Wio Bank Taps Pine Labs to Modernize UAE Merchant Payments

DUBAI, UAE – January 26, 2026

In a significant move to reshape the region's digital payment landscape, Wio Bank, the Middle East's leading digital financial platform, has announced a strategic partnership with global fintech firm Pine Labs. The collaboration will see Wio Bank deploy Pine Labs’ cutting-edge acquiring platform, Credit+, to build a modern merchant payment infrastructure, completely free from the constraints of legacy technology.

This alliance is set to accelerate merchant onboarding, enable real-time payment settlements, and provide seamless multi-mode payment acceptance at scale. For the thousands of businesses that form the backbone of the UAE economy, the partnership promises a future of faster, simpler, and more efficient financial operations, directly supporting the nation's ambitious push towards a fully cashless society.

A Strategic Leap Beyond Legacy Banking

At the heart of the partnership is Wio Bank's adoption of Credit+, Pine Labs' modular, API-first acquiring platform. Designed on a cloud-native, microservices-based framework, the platform allows digital-first banks like Wio to circumvent the rigid, monolithic systems that have long characterized traditional banking. This technological leap enables unprecedented speed, scalability, and configurability in managing merchant services.

Unlike legacy systems that require lengthy development cycles for new features, the API-driven architecture of Credit+ allows for rapid feature rollouts, real-time data insights, and superior operational resilience. This agility is a critical competitive advantage in high-growth markets, enabling Wio to respond swiftly to evolving merchant needs. The platform's intelligent, rule-based workflows and data-driven decision-making capabilities are designed to optimize payment acceptance rates while managing the entire merchant lifecycle, from onboarding to daily operations, with enterprise-grade security and regulatory compliance.

B Amrish Rau, CEO of Pine Labs, highlighted the platform's modern architecture in the announcement. “Our partnership with Wio Bank brings a modern acquiring processing platform to one of the most innovative digital banks in the region,” he stated. “Credit+ is built to deliver high transaction throughput, rapid feature deployment, and seamless scalability through its API-driven, microservices architecture. This collaboration reflects how a modular acquiring stack can help banks move faster, iterate smarter, and scale reliably in a digital-first payments ecosystem.”

Powering the UAE's Cashless Ambition

This partnership is not occurring in a vacuum. It aligns perfectly with the UAE's comprehensive national strategy to foster a world-class digital economy. Government-led initiatives like the National Payment Systems Strategy (NPSS) and the FIT (Future of Innovation and Transformation) Programme are actively laying the groundwork for a secure, real-time, and interoperable payment infrastructure.

The collaboration between a homegrown digital banking champion like Wio—which is backed by strategic heavyweights including ADQ, Alpha Dhabi, e&, and First Abu Dhabi Bank—and a global fintech leader like Pine Labs exemplifies the public-private synergy needed to achieve these goals. As the UAE accelerates initiatives like the Dubai Cashless Strategy, which aims for 90% cashless transactions by 2026, the need for robust and efficient merchant-side infrastructure becomes paramount.

The new system will support the broader financial ecosystem, including recent innovations such as Aani, the instant payment platform launched in 2023, and Jaywan, the UAE's domestic card scheme designed to enhance financial sovereignty. By providing merchants with the tools to easily accept a wide array of digital payments, the Wio-Pine Labs partnership directly contributes to the national agenda of driving digital transformation and financial inclusion.

Transforming the Merchant Experience

For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UAE, the practical benefits of this modernized infrastructure are substantial. The partnership directly addresses several critical pain points that have historically hindered business operations and growth. The promise of faster merchant onboarding cuts down the administrative hurdles required to start accepting digital payments, allowing businesses to become operational more quickly.

Perhaps the most significant impact will be on cash flow, a perennial challenge for many businesses. The platform's real-time settlement capabilities mean that merchants will gain faster access to their funds, moving away from the traditional multi-day settlement cycles. This improved liquidity empowers business owners to manage inventory, pay suppliers, and invest in growth with greater confidence and flexibility. Furthermore, seamless acceptance of multi-mode payments ensures that businesses can cater to customer preferences, whether they choose to pay via card, digital wallet, or other emerging methods.

Jayesh Patel, CEO of Wio Bank PJSC, emphasized this focus on business-centric solutions. “At Wio, our focus is on building a banking platform that supports how businesses operate and grow,” he said. “This partnership with Pine Labs strengthens our ability to deliver simpler, more efficient payment capabilities, from faster onboarding and settlements to easier acceptance across channels. It allows us to continue evolving our infrastructure while building the next generation of payments and value-added services around customer needs, so they can stay focused on running and growing their business.”

Building a Foundation for Future Innovation

The implementation of the Credit+ platform is more than just an upgrade; it is a foundational layer for a new generation of financial services. With a modern, flexible infrastructure in place, Wio Bank is positioned to roll out a host of value-added services that were previously difficult or impossible to implement on legacy systems.

The MENA region is seeing explosive growth in embedded finance, and this partnership provides Wio with the enhanced capability to integrate financial products seamlessly into other business platforms. The data-driven nature of the platform could also enable Wio to offer merchants advanced analytics, providing deep insights into sales trends and customer behavior to help them make smarter business decisions.

Looking ahead, this infrastructure could pave the way for integrated affordability solutions, such as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options at checkout, a service in which Pine Labs has extensive global experience. Other potential expansions include sophisticated loyalty and rewards programs, streamlined B2B payment solutions, and tailored merchant financing—all delivered through the same agile and scalable ecosystem. This strategic move ensures Wio Bank is not only meeting the demands of today's market but is also building the capacity to lead and innovate in the future of commerce.