DBS and Ant International have expanded their strategic collaboration, formalizing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2025 to advance innovative payments, digitization, and fintech solutions for businesses and consumers across the region.
The deepened partnership aims to leverage DBS’ digital banking capabilities alongside Ant International’s financial technologies, including AI and blockchain, to enhance cross-border payment solutions, strengthen connectivity, and foster innovations within the financial ecosystem. This comprehensive partnership involves key Ant International businesses: Alipay+, Antom, WorldFirst, and Bettr Platform Tech.
A key aspect of the collaboration involves boosting cross-border payment connectivity. DBS PayLah!, with over three million users, will integrate into the Alipay+ payments ecosystem. This integration will enable DBS PayLah! users to conduct QR code payments at more than 150 million merchants across over 100 markets.
Both entities are also exploring a bank-to-wallet solution designed to facilitate near-instant, real-time remittances between DBS customers and the more than 1.8 billion user accounts within the Alipay+ ecosystem. This solution is intended to utilize ISO 20022 messaging standards and the SWIFT network, with further innovations to simplify remittances also under consideration.
To support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in their digital transformation, DBS will partner with Antom, Ant International’s unified merchant payment and digitization services provider. They plan to explore solutions such as the Model Context Protocol (MCP)-based Antom Agentic Payment solution, which combines Antom’s Alternative Payment Method checkout capabilities, payment mandate model, and AI technologies. Additionally, DBS will collaborate with WorldFirst to scale same-day and near-instant cross-border payment solutions specifically for SME clients.
The collaboration further extends to fostering innovation in regional fintech ecosystems, building on their existing work with tokenized deposits. Peng Yang, CEO of Ant International, stated, “We are proud to deepen our partnership with DBS, whom we have already been working closely with since 2013, on various initiatives including SME payment solutions and most recently, tokenised deposits.” He emphasized a shared vision for inclusive growth and nurturing local innovation, aiming to boost the digital economy. Tan Su Shan, CEO of DBS, added, “DBS is pleased to have the privilege to expand our partnership with Ant International. They are a truly like-minded partner in purpose-driven innovation, having demonstrated a shared vision for leveraging cutting-edge technology to create more efficient and inclusive financial ecosystems.” She highlighted the goal of synergizing strengths to unlock growth, accelerate future-ready solutions, and reimagine the future of finance.
DBS is an Asia-focused financial services group operating in 19 markets, headquartered in Singapore. The bank holds “AA-” and “Aa1” credit ratings and has been recognized globally, including being named “World’s Best Bank” by Global Finance and Euromoney, and “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker. DBS has also received accolades for its digital leadership, such as “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney.
Ant International, headquartered in Singapore with operations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, is a global provider of digital payment, digitization, and financial technology services. Its techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants in achieving inclusive growth through digital payment and financial services solutions.
