Checkout.com clears first UAE hurdle for unified acquiring and issuing

Checkout.com has received in-principle approval for a Stored Value Facilities licence from the Central Bank of the UAE, moving the payments company closer to offering issuing alongside its existing acquiring services in the country.

The proposed model would allow merchants to combine payment acceptance, card issuing and business-account capabilities through one platform. Businesses could use acquired balances to fund card programmes directly, reducing the need to move money into separate pre-funded accounts.

Checkout.com said the structure should give merchants greater visibility and control over funds while simplifying payment flows involving customers, suppliers, partners and internal teams. Acquiring and issuing will also remain available as standalone services for companies that do not require the combined proposition.

The approval remains conditional. Under the UAE central bank’s licensing process, an applicant granted in-principle approval must complete the requirements specified by the regulator before receiving its final licence, normally within one year. Checkout.com has therefore not yet begun operating the new regulated service.

Once authorised, linking incoming merchant settlements with outgoing card spending could have a meaningful liquidity benefit. Conventional card programmes frequently require businesses to transfer and maintain funds in advance. Funding cards directly from acquired balances may shorten that process and reduce idle cash held between separate providers.

This could be particularly useful for marketplaces, travel companies and payment facilitators that collect money from customers before distributing funds or covering supplier and operational expenses.

Checkout.com reported that its total processing volume across the Middle East and North Africa grew by 62% between 2024 and 2025. The company views the UAE as a central market for expanding its wider regional proposition.

The regulatory milestone also reflects increasing competition among global payments groups seeking to provide a broader range of financial infrastructure in the Gulf. Providers are moving beyond acquiring towards issuing, stored-value products, payouts and business accounts as merchants demand more control over how money moves through their operations.

The remaining licensing requirements and eventual product terms will determine the platform’s commercial reach. However, the ability to connect collection and expenditure on one infrastructure could make Checkout.com a more significant provider of merchant liquidity and treasury tools in the UAE.