Every year on June 27, World SME Day reminds us of something we already know but don’t say loudly enough: small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) are the backbone of global economies. They represent approximately 90 per cent of businesses worldwide and account for roughly half of global gross domestic product (GDP). Here in Jamaica, that reality is vivid — an estimated 440,000 small businesses operate across the island, playing a vital role in supporting communities, creating livelihoods and driving economic growth.

But on this World SME Day, I want to speak directly to what the data is telling us — and what it means for the future of every small business in Jamaica.

Customers are ready. The question is whether businesses will meet them

A recent Mastercard study on the State of Digitalisation and Financial Inclusion in Jamaica put into numbers what many business owners already feel: 92 per cent of Jamaicans wish more stores would accept digital payments. Consumer demand for digital options isn’t emerging — it’s already here.

Yet only eight per cent of small merchants in Jamaica have a point-of-sale solution to accept digital payments, while cash still accounts for 72 per cent of transactions.

The gap between customer expectations and businesses capabilities is more than a minor inconvenience. It is a business risk. In fact, 69 per cent of Jamaican SMEs that don’t accept digital payments admit they are losing customers every week because they can’t accommodate this preference. Weekly. Not occasionally. That is what “can’t afford to stay offline” means in practice.

What digital adoption actually delivers

The businesses that have already made the shift are not waiting to see results. According to Mastercard’s regional study, “SMEs: The Digital Payments Adoption Landscape in Latin America and the Caribbean”, 91 per cent of Jamaican SMEs that accept digital payments say it has led to significant business growth. That finding is consistent with what we see across the region: 70 per cent of SMEs that already accept digital payments say they wouldn’t be in business without them, and 88 per cent report that digital payments have helped them save money and time.

Digital adoption, in other words, is not simply a convenience upgrade. It is a strategy for resilience, competitiveness and growth — one that an increasing number of small businesses now rely on every day.

Beyond revenue, digitalisation provides access to something equally valuable: data. Every digital transaction generates information that helps business owners understand their customers better, manage inventory more efficiently and make smarter decisions about where to grow.

Trust, security and the confidence to go digital

For many small business owners, hesitation around digital adoption is understandable. The Mastercard State of Digitalisation study found that trust (94 per cent), understanding (92 per cent) and security (91 per cent) are the top factors driving which digital payment methods Jamaican consumers actually use. Those same concerns live on the merchant side too. Business owners want to know that going digital won’t expose them to fraud, that the technology will work reliably and that the costs won’t outweigh the benefits.

Those concerns are valid — and they’re exactly why Mastercard continues to invest in solutions designed specifically for the reality small businesses face. Our enhanced SME card now integrates My Cyber Risk and Identity Theft Protection directly into the payment experience, giving businesses a clear view of their vulnerabilities and continuous monitoring of compromised credentials — because protection and participation should come together, not in sequence.

What World SME Day asks of all of us

Digital adoption is not a business imperative because technology demands it. It is imperative because customers are already there, competitors are evolving and the tools needed to make the transition secure and accessible have never been more available.

At Mastercard, we are committed to working alongside local partners, financial institutions and government stakeholders to help close Jamaica’s merchant acceptance gap— expanding contactless options, tap-on-phone services and click-to-pay systems to reach the businesses in every community, from formal enterprises to informal vendors.

Digital acceptance is a key driver of growth and financial inclusion across Jamaica and the Caribbean — and it is work we take seriously.

On this World SME Day, the message is clear: the customers are ready. The data is unequivocal. Support is available. What remains is the decision — and for Jamaica’s 440,000 small businesses, that decision has never mattered more.