Asia

The growing number of Chinese consumers traveling to the U.S. and other countries is becoming a two-for-one opportunity for payment companies. The market's gigantic and growing — and it has a lot of trouble executing transactions.

OMA Emirates, a UAE-based payments provider, has acquired India-based MobiSwipe Technologies, a mobile payments provider launched in Mumbai in 2012.

The group of Australian banks that want to collectively bargain with Apple over terms of its Apple Pay app have sharpened their focus to an area the technology giant is likely to defend fiercely.

China's role in the in bitcoin market has increased in recent years as its citizens are among the virtual currency's leading traders and miners.

Ant Financial, the parent of China’s largest online payment service, is seeking to raise less than $3 billion by issuing debt to fund its acquisitions, people familiar with the matter said.

China’s central bank is holding a closed-door meeting with several domestic bitcoin exchanges on Wednesday, people familiar with the matter said, heightening concerns that regulators will tighten their oversight of trading in digital currencies.

Little-noticed during India’s cash-crunch late last year — triggered by the government’s demonetization of about 80% of its currency — was Samsung Pay quietly testing the waters in India with an eye to opening up vital new digital payment options in a nation that relies heavily on cash for everyday transactions.

Hong Kong and Singapore have long been economic crossroads. China and India are economies with vast populations. And Shenzhen is bursting with innovative creativity. All of these contribute to the Asian fintech market being far ahead in adoption and ecosystem creation.

India's sudden shake-up of its currency system last fall was an early holiday for digital payment companies, and Visa was no exception.

Westpac in has been aggressive in supporting and adopting emerging merchant and payment technology in Australia.