OCBC Bank wins at​​ Asian Banking & Finance Wholesale Banking Awards

The financial institution earned recognition for empowering businesses across Asia.  

OCBC Bank was applauded at the Asian Banking & Finance Wholesale Banking Awards, taking home the Indonesia International Trade Finance Bank of the Year, Malaysia International Cash Management Bank of the Year, Malaysia International Trade Finance Bank of the Year, and Singapore Domestic Cash Management Bank of the Year accolades. 

Transaction banking partner of choice

Whether supporting large multinationals or ambitious SMEs, OCBC empowers clients through a full suite of cash and liquidity management, trade finance, and supply chain financing tools.  

One example of this is OCBC’s collaboration with a global electric vehicle manufacturer. OCBC understood the company’s need to avoid duplicative banking relationships and tailored a dealer financing solution that allows financing disbursements to go directly to its principal account with its mandated bank.

OCBC is also leading the industry in digital innovation. In 2024, the bank launched the first “digital guarantee” in the market, incorporating digital signatures, electronic-stamp duties, and QR code validation for easy and reliable verification. 

OCBC has expanded its OCBC Business platform. With this, clients can apply for and amend Letters of Credit and Guarantees online, track issuance status in real-time, and manage trade finance needs alongside cash management, tax payments, and more—all on a single digital dashboard.

OCBC’s problem-solving approach is also notable. An example of this is its partnership with an insurance company in Indonesia.

As a non-bank institution, the insurance company cannot issue financial guarantees required for clients doing business with PT PLN (Indonesia’s national electricity provider), due to regulatory constraints. To resolve this, OCBC Indonesia stepped in to issue guarantees on the insurer’s behalf, backed by a counter-indemnity. 

Furthermore, OCBC’s global network and “One Bank” model give clients access to cross-border trade opportunities, customised financing solutions, and on-the-ground advisory in high-growth markets.

Digital cash management solutions

OCBC Malaysia has transformed how businesses manage their finances with a comprehensive suite of digital transaction banking solutions. 

OCBC Malaysia’s API offerings streamline collections and payments, and enable real-time transactions, secure data exchange, and better cash flow visibility. 

Its key solutions include Virtual Account API, Credit Notification API, Balance Inquiry API, and DuitNow APIs.

Adoption of digital tools is on the rise, with a significant proportion of clients digitally active and transacting digitally by end 2024. Mobile platform usage also increased across the board year-on-year.

Moreover, OCBC offers one of the first Malaysia’s Shariah-compliant online business account, the OCBC eBiz Account-i, tailored for Malaysian-owned SMEs with up to two directors or partners. With remote account opening via eKYC in partnership with CTOS, the account integrates with OCBC’s digital platforms like Velocity, FX Online, OneCollect, and the Business Debit Card-i.

For recurring payments, businesses can also use Direct Debit/eMandate to automate collections and consolidate funds.

OCBC Malaysia continues to stand out as the go-to provider for integrated cash and collection solutions. 

Client-first trade and supply chain finance solutions

OCBC Malaysia delivers client-centric, digital-first solutions tailored to the needs of businesses at every stage of growth. 

In 2024, OCBC launched OCBC CashNow—Malaysia’s first paperless trade-based financing solution requiring no submission of transaction documents. This allows businesses to pay regular suppliers quickly, choose their own settlement date, and draw down funds digitally via OCBC Velocity.

As it understands the unique challenges SMEs face, OCBC introduced embedded finance via procurement platforms and the transfer of letter of credit. Embedded finance provides sales invoice financing to SMEs based on receivables from reputable buyers, with no reliance on audited financials or hardcopy submissions. Its asset base and the number of SMEs onboarded doubled within the year.

Meanwhile, transfer of letter of credit helps SMEs trade with payment assurance without needing collateral. It enables smooth buying and selling for growing SMEs.

OCBC also worked closely with Export-Import Bank of Malaysia (Exim Bank) to enhance and relaunch the Export Credit Refinancing (ECR) scheme to its customers. In 2024, OCBC executed the largest new ECR drawdown, giving Malaysian exporters a cost-effective financing option to manage working capital more efficiently.

When it comes to risk management, OCBC offers receivable discounting on without recourse basis. Amongst the benefits of this suite of solution is it enables clients to transition from managing their own credit insurance to OCBC’s master policy, thus eliminating the administrative burden whilst achieving cost savings.

Innovation in cash, liquidity management

OCBC responded to rising operational costs, digital demands, and growing transaction volumes with practical, client-first innovations in cash and liquidity management. 

OCBC launched new enhancements to OneCollect, its all-in-one digital merchant app that now supports major Chinese e-wallets. 

To meet customer demand for 24/7 self-help services, OCBC then introduced Digital Board Resolution (DBR) and InvoiceNow E-invoicing.

OCBC’s Virtual Account solution, meanwhile, gives Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) clients clearer cash visibility and easier reconciliation by assigning unique virtual accounts to different projects for payment purposes.

Other offerings include PayNow for CAYE (PACE), solutioned for Singapore’s Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB), which enables MediSave contributions for self-employed workers by automating deductions and payments via NRIC-linked PayNow proxies. OCBC also enabled international collections and payments for Chinese State-Owned-Enterprises (SOEs) expanding into ASEAN. 

OCBC reduces complexity, digitises workflows, and enables businesses to scale confidently. Whether it’s digital collections, seamless reconciliation, or blockchain innovation, OCBC is redefining what banking can do for businesses in ASEAN.

The Asian Banking & Finance Wholesale Banking Awards is a platform that recognises wholesale banks for their innovative solutions, products, services, and deals that have proven to be game-changers in the industry.

The awards programme showcases key players from categories including cash management, trade finance, and project finance.​

The ABF Wholesale Banking Awards is presented by Asian Banking & Finance Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be recognised for your company's innovative solutions, products, services, and deals that impacted the banking and finance industry, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez-Difuntorum at [email protected].