Visa Launches Flexible Payment Feature In US, UAE To Meet Growing Demand

Card issuing major Visa announced rolling out a flexible payment feature in the US and the UAE, in a bid to capitalise on the growing demand for a variety of transaction options.

The “flexible credential” feature, already available in Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, lets customers use a single card to pay from different funding sources, the payments processor said, Reuters reported.

Customers are increasingly prioritising convenience and flexibility in payments, especially as e-commerce flourishes, prompting companies to take proactive steps to maintain their edge in an industry being reshaped by digital disruptors.

A Visa study found that 51 per cent of card users want the ability to access multiple accounts and funding sources through a single credential.

“Most people think of their finances on a month-to-month basis. Breaking down the cost of an item helps people with their financial decisions and allows retailers to sell more,” said Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEO of personal finance firm WalletHub.

For the UAE rollout, Visa has partnered with Liv Bank, while the card processor has teamed with fintech company Affirm for the US rollout.

Visa plans to expand the feature into Europe in the coming months, said Mark Nelsen, its global head of consumer products.

The partnership with Affirm also reflects the growing alliance between fintechs and traditional financial players.

While typically viewed as competitors, such collaborations can allow both parties to unlock new revenue streams.

“It’s a little bit easier for the fintechs to get started on this. But as the ecosystem matures, you’ll see some legacy banks start to take advantage of it as well,” Nelsen said.

Affirm CEO Max Levchin said the company was looking to bring more people a product “that seamlessly brings debit and credit together, without late or hidden fees”.

Follow us on

For all the latest business news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.
RECENT NEWS

UAEs Maseera Acquires Egyptian Fintech ADVA

The move marks a critical milestone in Maseera’s regional expansion strategy Read more

Oman Mandates IBAN For Domestic Transfers From July 2025

The move follows the Oman Central Bank's implementation of the IBAN system for international transfers from March 31, 2... Read more

Egypt And Jordan Thank The European Parliament For New Financial Aid

The European Union members recently approved loans worth $4.4 billion in three instalments to Egypt and $555 million to... Read more

Standard Chartereds SC Ventures To Replicate Asia, Africa SME Model In GCC

SC Ventures to bring its successful SME building strategy in India, South East Asia and Africa to GCC, and plans to rol... Read more

UAE Central Bank Revokes Licence Of Dynamics Insurance Brokers For Regulatory Breaches

Dynamics Insurance Brokers "failed to comply with the licensing terms and requirements issued by the Central Bank and w... Read more

Eid Al Fitr Holidays In The GCC; Dubais 100 Most Influential People; UAE Petrol Prices To Change; Royal Baby Announced – 10 Things You Missed This Week

Eid holidays, the Dubai 100, UAE petrol prices, Royal Baby named, Palm Jebel Ali investments and more top news stories ... Read more