Payload has announced a strategic investment led by Fifth Third as interest grows around payload embedded payments funding and the expansion of financial services inside business software.

In an Aug. 19 company announcement, Payload said its platform was processing nearly $500 million per month and trending toward $6 billion in annual payment volume. Those figures are company-reported operating measures, not an independently audited valuation or a disclosed investment amount.

The Cincinnati-based company said the transaction was its first significant outside capital since it was founded in 2019. It described Fifth Third as a strategic partner that brings experience in commercial payments and relationships with financial institutions and software companies.

Payload said it would use the investment to expand engineering and go-to-market teams, speed the rollout of payment-rail integrations and reach additional software ecosystems and industries across North America. The company already works with businesses in areas including real estate and legal services.

American Banker, in a report carried through Yahoo Finance, said Fifth Third’s investment reflects growing demand for embedded payments in businesses with transactions involving multiple parties. The report pointed to real estate, law firms, property managers, construction companies and franchisers as examples of sectors using more complex payment flows.

The announcement confirms a new strategic investment and the stated expansion plan. It does not disclose the size of the investment or guarantee a particular revenue outcome. Payload’s future growth will depend on the customers, integrations and payment volume it adds as the partnership develops.