How Consumers Want to Get Paid: The Digital Disbursement Revolution

If you’ve ever waited too long for a refund check in the mail, you’re not alone. Over the past five years, how Consumers want to receive money from businesses has undergone a massive transformation. From insurance claim payouts to patient reimbursements and product rebates, the era of paper checks is fading fast, replaced by instant, digital, and consumer-first payment methods, powered by modern payment automation platforms.

The End of the Check Era

In 2019, paper checks still made up over a third of consumer disbursements. By 2025, they’ve become the dinosaur of payment methods. Consumers today expect speed, flexibility and automated refunds — they want their money now, not next week.. It’s no surprise that 70% of U.S. consumers prefer to receive payments digitally.

The reasons are obvious. Paper checks are slow, inconvenient, and prone to being lost or delayed. And in a world where people can split dinner on Venmo or receive a paycheck on a debit card, waiting for a piece of paper in the mail just doesn’t cut it anymore. Today’s consumers expect digital disbursements and seamless payment automation — not outdated processes that cause friction and delays.

What Do Consumers Want?

Across industries, the demand for faster, easier disbursements is nearly universal. 

• Speed: 38% of Americans have received an instant payment from a business, and many now expect it. One in four consumers say they require payouts within 30 minutes.
• Choice: Consumers don’t just want one option—they want to pick what works best for them. ACH direct deposit, PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, prepaid cards—these are all increasingly common choices.
• Convenience: Whether someone is banked, underbanked, or mobile-first, today’s disbursement technology needs to meet people where they are. That means digital wallet options, mobile payouts, and SMS links.

Spotlight: Healthcare Is Catching Up

Healthcare has been one of the slowest industries to go digital with refunds—but that’s changing. As of 2025, 64% of patients still receive refunds by paper check. Yet 70% say they’d prefer a modern, digital option, for their patient refunds.

Why the lag? Healthcare systems have traditionally relied on manual processes and paper-heavy workflows. But that’s changing quickly as providers realize that poor refund experiences drive patient dissatisfaction. In fact, over 70% of patients say they’d consider switching providers after a negative payment experience.

Hospitals and clinics that offer digital refund portals — where patients choose how to receive their money — are now seeing better satisfaction and lower costs. What used to take weeks with postage and paper now happens in days or minutes, thanks to automated patient payment systems, and a new way to think through patient refunds.

Insurance, Retail, and Gig Work Lead the Way

In contrast, industries like insurance and gig work have embraced the digital disbursement revolution. Auto and health insurers have added instant payment automation options like push-to-card and direct deposit. Gig platforms like Uber and DoorDash offer real-time earnings withdrawals. Retailers increasingly refund to digital wallets or the original payment methods, bypassing the need for mailed checks or store credits.

These sectors understand that payouts aren’t just a back-office function—they’re a critical part of the customer experience.

For a broader view of evolving payout infrastructure, check out this global fintech overview by McKinsey.

Demographics: It’s Not Just for the Young

It might surprise you to learn that digital payout preference isn’t just a young person’s game. A recent study found that even Americans over 65 overwhelmingly prefer digital payout methods. In fact, the 55–64 age group was the most likely to favor digital over paper.

The bottom line: consumers of all ages want control, convenience, and speed. For further reading on generational financial behavior, Pew Research offers insights into payment habits by age.

What It Means for Businesses

Today, the question isn’t if you should offer digital payouts—it’s how fast and flexible can you make them. The companies that win are the ones that:

• Offer multiple digital disbursement options
• Let consumers choose how they want to be paid
• Invest in real-time or instant payment infrastructure

Whether you’re a healthcare provider issuing patient refunds, a carrier processing insurance claims, or a merchant managing returns—fast, flexible payouts are now a competitive advantage.

If you’re exploring how to integrate modern payout systems, Nacha offers resources on ACH payments and compliance.

Final Thought

We live in an on-demand world. Consumers expect the same speed and ease in receiving money as they do in spending it. The businesses that meet this expectation aren’t just keeping up—they’re building trust, loyalty, and a better bottom line.

Want to win in the digital disbursement economy? Start by putting the consumer in control of how they get paid.  Feel free to reach out to us at hello@clientpaydirect.com to discuss more.