NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, March 22, 2018

By Priyankar Bhunia

Singapore’s largest mobile network operator, the Singtel Group, has announced plans to interconnect mobile wallets across different ecosystems through an interoperable platform. This will be the first time that different mobile wallets across different markets are connected to offer seamless cross-border payments at physical merchants.

Singtel’s Open Platform, a group-wide payment gateway, already enables the Group’s mobile customers to make purchases online using direct carrier billing or their respective telco mobile wallets. Now the mobile wallet interconnectivity will allow customers to make cashless payments using their existing home wallet app at retailers when travelling overseas.

The Group plans to start with linking the mobile wallets of Singtel and its regional associates. It will start with Thailand’s largest mobile operator, Advanced Info Services Public Company Limited or AIS.

Photo courtesy of Abd allah Foteih.