UAE-based personal finance app Pyypl (pronounced “people”) has announced a Principal License Membership and Strategic Framework Agreement with international card issuer Visa. The license enables the fintech company to directly issue prepaid Visa cards, paving the way for further expansion across the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

Pyypl is already one of the fastest-growing MEA fintechs and is on a mission to become the region’s leading “one-stop fintech ecosystem”. Powered by 100% in-house-built technology, the company’s app offers banking and payment services to hundreds of thousands of financially underserved users across Africa and the Middle East.

Pyypl’s Strategic Framework Agreement with Visa is significant, as it recognizes the license approval process in other markets that the fintech company plans to enter. With support from local regulators, Pyypl can now offer internationally accepted virtual and physical prepaid cards, as well as instant user-to-user transfers and remittances to 80 countries.

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

Antti Arponen, CEO and co-founder of Pyypl commented: “We are excited to announce our partnership with Visa. Our payments ecosystem has multiple benefits for Visa and will accelerate the provision of financial services to the vast population of underserved digital natives in the region. Working closely with Visa and local regulators in new markets, we are focused on growing Pyypl’s presence and contributing to advancing financial inclusion across the region”.

“We are delighted to welcome Pyypl to our mission of advancing financial inclusion,” says Hasan Kazmi, VP, head of strategic partnerships and ventures – CEMEA, Visa. “We believe in empowering underbanked consumers by providing them with innovative, secure payment solutions. This not only gives them access to the digital economy but also helps them thrive in this increasingly digital age”.