Cards & Payments
Alipay debuts AI agent interface “Ah Bao” in China
Alipay debuts AI agent interface “Ah Bao” in China
Users only need to speak to Ah Bao, pick a service listed, and pay for it without switching apps or pages.
Citi Mobile App launches e-vouchers at 500 merchant outlets
Citi Mastercard holders are offered exclusive discounts and perks at certain hotels.
China and Indonesia link cross-border QR payments
Chinese users can use their UnionPay app, Alipay, and banking pps.
Singapore payments to hit $114b by 2030
Transaction value reached $39b in 2023 and is projected to grow 16.3% annually.
UnionBank hits 2 million credit cards in circulation
It also claims the highest Visa credit payment volume among Philippine banks in 2025.
Thai cash handout to lift finance company debt collection and asset quality
The campaign will boost mid and low-income earners and alleviate their cost of living.
Philippine SMEs can issue virtual prepaid cards in five minutes
Paymongo provides the service whilst Paymentology and Mastercard provide the licensed framework.
HSBC and Mastercard pilot AI agents for automated e-commerce payments
It automates procurement and payments between corporate buyers and suppliers.
APAC cross-border payments stay upbeat as Japan lags
Hong Kong posted the highest positive share at 69% followed by Thailand at 67%.
BofA to launch cross-border real-time payments via Swift and CashPro
It will connect with several real-time payment networks globally.
India’s UPI goes live at 4.5 million Cambodian merchants
Indian travellers can now pay via QR payments in Cambodia using their UPI app.
Tokenisation in the Philippines: The consumer is ready, but is the infrastructure?
Being token-ready involves much more than switching on wallet acceptance.
Thailand payments forecast shows 36% CAGR through 2032
Cloud-based services are projected to post a 38.58% CAGR from 2024 to 2032.
TenPay Global lets foreigners send remittances to China via WeChat
TenPay’s cross-border remittance platform has over 60 partners globally.
DBS Remit adds Weixin Pay as transactions surge eightfold
Average ticket sizes have grown to over S$800 since February.
India wallets crush cards with 68% online share
UPI helped push wallets ahead of every other online payment method in 2025.
US$1t unused credit card points risk losing redemption value
Tribuescape says airlines and hotels can expire balances or change redemption rules without warning.
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