Watch: Rapyd's unified approach to cross-border payments in Asia
In an increasingly fragmented and complex financial ecosystem, particularly across the Asia-Pacific region, businesses face significant operational hurdles when it comes to payments. Regulatory variation, user behaviour, and technological infrastructure differ dramatically between markets, complicating the expansion strategies of even the most agile enterprises. In this exclusive interview with SiGMA, Yao Li, Sales Manager at Rapyd, delves into how the fintech giant is addressing this by unifying the payments landscape through a singular, globally scalable platform.
A single platform for a fractured region
Asias payments ecosystem is as diverse as its cultures. From India’s UPI system to Singapores GrabPay, each market carries its own unique regulatory, behavioural, and technological DNA. For businesses entering these regions, navigating this patchwork is often prohibitively complex. Rapyd’s solution? A one-stop platform that supports over 900 global payment methods via a single API integration.
Weve built this payment network for companies looking to enter or expand across regions, explains Yao. Were licensed in major territories like the UK, Europe, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and with our acquisition of PayU, were also growing strongly in Latin America. This global footprint enables Rapyd to support both inbound and outbound expansion, European businesses moving into Asia and Asian enterprises scaling into the US, LATAM, or Europe.
Simplifying integration at scale
Traditionally, businesses have had to manage multiple integrations to access local payment gateways, digital wallets, and bank networks. Rapyd circumvents this friction by offering a single integration point that connects to hundreds of local methods, ensuring not only speed and efficiency but also compliance and localisation.
This model is especially relevant to fast-moving sectors such as online gaming, e-commerce, and digital services, verticals where frictionless payments are non-negotiable. As Yao puts it, We make it very simple for all companies to expand by integrating with us through a single API.
Technology-driven trust and speed
Beyond simplifying integration, Rapyd is investing in the technologies that define the future of payments. Yao highlights real-time payment systems like Indias UPI and Singapores GrabPay as key game-changers: Real-time payments are transforming the way people and businesses move money. You can send funds instantly to family, friends, or vendors, which is a big leap in consumer experience.
Security is another pillar. With biometrics, tokenisation, and AI-powered fraud detection becoming the new standard, Rapyd ensures that its infrastructure doesnt just enable speed , it builds trust. These innovations are crucial in mitigating fraud risks and fostering user confidence in an era of increasing digital transaction volumes.
Crypto integration and forward momentum
Rapyd is also laying the groundwork for the broader adoption of cryptocurrencies. With growing interest in fiat-to-crypto and crypto on- and off-ramping, the company is actively developing its crypto rails. Its not just about traditional digital payments anymore, notes Yao. Were doing more innovative work to accommodate the shift towards decentralised finance.
While the mainstream use of crypto in payments still faces regulatory and infrastructure hurdles, Rapyd is preparing for a future where digital assets play a larger role in cross-border commerce.
Asias mosaic of payment preferences
One of the most compelling insights Yao shares is the sheer diversity of consumer payment preferences across Asia. Unlike the relatively homogeneous markets in the West, Asias regional fragmentation creates a highly nuanced demand landscape. Every country, every consumer, they have different preferred payment methods, he says. Thats why its important to offer a platform that can aggregate all those options in one place.
By giving merchants the tools to offer localised, preferred payment options within a unified system, Rapyd helps them reduce friction, increase conversion rates, and operate more cost-effectively across borders.
Strategic advantage for global growth
Rapyds approach addresses the key pain points of global merchants and enterprises seeking to streamline operations while expanding their reach to a diverse customer base. With compliance built in, a vast network of methods, and forward-facing technology, Rapyd offers a compelling value proposition: one integration, endless reach.
As the digital economy continues to evolve, companies like Rapyd are not only simplifying payments but also redefining whats possible in global finance.
