Small businesses are increasingly targeted by invoicing fraud, transaction fraud, and synthetic identity fraud, yet most lack the resources and expertise to defend themselves effectively against these sophisticated schemes. Meanwhile, their banks continue offering traditional financial products—loans, deposits, and basic services—without addressing the operational vulnerabilities that put them and their clients at risk every day.
This creates a significant opportunity for financial institutions. Small businesses desperately need fraud protection and operational support, while banks need deeper relationships that drive loyalty and sustainable revenue growth.
Finli solves both challenges simultaneously. Our white-labeled, embedded back-office platform helps banks deliver real-time fraud prevention alongside essential operational tools directly to their small business clients. The outcome benefits everyone: safer businesses, stronger banking relationships, and measurable increases in deposits, adoption, and revenue for the financial institution.
The Problem: A Gap Between What Banks Offer and What Businesses Need
One in four small businesses has been a victim of fraud, averaging $114,000 in losses per incident. These aren’t just statistics—they represent real businesses facing potential closure or severe financial distress from preventable crimes.
(Source: Association of Certified Fraud Examiners)
Synthetic identity fraud is the fastest-growing financial crime in the U.S., with criminals creating fake identities to target unsuspecting business owners. Unlike traditional fraud that uses stolen information, synthetic identity fraud combines real and fabricated data, making it harder to detect with conventional security measures.
Small businesses want more from their banking relationships. 70% of SMBs want bundled solutions from their bank that include invoicing, capital, treasury, and operational tools. They’re looking for integrated solutions that streamline their operations while providing security and efficiency.
(Source: Accenture)
Yet only 12% of SMBs say their bank helps them run their business—not just finance it. This massive gap reveals a critical disconnect between what banks offer and what businesses actually need to operate safely and efficiently.
(Source: Bain & Company)
Banks that stay only in the “financial products lane” are losing ground. Small businesses want their banks to be partners, not just providers of loans and accounts. They need institutions that understand their operational challenges and provide tools to address them.
Finli: Fraud Prevention Meets Operational Enablement
What sets Finli apart is the value it delivers to both the bank and the business, from day one. Rather than treating fraud prevention and operational efficiency as separate concerns, we integrate them into a unified solution.
For Small Businesses:
Our platform provides real-time fraud control tools embedded into everyday invoicing and payment workflows. This means protection happens automatically during normal business operations, without requiring separate security processes that slow down transactions.
We offer secure payment links, QR codes, and payer verification to prevent unauthorized transactions before they happen. Each payment method includes multiple verification layers that authenticate legitimate customers while blocking fraudulent attempts.
Customer screening and anomaly detection identify fake or high-risk buyers before they transact with your clients. Our system analyzes buyer behavior patterns, payment history, and identity markers to flag potential threats before money changes hands.
These tools eliminate income leakage—the silent killer of small business cash flow. When fraudsters intercept payments or create fake invoices, businesses lose revenue they’ve already earned. Our prevention tools ensure legitimate payments reach their intended destination.
For Banks:
Finli delivers instant value to vulnerable businesses, especially those recently targeted by fraud. When a bank can immediately protect a business from the type of attack they just experienced, adoption becomes inevitable rather than optional.
This creates higher adoption rates because fraud prevention is an urgent need, not a “nice to have” feature. Unlike traditional banking add-ons that businesses may delay implementing, fraud protection addresses an immediate pain point.
Our white-labeled solution drives loyalty and daily engagement with bank-branded tools. Instead of interacting with their bank only during loan applications or account issues, businesses use bank-branded fraud protection and operational tools every day.
Banks gain actionable insights via the FI dashboard, including transaction anomalies, invoicing red flags, synthetic behavior patterns, and more. This real-time intelligence helps banks proactively protect their entire client base while identifying potential risks before they become losses.
Built-In Adoption. Built-In Loyalty.
Banks often ask: “Why would a small business want invoicing tools from their bank? Won’t adoption be low?”
Not when the tools are solving real pain.
The key is understanding that businesses don’t adopt invoicing tools just for convenience—they adopt invoicing and billing systems with built-in fraud protection for survival. Once they’re using our platform for secure invoicing and payments, they naturally discover and utilize the additional operational benefits.
Fraud control is the wedge that gets adoption. It addresses an urgent, expensive problem that businesses can’t ignore. Operational value is the glue that keeps it. The efficiency gains and workflow improvements ensure continued engagement long after the initial fraud concern is resolved.
By bundling Finli with treasury services, checking, and credit, banks create a sticky, high-frequency relationship—not a transactional one. Businesses that rely on their bank for daily operational support maintain deeper relationships and higher account balances.
The Finli Advantage: Why It Matters Now
Finli provides five key advantages for forward-thinking banks:
Mitigate fraud exposure for both banks and their clients, reducing losses across the board. When small business clients suffer fraud losses, they often reduce deposits, delay loan payments, or close accounts entirely. Prevention protects both parties.
Drive immediate adoption through built-in fraud protection tools that address urgent business needs. Unlike optional services that businesses may never implement, fraud protection gets used immediately and consistently.
Expand business relationships beyond checking and lending into daily operational support. This transforms banks from periodic service providers into essential business partners that contribute to daily operations.
Deepen deposits and increase product penetration through enhanced customer engagement. Businesses that use their bank for operational support typically maintain larger balances and utilize more services across the relationship.
Help banks deliver CRA-aligned technical assistance to underserved SMBs, meeting regulatory requirements while providing genuine value. Fraud protection and operational efficiency support directly address the technical assistance goals outlined in CRA guidelines.
Banks That Power Operations Will Power Growth
The future of business banking belongs to institutions that go beyond finance. Traditional banks that limit themselves to loans and deposits will lose market share to institutions that provide comprehensive operational support.
With Finli, banks deliver fraud protection, operational efficiency, and embedded value in one seamless package. This integrated approach creates customer relationships that extend far beyond traditional banking touchpoints.
It’s not just about stopping fraud—it’s about helping businesses thrive in an increasingly complex operating environment. Banks that provide this level of support become indispensable partners rather than replaceable service providers.
Let’s equip your bank to do both.
