Mastercard Partners with LiaPay to Roll Out Prepaid Salary Cards Across Four GCC Markets
The collaboration will provide the region’s workforce with instant, secure access to their wages and a gateway to everyday digital payments.
Mastercard has teamed up with LiaPay, a fast-growing GCC payroll app run by the fintech company Liabify, to issue Mastercard prepaid cards to salaried employees across four markets. The collaboration will provide the region’s workforce with instant, secure access to their wages and a gateway to everyday digital payments.
Fully aligned with local Wage Protection Systems (WPS) and backed by regulated financial institutions, LiaPay’s payroll-embedded earned wage access (EWA) and employee wallet solutions allow workers to use the salary they have already earned ahead of payday without traditional credit. This contributes to boosting everyday spending power for the region’s workforce, including the many middle-income employees.
Employees will receive a Mastercard Platinum prepaid card linked to the LiaPay app that allows them to spend their wages anywhere Mastercard is accepted – in store, online and on cross-border remittances – with authentication and fraud protection built in.
“At Mastercard, we are committed to connecting people to the digital economy to unlock growth. LiaPay is a remarkable home-grown Gulf success story solving a real need for the region’s workforce. We are delighted to bring our global network, technology and expertise behind the fintech innovator’s vision, strengthening financial security and advancing financial inclusion across the GCC. The collaboration marks our entry into the payroll/EWA segment as the card partner of choice.”
– Muhammad Nana, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships, EEMEA, Mastercard
The collaboration builds on LiaPay’s live launch, with Mawarid Finance as the BIN sponsor and Paymentology as the processor, and its recent traction, including an agreement with DEEL and Anvin ERP to benefit over 200,000 employees from LiaPay’s network.
“When we built LiaPay, our mission was simple: every worker in the Gulf deserves dignified, instant access to the money they have already earned. Joining forces with Mastercard – one of the most trusted names in the world – is a proud milestone for our team and a powerful signal for the region’s fintech landscape. Together, we are turning payday into everyday financial freedom for millions of employees across the region.”
– Dr. Allan Villegas, co-founder & CEO, Liabify
Set for initial rollout in the UAE and Qatar and later expansion to Saudi Arabia and Oman, the model is built to scale across the GCC and wider emerging markets. Beyond cards, the roadmap includes a loyalty and rewards platform to deepen engagement, in addition to Mastercard Move, the global technology company’s comprehensive portfolio of money movement capabilities.
Millions of GCC workers are paid through WPS, yet remain underbanked, with limited access to everyday payment tools. LiaPay uses payroll as a distribution layer to build a broader employee financial services ecosystem, spanning payments, lending and future remittances. Placing a Mastercard credential at the point of income access will drive high-frequency, low-risk usage from day one, positioning LiaPay at the center of the region’s rapidly progressing financial inclusion story and enabling the company to accelerate its regional expansion.
As part of its efforts to enhance financial inclusion, Mastercard has brought 1 billion people worldwide into the digital economy over the past decade. Earlier this year, the company made a new pledge to connect and protect 500 million people and small businesses on their pathways to financial health by 2030.
