Payment Options Selects Tribe Payments to Power Direct Acquiring Across APAC and CEMEA

Singapore-based Payment Options has selected Tribe Payments to provide the processing infrastructure for its international acquiring expansion. The partnership enables Payment Options to leverage its new status as a Principal Member of Visa and Mastercard, beginning with a rollout in Mauritius before scaling across the Asia-Pacific and CEMEA regions.

What was announced

Payment Options has transitioned from its 2012 origins as a reseller and referral agent to becoming a full-scale Payment Service Provider and Payment Facilitator. Having secured Principal Membership with Visa and Mastercard in Mauritius, the firm required a robust processing backbone to manage its direct acquiring business. After evaluating whether to build an in-house platform or buy an existing solution, the company opted to partner with Tribe Payments for its acquirer processing technology.

The collaboration focuses on providing the connectivity and technical infrastructure necessary to drive merchant acquiring across diverse markets. While the initial phase of the rollout is centered on Mauritius, the partnership is designed to support a phased expansion into other territories within the Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA) regions. The technology provided by Tribe will allow Payment Options to process transactions directly as a member of the major card schemes.

Beyond core processing, the two companies are already exploring further technical integrations. Payment Options is currently investigating the implementation of Tribe’s SoftPOS solution, which allows merchants to accept card payments directly on mobile devices without the need for traditional hardware. Additionally, the partnership has already seen a degree of ecosystem integration, with Payment Options referring several of its own partners to Tribe’s suite of services.

"When we went looking for a processing partner, we wanted genuine payments expertise and real knowledge of the markets we operate in. We spoke to several providers, and none came close to the professionalism and knowledge that Tribe displayed. The technical expertise the team showed during the pre-sales process, combined with their past experience working directly with the card schemes, gave us real confidence and has the potential to save us a great deal of time."

Aaron Yip, Managing Director of Payment Options.

The companies involved

Tribe Payments is a prominent fixture in the global fintech ecosystem, operating as a modular issuer and acquirer processor. The company has established a significant footprint by providing the technical infrastructure that allows fintechs and traditional financial institutions to launch card programmes and merchant services rapidly. Tribe’s market position is defined by its focus on API-led connectivity and its ability to navigate the complex regulatory and technical requirements of major card schemes like Visa and Mastercard.

Payment Options, headquartered in Singapore, has spent over a decade climbing the payments value chain. Since its founding in 2012, it has expanded its physical presence to include offices in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and Mauritius. Its evolution from a referral agent to a Principal Member of major card schemes reflects a broader trend of regional players seeking greater control over the payment lifecycle. By operating its own gateway and now moving into direct acquiring, the firm is positioning itself as a comprehensive service provider for merchants across the APAC and CEMEA regions, moving away from the dependency on third-party acquirers that characterizes many entry-level payment firms.

What FF News has reported before

Tribe Payments has been a frequent subject of coverage, with 31 previous reports detailing its expansion and technical partnerships. Most recently, FF News noted the company’s growing influence in the Asian merchant services sector in the report TCMS Taps Tribe Payments to Accelerate Merchant Acquiring Expansion Across APAC. That announcement, published in late October 2026, mirrored the current trajectory of Tribe’s growth, highlighting how the processor is becoming a preferred partner for firms looking to scale merchant acquiring capabilities quickly in high-growth markets. While this is the first time Payment Options has featured in FF News reporting, the deal aligns with Tribe's established pattern of enabling regional players to transition into more sophisticated roles within the payments ecosystem.

What this means

This partnership highlights a significant shift in the power dynamics of the APAC payments market. As more regional Payment Service Providers move to become Principal Members of card schemes, the demand for flexible, cloud-native processing "backbones" is outstripping the appeal of legacy, in-house builds. Payment Options’ decision to partner rather than build suggests that speed-to-market and scheme expertise are now more valuable than proprietary ownership of the full tech stack. For the wider industry, this puts pressure on traditional incumbent processors who may lack the agility to support such rapid, multi-region rollouts. The move also signals that Mauritius is increasingly being used as a strategic gateway for firms targeting both African and Asian corridors.