{"id":152,"date":"2026-05-04T21:08:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T21:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/?p=152"},"modified":"2026-05-05T02:20:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T02:20:48","slug":"history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/","title":{"rendered":"History of bulk payments or batch payments"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Today, thanks to new Fintech tools, many companies have increased their operational capacity, especially when managing high volumes of transactions, with batch payments among the most prominent and innovative tools. However, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/stablecoin-batch-payments-points-to-consider-for-choosing-a-provider\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">batch payments<\/a><\/strong> date back much further than the emergence of computing or Fintech. For this reason, we will learn a little more about the history of bulk payments or batch payments below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/#Sumerian_Era\" >Sumerian Era<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/#Middle_Ages\" >Middle Ages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/#Analog_Era_pre-computing\" >Analog Era (pre-computing)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/#The_Digital_Revolution\" >The Digital Revolution<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/#Internet_and_Connectivity\" >Internet and Connectivity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/#API_Era_and_Modern_Financial_Platforms\" >API Era and Modern Financial Platforms<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sumerian_Era\"><\/span>Sumerian Era<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first payment to multiple recipients in history (a single issuer making simultaneous or batch payments to several people at the same time) dates back to ancient Mesopotamia, in the Sumerian civilization, around 3100-3000 B.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sumerians left clay tablets with cuneiform writing that record payments of rations (mainly beer, grain, oil, or wool) to groups of workers, temple employees, or state employees. These were not individual, one-on-one payments, but distribution lists in which a central authority (temple, palace, or administrator) delivered specific quantities to multiple people simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another record from the neo-Sumerian era (circa 2100-2000 B.C.) mentions payments to dozens of workers (gurush): some at two-thirds salary and others at half, detailing who receives what and on what date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Middle_Ages\"><\/span>Middle Ages<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In medieval England (12th-15th centuries), the king maintained a royal household with hundreds of people: knights, servants, cooks, officials, etc. Salary payments were made centrally and in batches or periodic rounds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; They were recorded in royal household accounts or in the Exchequer rolls (the royal treasury).<br>&#8211; A single issuer (the king or his treasurer) authorized and distributed money to dozens or hundreds of recipients at the same time.<br>&#8211; These payments were made in silver coins (pennies), often in previously prepared batches. Accountants separated the coins into lots of \u00a35 or \u00a3100 to facilitate distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, during military campaigns (such as those under Edward I or Edward III), salaries were paid to knights of the royal household and their retinues. A single record could cover payments for 40 to 100 knights and hundreds of infantry soldiers. Payments were authorized through royal orders (writs) and recorded in the issue rolls of the Exchequer, where multiple beneficiaries were listed receiving specific amounts in a single accounting operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Analog_Era_pre-computing\"><\/span>Analog Era (pre-computing)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before computing, the landscape for companies and their financial teams was tedious and error-prone, as large companies relied on preparing individual documents that had to be signed, counted, and sent by courier using physical checks, applying a follow-up to each payment that required large files, which were exposed to the risk of loss or human error.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this stage, there was a clear geographical dependence, since payments were dependent on physical banking infrastructure; that is, moving money meant moving paper. Therefore, this was an era in which financial efficiency was limited by labor and physical equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments-1024x559.png\" alt=\"History of bulk payments or batch payments\" class=\"wp-image-153\" style=\"width:500px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments-1024x559.png 1024w, https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments-300x164.png 300w, https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments-768x419.png 768w, https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/History-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments.png 1408w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Digital_Revolution\"><\/span>The Digital Revolution<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>During the 70s and 90s, a great leap in batch payments occurred, especially thanks to Automated Clearing House (ACH) systems and electronic transfers, since for the first time, data no longer traveled by mail trucks but through rudimentary networks that were beginning to develop or by telephone cables. In this way, paper began to be replaced by structured files, and the concept of the &#8220;batch&#8221; was consolidated, as banks, instead of processing payments one by one (day after day), executed large batches of data in pre-established cycles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although the speed went from days to hours, the system remained rigid because it relied on semi-closed batch processes that required expert manual intervention to correct errors, address file format changes, or adapt to changes in banking rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Internet_and_Connectivity\"><\/span>Internet and Connectivity<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the arrival of the internet and the rise of software-as-a-service (SaaS) in the 21st century, the way data is managed changed radically, moving from static files to dynamic flows. At this point, accounting systems began to have the ability to generate CSV or XML files (to be uploaded to banking portals), which allowed an evolution in payment automation, but there were still limitations related to interoperability, because each bank and each ERP system required a different format; furthermore, visibility was limited, as treasury management did not have a unified and &#8220;real-time&#8221; view of all outflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, the focus shifted from data transfer to the need for continuous integration, leading to the development and evolution of API connectivity to enable existing systems to interconnect and communicate automatically and efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"API_Era_and_Modern_Financial_Platforms\"><\/span>API Era and Modern Financial Platforms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For a few years now, we have entered the Application Programming Interface (API) era, and modern financial platforms (such as <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Smart Bulk Payments<\/a><\/strong>) process not only batch payments but also manage the payment experience across multiple sources to multiple destinations, all under a single point of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern payment platforms, through direct integrations via <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/group-payments-importance-of-choosing-a-provider-with-an-api-rest-designed-for-global-scale\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">API REST<\/a><\/strong>, allow native connection between accounting systems (ERPs) and banks. This completely eliminates the need for intermediate files, speeds up real-time reconciliation, and provides financial teams with total, precise visibility into every payment made or pending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore, these solutions incorporate intelligent mechanisms that automatically detect failures, proactively retry transactions, and prevent payment losses. The result is greater financial efficiency: notably faster processes with minimal human intervention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this way, it is evident that bulk payments have shifted from document management to information flow management, evolving and leveraging technology to move from the risk of human or physical error to the complexity of digital integration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>What do you think about this topic? Do you want to know more about the financial solutions offered by Smart Bulk Payments?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are interested in the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">bulk payment or batch payment service<\/a><\/strong>, you can contact us by visiting the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/3psmartltd.com\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">following link<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today, thanks to new Fintech tools, many companies have increased their operational capacity, especially when managing high volumes of transactions, with batch payments among the most prominent and innovative tools. However, batch payments date back much further than the emergence of computing or Fintech. For this reason, we will learn a little more about the &#8230; <a title=\"History of bulk payments or batch payments\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/history-of-bulk-payments-or-batch-payments\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about History of bulk payments or batch payments\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bulk-payments"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154,"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions\/154"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bulkpayments.3psmartltd.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}