Checkout.com Strengthens UAE Offering with In-Principle Stored Value Facilities Licence
Following approval from the Central Bank of the UAE, Checkout.com is set to combine payment acquiring and issuing on a single unified platform, enhancing liquidity and operational control for enterprise merchants.
Digital payments leader Checkout.com has announced that it has received in-principle approval for a Stored Value Facilities licence from the Central Bank of the UAE. This regulatory milestone paves the way for the company to integrate issuing capabilities alongside its established acquiring services within the UAE, delivering a comprehensive, performance-driven platform for merchants.
As enterprise cross-border transaction flows grow increasingly complex, businesses face mounting pressure to efficiently accept funds while orchestrating new payout experiences for customers, partners, and internal teams.
Checkout.com structures its acquiring and issuing products as modular solutions, allowing merchants to deploy them independently or together depending on strategic priorities. For organizations adopting both, the unified infrastructure connects the entire money-movement lifecycle, sharing critical data and simplifying daily operations.
Key capabilities unlocked by the platform integration include:
- Direct Funding from Acquired Balances: Businesses can link acquiring, issuing, and account features to fund payment cards straight from acquired funds.
- Eliminated Pre-Funding Burdens: Removing the requirement to pre-fund card programs frees up working capital and significantly improves liquidity.
- Enhanced Visibility and Control: Centralized telemetry gives finance and operations teams complete oversight of capital movement.
“The UAE has firmly established itself as a leading global fintech hub, with a high level of digital adoption and a forward-looking regulatory environment that makes it an exceptional place for businesses to innovate and grow,” said Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com. “This milestone moves us closer to providing UAE merchants with a truly unified payments platform, bringing acquiring and issuing together with performance at the centre of the equation.”
The regulatory achievement coincides with a period of rapid regional growth for Checkout.com, which recorded a 62% year-on-year increase in total processing volume across the MENA region between 2024 and 2025. Aligned directly with the CBUAE’s national FinTech Strategy, this upcoming licence expansion marks a major leap forward in bringing Checkout.com’s full suite of global payment innovations to merchants operating in the UAE.
