Checkout.com, a leading global digital payments company, announced that it has been granted in-principle approval for a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE).

The regulatory milestone will allow Checkout.com to introduce issuing capabilities alongside its existing acquiring services in the UAE on a single platform built for performance.

Through Checkout.com’s unified platform, businesses will be able to link acquiring, issuing and business account capabilities, so they can fund cards directly from acquired balances. This removes the operational burden of pre-funding card programmes, improves liquidity and provides businesses with greater visibility and control over their funds.

Remo Giovanni Abbondandolo, General Manager for MENA at Checkout.com, said, “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."

“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,” he added.

Checkout.com has built significant momentum across the MENA region, with total processing volume growing 62 percent year-on-year between 2024 and 2025.

For Checkout.com, today’s announcement aligns with the UAE’s FinTech Strategy, implemented by CBUAE, and is a significant step towards delivering the full breadth of its global payments proposition to merchants in the country.