Many firms in Southeast Asia still take care of slow, costly, and messy cross-border payments. The process often involves different rules in each market, long waiting times, and numerous manual checks. DBS and Ant International are expanding their long-running partnership to tackle a few of these problems, specializing in ways to make payments more connected for people and businesses across the region.
The recent agreement, signed in the course of the Singapore Fintech Festival 2025, builds on greater than a decade of labor between the 2 firms. It brings together DBS’ digital banking systems and Ant International’s payments and automation tools. Both sides say the goal is to support smoother regional trade and help businesses that now operate in multiple country. While the plan is early, it shows how financial institutions try to line up their systems so users would not have to take care of so many separate processes.
Why this matters to firms
When a firm sells in several markets, payment delays can slow revenue and create extra admin work. Teams in finance and operations also should take care of different reporting rules and settlement timelines. That can increase errors and stretch staff. The expanded DBS–Ant International partnership points to recent ways firms may move money across borders without as many hurdles.
A transparent example is the planned link between DBS PayLah! and the Alipay+ network. Once in place, greater than three million PayLah! users would find a way to pay at 150 million merchants in greater than 100 markets. For businesses, a wider network could mean fewer payment partners to administer and simpler onboarding when entering recent countries.
What the 2 firms plan to work on
Although the memorandum is a place to begin reasonably than a finished roadmap, it lays out 4 essential areas the partners wish to develop.
1. Better cross-border payments access
The firms intend to make it easier for users to maneuver money across borders by improving how they process and track transactions. This may help firms get a clearer view of settlement times and reduce the necessity for several banks or payment intermediaries. For finance teams, higher visibility could help with planning and reduce delays that disrupt money flow.
2. Faster remittances built on shared standards
DBS and Ant International are studying a bank-to-wallet remittance service that links DBS customers to the 1.8 billion user accounts on the Alipay+ system. The solution would use ISO 20022 standards and run over the SWIFT network. For firms that take care of frequent overseas payments — akin to suppliers, contractors, or overseas branches — quicker transfers could reduce waiting times that always delay routine work.
3. Support for smaller firms moving to digital tools
Many small and medium-sized businesses still struggle with uneven payment systems and outdated processes. DBS will work with Antom, Ant International’s merchant services arm, to explore AI-supported payment solutions which will help small firms modernise their checkout and settlement processes. One of the ideas on the table is an agent-based payment tool that uses the Model Context Protocol. DBS will even work with WorldFirst to expand same-day and near-instant payments for small businesses that trade across borders.
A possible example: a small retailer selling in several Southeast Asian markets could manage payments through a single flow, cut down on failed transactions, and get funds more quickly. That would cut back admin work and free teams to give attention to sales and customer issues as a substitute of payment errors.
4. Ongoing work on tokenised deposits
Both firms have already begun testing tokenised deposits. They now plan to proceed exploring how these digital deposit formats might support faster settlement and clearer tracking. While still at an early stage, it signals interest in digital money tools that would at some point connect with wider treasury or cash-management systems.
What leaders should take into accout
Even with recent tools on the way in which, cross-border payments still include real-world challenges. Different countries have different rules for processing, data sharing, and reporting. Those differences can slow things down or create more review steps. Any company enthusiastic about adopting recent payment services — from DBS, Ant International, or others — will need to ascertain how well these tools fit into their existing systems.
This includes checking how payments connect with ERPs, how data flows between teams, and whether internal processes need updates. Problems akin to inconsistent data, old APIs, or siloed teams can decelerate adoption and reduce the worth of recent services.
Both firms discuss inclusion and regional growth, however the technology only works if staff know easy methods to use it. Finance, operations, and customer-facing teams will need clear training and a view of how recent processes change their day-to-day work.
See also: Visa finally joins Asia Pacific’s QR payment party—but is it too late?
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