ANT-INTERNATIONAL
BNP Paribas, the European Union’s leading bank, and Ant International, a digital payment and financial technology leader, have formed a strategic partnership to enhance cross-border payment solutions for merchants and consumers in Europe.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240714753209/en/
(Clockwise from top left) Marc Espagnon, Head of Payment and Cash Management at BNP Paribas, Kelvin Li, GM of Platform Technology at Ant International, Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International and Pierre Fersztand, Global Head of Cash Management, Payments, Trade Solutions & Factoring at BNP at the MOU signing ceremony on 3 July (Photo: Business Wire)
In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on 3 July 2024 in Zurich by Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International and Pierre Fersztand, Global Head of Cash Management, Payments, Trade Solutions & Factoring at BNP Paribas, both parties agreed to develop several key initiatives, which will see BNP Paribas working closely with Ant International and its digital payment and innovative businesses.
BNP Paribas will work with Alipay+, the cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions operated by Ant International, to enable thousands of merchants that use BNP Paribas' acquiring service across Europe to accept payments from more than 25 international mobile partners via Alipay+.
The two sides also agreed to work together to strengthen WorldFirst’s participation in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) scheme. WorldFirst, Ant International’s one-stop digital payment and financial services platform for global businesses, will reinforce its participation in SEPA to enable businesses to make online cross-border payments and fund transfers more seamlessly within the SEPA Zone.
BNP Paribas will sponsor WorldFirst’s participation in the SEPA scheme, allowing WorldFirst to leverage the bank’s expertise and products to expedite its integration and onboarding onto SEPA. WorldFirst’s clients will be able to access payment schemes under SEPA in real-time and automate treasury payments to optimise their operations.
In addition, BNP Paribas will explore innovations in tokenised deposits for global treasury management with Ant International, through the latter’s Whale platform. The collaboration aims to improve the efficiency and speed of global fund settlements through the use of tokenised deposits.
Ant International will leverage BNP Paribas’ infrastructure to further develop its Whale platform, a next-generation treasury management solution that utilises blockchain technology innovation, including advanced encryption and AI, to improve the efficiency and transparency of fund movement between bank accounts for better global liquidity management.
Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said: “Europe is an important region for Ant International, with the rise of cross-border commerce and the increase in travellers to the region, and of course, the excitement around UEFA EURO 2024 this year. Through our collaboration with a leading industry partner, we will bring together digital payments and innovative technology solutions from Ant International, with BNP Paribas’s depth of experience in the European market, to deliver greater connectivity and make global travel and trade more convenient.”
Pierre Fersztand, Global Head of Cash Management, Payments, Trade Solutions & Factoring at BNP Paribas added: “This new agreement with Ant International deepens a long-term collaboration that started in 2016 when Alipay+ was rolled-out in Europe. This is a key step in bolstering our service offering while leveraging on each other’s strengths to offer our clients the best service when it comes to cross-border payments. Additionally, we are keen to foster innovation with such a key player to develop tomorrow’s treasury management standards.”
About Ant International
Headquartered in Singapore, Ant International powers the future of global commerce with digital innovation for everyone and every business to thrive. In close collaboration with partners, we support merchants of all sizes worldwide to realise their growth aspirations through a comprehensive range of tech-driven digital payment and financial services solutions.
About Alipay+
Alipay+ is a suite of cross-border mobile payment and digitalisation technology solutions that help connect global merchants to consumers. Consumers enjoy seamless payment and a broad choice of deals using their preferred payment methods while travelling abroad. Small and medium-sized businesses may use Alipay+ digital tools to enhance efficiency and achieve omni-channel growth.
About WorldFirst
WorldFirst is meeting the needs of SMEs engaged in international trade to expand globally. This includes global collection, making payments, currency conversion, risk management, and supply chain financing to help SMEs reduce costs and improve turnover efficiency to generate more revenue, and quickly capture global business opportunities. WorldFirst, which employs AI and other cutting-edge technologies for risk control, prioritises the safety and security of client funds above all else and has a leading fraud-prevention track record in the industry. WorldFirst has served one million customers worldwide and is connected to over 120 marketplaces. WorldFirst was founded in 2004 and joined Ant Group in 2019.
Learn more about WorldFirst at https://www.worldfirst.com/sg/.
About BNP Paribas
BNP Paribas is the European Union’s leading bank and key player in international banking. It operates in 63 countries and has nearly 183,000 employees, including more than 145,000 in Europe. The Group has key positions in its three main fields of activity: Commercial, Personal Banking & Services for the Group’s commercial & personal banking and several specialised businesses including BNP Paribas Personal Finance and Arval; Investment & Protection Services for savings, investment and protection solutions; and Corporate & Institutional Banking, focused on corporate and institutional clients. Based on its strong diversified and integrated model, the Group helps all its clients (individuals, community associations, entrepreneurs, SMEs, corporates and institutional clients) to realise their projects through solutions spanning financing, investment, savings and protection insurance. In Europe, BNP Paribas has four domestic markets: Belgium, France, Italy and Luxembourg. The Group is rolling out its integrated commercial & personal banking model across several Mediterranean countries, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. As a key player in international banking, the Group has leading platforms and business lines in Europe, a strong presence in the Americas as well as a solid and fast-growing business in Asia-Pacific. BNP Paribas has implemented a Corporate Social Responsibility approach in all its activities, enabling it to contribute to the construction of a sustainable future, while ensuring the Group's performance and stability.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240714753209/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Friendly Fraud Expected to Increase by 25% Between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, Warns ACI Worldwide25.11.2025 08:00:00 CET | Press release
ACI’s Payments Intelligence approach offers merchants complete journey protection—stopping friendly fraud and chargeback abuse in real timeACI expects industry leading fraud approval rate of 98% during holiday season - outperforming market averages 'Friendly fraud’ is expected to increase by 25% between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday, according to an analysis of billions of transactions of global eCommerce businesses by ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), an original innovator in global payments technology. ‘Friendly fraud’ or ‘return fraud’ occurs when legitimate customers dispute transactions post-purchase. Often mistaken for true fraud, these disputes are a growing industry challenge and cost retailers $103 billion in 2024 alone, according to a recent industry report. The average transaction value for a ‘friendly fraud’ item during this year’s holiday season is expected to reach $291, $52 higher than during the same period last year, representing a 21% YoY increase. “These numbers are stag
GigaDevice Launches GD25NX Series xSPI NOR Flash with Dual-Voltage Design25.11.2025 08:00:00 CET | Press release
GigaDevice, a leading semiconductor company specializing in Flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs), sensors, and analog products, today announced the launch of its new generation of high-performance dual-voltage xSPI NOR Flash products – the GD25NX series. Featuring a 1.8 V core and 1.2 V I/O design, the GD25NX series connects directly to 1.2 V system on chips (SoCs) without an external booster circuit, significantly reducing system power consumption and BOM cost. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124814328/en/ Building on the success of the 1.2 V I/O GD25NF and GD25NE series, the new GD25NX further extends GigaDevice’s expertise in dual-voltage Flash design. With high-speed data transfer performance and outstanding reliability, the GD25NX series is ideal for demanding applications such as wearables, data centers, edge AI, and automotive electronics that require exceptional stability, responsiveness, an
Ant International’s WorldFirst launches Enterprise Solution to Power Enterprises Global Growth25.11.2025 04:59:00 CET | Press release
WorldFirst has launched an AI-driven integrated API solution to empower enterprises with a unified global financial stack covering checkout, business account, global spend, AI FX, real-time treasury and embedded finance.This solution expands WorldFirst's reach from SMEs to large global enterprises that have a global treasury management need. The initial focus is on digital platforms and businesses in sectors such as e-commerce, the gig economy, SaaS, and online travel. WorldFirst, Ant International’s global account service provider, has launched an API-integrated and AI-driven solution tailored to global enterprises It leverages WorldFirst's unified global account, full-range financial services, and AI capabilities such as smarter treasury management to help streamline global funds distribution, unlock new revenue streams, and strengthen customer relationships. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124796928/en/
Original “Titanic Cherub” From James Cameron’s Epic Film Heads to Auction December 9 & 1024.11.2025 21:48:00 CET | Press release
Iconic Hollywood Artifact Indelibly Linked with “Jack & Rose” Portrayed by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio One of the most recognizable and beloved set pieces from James Cameron’s Titanic heads to auction on December 9 &10 —the original Grand Staircase Cherub, seen in multiple scenes of the 1997 blockbuster, including the pivotal moment when Jack and Rose meet in front of the First Class Dining Room and the climactic moment when the Atlantic Ocean bursts through the skylight and floods the staircase, and cherub. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251124056883/en/ The iconic “cherub” with Leonardo DiCaprio & Kate Winslet in James Cameron’s “TITANIC”. The ornate fixture—crafted for the full-scale recreation of Titanic’s Grand Staircase—was gifted by the production to Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Global Entertainment, whose immersive exhibitions have brought the world’s most famous ship to millions of fans. It now
Access Advance Announces Major Growth in Its HEVC and VVC Patent Pools24.11.2025 16:10:00 CET | Press release
Access Advance LLC today announced significant expansions of both its HEVC Advance and VVC Advance Patent Pools during the second and third quarters of 2025, underscoring continued industry confidence in the company's balanced and transparent approach to video codec licensing. This growth follows the successful January 2025 launch of Access Advance's Video Distribution Patent ("VDP") Pool, demonstrating the company's expanding role in comprehensive video codec patent licensing solutions. Among the many highlights, Sharp Corporation joined the HEVC Advance Patent Pool as a Licensor, bringing valuable intellectual property assets to the pool's already extensive patent portfolio. Additionally, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., already an HEVC Advance Licensor and Licensee, expanded its collaboration with Access Advance by joining the VVC Advance Patent Pool as a Licensee. HP Inc. also expanded its license to include the VVC Advance Patent Pool after previously joining HEVC Advance in 2024, w
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom