Mastercard Introduces Pay Local: Seamless Card Payments for Digital Wallets Across Asia and Beyond

Mastercard has introduced Pay Local, a new service empowering Asia’s digital wallet users to make smooth card payments at over 35 million merchants globally. Launched just ahead of the Singapore FinTech Festival, Pay Local lets consumers link their Mastercard credit or debit cards directly to popular local wallets, removing the need for prepaid top-ups or additional account setups.

With support from prominent digital wallets like DANA in Indonesia, Touch ‘n Go in Malaysia, Bakong in Cambodia, and LankaPay in Sri Lanka, Pay Local is set to make shopping more convenient for residents and international travelers alike. Whether at small local shops or larger businesses, shoppers can simply link their Mastercard to their digital wallet and start making purchases with ease.

Beyond Asia Pacific, the service is expanding into regions where digital wallets are a primary payment method, including Latin America, Eastern Europe, and parts of the Middle East and Africa. Here’s how Pay Local delivers value across the board:

• For consumers: Residents can make card payments at micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that don’t accept traditional cards. Travelers can enjoy seamless payments across their destinations without needing cash or prepaid cards.
• For MSMEs: Pay Local enables small businesses to reach more customers with minimal setup, extending card payment acceptance to meet the demands of today’s digital shoppers.
• For wallet operators: Leading digital wallets can now attract cardholders, offering them a hassle-free payment option while achieving faster go-to-market timelines.
• For card issuers: Expanding card acceptance to millions of wallet-accepting merchants increases usability and convenience for cardholders.

Pay Local builds on Mastercard’s partnerships with major digital wallets like Alipay and Weixin Pay in the Chinese Mainland and Octopus in Hong Kong SAR, enabling tourists to make local payments in these regions. Mastercard is also collaborating with Southeast Asia’s GrabPay, Maya in the Philippines, ShopBack in Singapore, and TrueMoney in Thailand, adding even more options for consumers to pay using their Mastercard-linked wallets.

Businesses eager to explore the benefits of Pay Local can visit Mastercard’s information page to connect with the team and learn more about this payment innovation.