Visa and DealMe are piloting a cross-border installment payment solution in South Korea and plan to expand it to Vietnam, the United States, Australia, Japan and Singapore.
In the pilot program, Visa and DealMe partnered to enable shoppers with locally issued credit cards in Vietnam to access real-time installment payment services offered by merchants in South Korea, the companies said in a Friday (Jan. 24) press release.
South Korea is the top leisure travel destination for Vietnamese consumers, and this new offering will allow them to use their Visa credit cards issued in Vietnam to shop at duty-free shops, department stores and medical institutions in South Korea, according to the release.
With this collaboration, international consumers who use their Visa cards at participating merchants will be checked for eligibility for the cross-border installment service and, if eligible, offered the opportunity to choose the installment duration and complete their payments, per the release.
“This innovative cross-border installment solution offers greater flexibility for both inbound and outbound travelers, supporting Vietnam’s future tourism payments and contributing to the nation’s digital transformation,” Dung Dang, Visa country manager for Vietnam and Laos, said in the release.
Kim Tae Hong, senior vice president of DealMe, said in the release: “This gives consumers an additional payment option when traveling overseas.”
Having the right cross-border payment solutions creates seamless customer experiences, according to the PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Treasury Management Playbook: Spotlight on Cross-Border Payments.”
Visa’s partnership with DealMe is the latest of several collaborations the company has launched to facilitate cross-border payments.
In December, CARD.com, a FinTech specializing in mobile banking and card payments, collaborated with Visa to enable its users to make cross-border payments via Visa Direct.
The partnership enables CARD.com users to benefit from card-based payments in more than 180 countries and territories, account transfers in more than 90 countries and wallet transactions in more than 50 countries.
In August, Visa launched a cross-border business payments partnership with London-based FinTech Revolut.
The collaboration allows instant card transfers for Revolut’s business customers via the Visa Direct system, allowing them to send money around the world in real time. The solution is available for Revolut business customers in more than 78 countries and supports more than 50 currencies.
The business landscape is challenging, but firms are increasingly flush with innovations designed to beat back any operational challenges with cutting-edge tech.
Artificial intelligence, for example, has become a linchpin of modern financial operations, reshaping processes from fraud detection to credit risk assessment. As companies warm toward harnessing AI-powered algorithms, efficiency and precision are being positioned at the forefront of operational improvement.
At the same time, B2B payments are undergoing a parallel transformation.
Legacy systems, which often relied on manual processes and paper-based invoicing, are being replaced by streamlined, digitized platforms. Businesses are turning to integrated payment solutions that enhance efficiency, security and transparency.
What is the reason for the accelerating digital transformation of back-office technology stacks and payment workflows?
A prominent root cause is the ongoing uncertainty afflicting the business environment. This includes escalating trade tensions marked by the imposition of tariffs, which have introduced a wave of hesitation across various sectors, impacting middle-market companies.
As economic uncertainties persist, financial management has become paramount, and, as the B2B news this week shows, few things support agile decision making and real-time forecasting better than the digitization of previously manual workflows.
Read also: AI Agent Systems Are Here — Will They Transform B2B?
One of the trends in B2B is the integration of AI-powered solutions to enhance operational efficiency. The adoption of agentic AI solutions is being explored to empower chief financial officers and treasurers by enabling autonomous financial decision making and operational efficiency.
Payments technology firm Transcard announced Tuesday (April 1) that it added agentic AI capabilities to its vendor network management solution. The changes to the company’s SMART Exchange are designed to streamline payment interactions between buyers and suppliers, with agentic AI automating onboarding and know your business (KYB).
Tesorio added an AI agent for supplier portals to its platform for accounts receivable automation, collections and cash flow management Thursday (March 27). The company’s new Supplier Portals Agent autonomously manages portal-based invoicing, from invoice submission to payment tracking, eliminating the need for finance teams to submit and track invoices across portals, a task that Tesorio said has become “one of the most manual, fragmented and error-prone parts of the AR process.”
AI-driven platforms can offer CFOs and treasurers insights and analytical capabilities, helping them navigate complex finances. The collaboration between agentic AI and financial operations is one potentially poised to unlock growth by empowering executives to make data-driven decisions with greater confidence.
See also: How CFOs Can Solve for Resource Bottlenecks in Back-Office Innovation
Beyond AI, the B2B sector is witnessing innovation in payment systems and risk management. Mastercard, for instance, launched a program Monday (March 31) aimed at encouraging the adoption of virtual cards for commercial payments. The initiative seeks to provide businesses with a more seamless, consumer-like experience, particularly in the realm of digital transactions.
Meanwhile, EasyPost on Tuesday introduced Forge, a B2B shipping solution designed to optimize logistics and reduce costs for enterprise clients. The development highlights the growing demand for specialized solutions that address the unique needs of B2B commerce, where efficiency and cost-effectiveness are paramount.
Risk management remains a concern for businesses operating on a global scale. To address this, Zip, also on Tuesday, rolled out a supplier risk management solution aimed at helping organizations assess and mitigate potential vulnerabilities in their supply chains. As geopolitical tensions and supply chain disruptions persist, such tools are key for maintaining operational resilience.
See also: What Treasurers Can Learn From How Central Banks Approach Risk
The ongoing evolution of FinTech is also shaping how businesses manage their assets and navigate economic uncertainties. A growing number of treasurers are turning to unconventional assets like bitcoin and gold as part of broader capital allocation strategies. The trend reflects a desire for diversification and a hedge against currency volatility, particularly as inflationary pressures and geopolitical risks continue to loom.
For CFOs, the challenge of maintaining financial visibility in a volatile environment is ever-present. Enhanced financial visibility tools are proving essential in navigating tariff uncertainties and ensuring liquidity management remains robust. These tools empower executives to forecast potential disruptions and respond proactively rather than reactively.
Supply chain transparency is another area receiving heightened attention. Inspectorio’s partnership with Open Supply Hub aims to promote greater transparency through open data platforms. The collaboration is intended to enhance accountability and ensure that sourcing practices adhere to evolving regulatory and ethical standards.
Looking forward, the question is not whether these technologies will continue to gain traction, but rather how quickly and effectively they will be adopted at scale.
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