Mastercard and stc pay Bahrain Strengthen Digital Payments Support for SMEs
The global technology company will continue to power and expand a successful portfolio that includes a high-performing Mastercard Business prepaid proposition, enabling SMEs to securely manage payments and expenses with greater visibility and control over business spending.
Mastercard has strengthened its strategic collaboration with stc pay Bahrain, one of the Kingdom’s leading digital wallets, to support the next phase of digital payments growth for small and medium-sized enterprises in Bahrain. The global technology company will continue to power and expand a successful portfolio that includes a high-performing Mastercard Business prepaid proposition, enabling SMEs to securely manage payments and expenses with greater visibility and control over business spending.
The proposition addresses rising demand for dedicated digital payment solutions among Bahrain’s business community. It also reflects Mastercard’s broader efforts to help small businesses digitize, grow and participate in the digital economy, contributing to its global goal of bringing 500 million people and small businesses into the digital economy by 2030.
According to the Mastercard SME Confidence Index 2026, 96% of SMEs in Bahrain view digital and online payments as critical to their growth, yet 57% still rely on personal cards to manage business expenses. The research also found that 56% see expanding digital payment acceptance across multiple channels as their biggest opportunity for growth.
Mastercard will also help shape stc pay Bahrain’s future product roadmap and explore additional advisory, processing and security services designed to support SME growth, as well as potential regional expansion opportunities. The alliance aims to promote broader acceptance and usage of digital payments, helping more businesses participate in the digital economy.
“At Mastercard, we are passionate about working with innovative fintech players to accelerate digital transformation in the region and give small businesses the tools they need to operate more efficiently, securely and confidently. Our renewed collaboration with stc pay Bahrain on key card portfolios and future growth initiatives reaffirms our long-term commitment to driving innovation across the Kingdom’s digital payments ecosystem, especially for SMEs. We look forward to building on our productive relationship to enhance the digital wallet’s business portfolio, launch new programs and co-create value-added services.”
– Saud Swar, Country Manager, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and other Levant, Mastercard
“Strengthening our relationship with Mastercard, our trusted partner in advancing Bahrain’s shift toward seamless, secure and convenient digital transactions, will fuel our next stage of growth. The collaboration will provide us with a robust foundation for evolving our business payment propositions with stc pay Bahrain and scaling new payment options for SMEs, enabling us to offer smarter, simpler and more empowering financial experiences to businesses across the Kingdom.”
– Metin Zavrak, CEO, stc pay Bahrain
Since its launch in 2023 as a wholly owned subsidiary of stc Bahrain, stc pay Bahrain has grown into an award-winning mobile wallet. Today, through stc pay Business Solutions, it extends that same digital innovation to enterprises by providing digital onboarding, WPS payroll, cash collections, and cashback business cards designed to give companies total financial control and fuel their ongoing growth.
