Tap Payments, a MENA-focused payment gateway, has received a Retail Payment Services licence from the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE).

The new licence enables the Saudi-headquartered firm to offer its payments suite, which supports over 20 different payment methods, to businesses in the UAE. This offering also includes a billing application and API, checkout options, and local payouts to MENA banks.

It completes Tap Payments’ regulatory approvals across all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, adding to its existing permits in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

Founded by CEO Ali Abulhasan in 2014, Tap Payments currently serves more than 120,000 enterprises, and maintains offices in Cairo, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, London, Manama, Muscat and Riyadh.

In November 2024, the fintech partnered with Mastercard to launch Click to Pay with Payment Passkey, claiming to be a “global first”. The solution enables online shoppers to select their Mastercard at checkout and authenticate payments using biometrics.

Author Credits- Cameron Emanuel-Burns, FINTECH FUTURES