.png "Zand partners with Mastercard to boost cross-border payments in the UAE, focusing on faster deposits, wallet top-ups, and cash pickups while aiming to expand financial inclusion across global markets.")
I’m Aadi, MBA in marketing and finance. I’ve spent time helping fintechs sort through messy launches and talking with investors who quietly bet on regional ripples. In this piece I want to go beyond the announcement and look at what this partnership might actually mean for payments in the UAE and beyond.
Summary:
Curious why a local fintech teaming up with Mastercard could matter to your finances or future startup That’s what we’ll dig into below.
1. Zand, a licensed AI-powered fintech in the UAE, signed with Mastercard to use Mastercard Move for cross-border transfers.
2. First up are deposits into accounts and wallets plus cash pickup options in multiple markets.
3. This move seems aimed at bringing unbanked or underserved people into the system more easily.
4. Zand holds a BBB+ Fitch rating and blends startup agility with banking cred.
5. Both firms are signalling a push toward digital economy growth and wider financial inclusion in the region.
You know that feeling when you try to send money abroad and it takes days or costs a fortune That’s what this partnership seems to be taking aim at. Zand has the license and a decent rating from Fitch. Mastercard has the global rails built. Combine that and maybe suddenly sending funds across borders does not feel like a job for an expert hacker It just works.
Here’s something I found quietly interesting. The partnership kicks off with deposits and cash pickups. Not fancy wallet swaps or crypto tokens. That choice tells me they’re trying to win utility first. Get people the ability to send cash where they need it. After that see where you build.
Think of the logistics. A driver in rural Punjab wants to send money home to a relative in Bhutan quickly and cheaply. He doesn’t need tokenized payments. He wants cash in hand fast With Zand using Mastercard Move maybe that scenario begins to feel normal not extraordinary.
And this is about more than tech. When I see a BBB+ rating paired with AI tools and a startup face that’s bridging DeFi and regulated finance it feels like someone trying to straddle tomorrow and today. That kind of duality can attract investors and, more crucially, regulatory patience.
What sells the idea even more is how widespread Mastercard Move is said to be. Think 95 percent of the world’s banked population reachable across 10 billion endpoints in more than 200 countries. If Zand taps any of that it’s a shortcut. No building infrastructure from scratch Just plug in. That could let competition focus on personalization user trust and niche user flows rather than core rails.
By launching inside UAE first Zand gets to show proof of concept before scaling elsewhere. If your wallet supports lodgement from Dubai and cash pickup in Nairobi that’s a demo I’d share at a board meeting.
5 Do’s and Don’ts for Founders, Investors, Students, Entrepreneurs, Traders:
1. Do look for partners with existing infrastructure. Integrating real rails beats building from zero.
2. Do pilot locally before chasing global expansion. Win where you understand the terrain first.
3. Do use ratings or licensing as trust signals. That BBB+ or central bank license opens more doors.
4. Don’t assume innovation means fancy tech. Serving cash transfers quickly is innovation too.
5. Don’t overlook underserved segments. Enabling the unbanked might move markets more than flashy features.