Mastercard and AFS Launch Digital Business Cards in MENA

Mastercard and AFS launch digital business cards and the AFS Pro app in the UAE and Egypt to simplify business payments and expense management. The new offering integrates Mastercard's global payments network with the AFS Pro mobile application, providing businesses with a single platform to issue and manage corporate cards, control spending, accept payments, monitor cash flow, and access real-time financial insights.

The partnership reflects growing demand across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for digital-first financial tools that simplify business payments while improving visibility, operational efficiency, and financial decision-making. Unlike traditional corporate card solutions, AFS Pro combines both payables and receivables within a single digital ecosystem.

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Managing Digital Business Cards and Payments

Businesses can issue corporate credit and prepaid cards, establish spending limits, monitor transactions in real time, automate expense management, and track company-wide spending through a unified dashboard. The platform also enables businesses to accept digital payments directly through the application, allowing finance teams to manage outgoing and incoming payments without switching between multiple systems.

By consolidating payment workflows into one platform, the solution aims to reduce manual processes, improve reconciliation, and provide finance teams with greater visibility across the entire payment lifecycle. Beyond corporate expense management, AFS Pro includes a suite of merchant payment solutions designed to help businesses accept payments more efficiently across multiple channels.

Advanced Payment Technologies

Among the key capabilities is SoftPOS (Tap-to-Phone) technology, which allows merchants to accept contactless card payments directly on compatible smartphones without requiring dedicated point-of-sale hardware. The platform also supports Pay-by-Link, enabling businesses to securely collect payments remotely through digital payment links for e-commerce, invoicing, and remote sales.

Businesses gain access to real-time transaction monitoring, merchant dashboards, sales analytics, reporting tools, and reconciliation features that provide deeper visibility into business performance and payment activity. According to AFS, the integrated platform enables merchants to streamline operations while improving customer payment experiences and supporting data-driven business decisions.

Institutional Benefits and Market Expansion

The solution has also been designed for rapid deployment by banks and financial institutions seeking to expand their business banking offerings. Rather than investing heavily in developing separate issuing and merchant acquiring platforms, financial institutions can deploy an integrated solution that combines corporate card programmes with digital payment acceptance and reporting capabilities.

The platform's architecture reduces implementation complexity, enabling banks to launch digital corporate payment services more quickly while meeting growing demand from small businesses and large enterprises. The solution will launch first in the United Arab Emirates, with Egypt following as the second rollout market. The phased expansion reflects increasing adoption of digital payment technologies across both markets, where businesses are accelerating investments in financial digitisation, cashless payments, and operational automation.

The initiative also supports broader regional efforts to modernise business payments and strengthen digital economies across the Middle East and North Africa. Commenting on the partnership, Dr. Samer Soliman, Group Chief Executive Officer of AFS, described Mastercard as a strategic partner supporting the company's expansion into key regional markets.

"As a leader in corporate payments and digital transformation, Mastercard is our trusted partner as we expand into two important growth markets. This collaboration will significantly improve efficiency, visibility, and control over corporate spending for businesses."

Mete Guney, Executive Vice President, Market Development, EEMEA at Mastercard, said the partnership reflects Mastercard's commitment to helping businesses embrace digital transformation. "We are committed to equipping businesses of all sizes with innovative payment solutions that help them thrive in today's rapidly evolving economy. Together with AFS, we are delivering a scalable, digital-first corporate payments platform that creates meaningful value for businesses."

Why It Matters to Africa and the GCC

The partnership between Mastercard and AFS reflects the rapid evolution of business payments across Africa and the GCC, where enterprises are increasingly replacing fragmented financial processes with integrated digital platforms. For businesses, managing corporate spending, accepting payments, and reconciling transactions often requires multiple banking tools and software platforms.

By combining corporate cards, payment acceptance, expense management, and business analytics into a single application, Mastercard and AFS are simplifying financial operations while improving transparency and cash flow management. The rollout is particularly significant for the UAE and Egypt, two of the region's fastest-growing digital economies.

Success in these markets could pave the way for broader expansion across the Gulf and Africa, where demand for digital banking and embedded finance solutions continues to rise. For financial institutions, the platform offers a faster route to launching modern business banking services without extensive infrastructure investments.

For SMEs and large enterprises, it supports greater operational efficiency, stronger financial controls, and improved decision-making. As digital commerce accelerates across Africa and the GCC, integrated business payment ecosystems like AFS Pro are likely to become essential infrastructure, helping companies modernise finance operations while supporting the region's broader shift toward cashless, technology-driven economies.