a more accessible entry point than traditional trade finance instruments.

U.S.-based operators interested in the solution will want to monitor PingPong's domestic rollout timeline, as eligibility and card network specifics may vary by market.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.