Mastercard Strengthens Open Banking Presence with Key Partnerships
Mastercard is expanding its footprint in the realm of open banking by entering into strategic partnerships with two prominent players in the financial industry: Worldpay, a leading merchant solutions provider, and Zip, a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) firm, according to Finextra. These partnerships signify Mastercard’s commitment to enhancing the open banking experience for consumers and businesses alike.
The collaboration with Worldpay, a subsidiary of FIS, enables individuals to grant permission for their data to be seamlessly shared (but not stored) between trusted parties. This innovation empowers users to securely pay their bills directly from their bank accounts. One notable advantage of Mastercard’s open banking technology is its ability to eliminate the inconvenience associated with manually entering routing and account numbers for each transaction. Additionally, it streamlines the onboarding process for billers and merchants while simultaneously reducing the inherent risks and costs associated with storing bank account information.
Sudev Balakrishnan, Chief Product Officer at Worldpay Merchant Solutions, FIS, expressed enthusiasm about this collaboration, stating, «We are delighted to partner with Mastercard to leverage their open banking platform in the U.S. This partnership will enable us to offer secure and seamless account verification services, providing our customers with enhanced payment options and advancing open banking worldwide.»
Meanwhile, Mastercard’s open banking division, Finicity, is joining forces with Zip to enhance the real-time underwriting process for Zip’s lending program. This collaboration is expected to streamline and expedite Zip’s lending operations, offering consumers a more efficient and convenient experience.
Jess Turner, Executive Vice President of Global Open Banking and API at Mastercard, highlighted the broader implications of these partnerships, saying, «We’re providing more payment choice, redefining how identity is established and authenticated, and opening doors to tailored solutions that will revolutionize financial experiences.»
These strategic partnerships underscore Mastercard’s commitment to driving innovation in the open banking space, ultimately benefiting consumers and businesses by providing more secure, efficient, and convenient financial solutions.