Singtel Teams With Axiata Digital; Cleartrip Integrates Apple Pay

Welcome to The Axis, your late look at payments news from around the world. Coverage includes the signing of a memorandum of understanding between The Singtel Group and Malaysia’s Axiata Digital. European tech firm Aave is rolling out its Aave Pay app, online travel firm Cleartrip has brought Apple Pay to its mobile app in Saudi Arabia and Elavon has been selected by Canada’s Jetlines for payment services.

The Singtel Group and Axiata Digital have teamed up to work in digital services and mobile finance through a memorandum of understanding, according to reports. The document is said to set the stage for Axiata Digital’s Boost Malaysia mobile wallet to become part of the cross-border mobile payment alliance of the Singtel Group, which is called VIA. Singtel International Group CEO Arthur Lang said, according to reports, “Our partnership with Axiata Digital adds further momentum to the Singtel Group’s goal to empower consumers to transact seamlessly across borders, and deliver even more exciting entertainment choices and experiences through the ecosystem of digital services that we are creating.”

In Europe, tech firm Aave is rolling out its Aave Pay app, which lets users pay their bills through cryptocurrency, according to an announcement from the company. Customers can select a digital currency along with the amount of fiat currency they would like to use. They also enter a recipient’s International Bank Account Number (IBAN). The app then calculates an exchange rate and runs the final cost by the user before sending the payment to the recipient’s bank account. Aave Founder and CEO Stani Kulechov said, according to the announcement, “This new application eliminates the obstacles of using crypto in our everyday lives.”

And, in Saudi Arabia, online travel firm Cleartrip has brought Apple Pay to its mobile app, TradeArabia reported. The company is reportedly among the first travel companies to tap into the digital wallet in the country. Cleartrip Middle East Executive Vice President and Managing Director Sameer Bagul said, according to the report, “Thanks to its high rates of internet and smartphone penetration, Saudi Arabia has become one of the leading markets in the region for technology adoption.” The country reportedly has internet penetration of over 95 percent, with smartphone ownership at more than 88 percent.

In other news, Elavon has been selected by Canada Jetlines to help customers make payments online, via mobile and in person, according to reports. Elavon has customers in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Europe and Puerto Rico, and Canada Jetlines plans to run flights within Canada and to the U.S., the Caribbean and Mexico. Elavon Head of Airline Acquiring Brett Turner said, according to reports, “We’ve been processing payments for the airline industry since 1989, serving global and regional carriers of all sizes.”