Circle has partnered with Visa and Pismo to roll out an AI-driven PayLater credit card for users in Vietnam.
The card, scheduled to launch in early 2026, aims to offer transparency, personalisation, and a better experience for cardholders. It is designed to dissolve the challenges that led Vietnam to a low credit card penetration, being powered by AI to support users in building credit with instant approval, managing their finances with better security, and making payments globally.
Improved credit solutions for Vietnamese customers
Leveraging AI modelling, Circle determines risk and underwrites customers with virtual credit cards, offering instalment capabilities as part of Circle PayLater, all in minutes. The move is supported by the collaboration with one of Vietnam’s largest commercial banks to ensure strong compliance with local regulatory requirements, as well as market scale.
Circle Asia Technologies’ mission is to provide simple and inclusive financial experiences for Vietnamese consumers by transforming financial processes in the country. The company believes that it can have a more valuable relationship with its clients than they have with traditional banks or debit-focused neobanks by offering a modern credit solution.
The collaboration with Visa and Pismo allows Circle to develop new solutions faster and deliver more convenience and security. Pismo mentioned that the venture unites modern core processing technology with global payments capabilities to enable new, more transparent, and accessible journeys, accelerating the development of a smarter digital financial ecosystem.
Pismo provides a strong API and a microservices-based platform created for continuous development and resilience. Acquired by Visa in 2024, the company helps numerous partners in their journeys, including ABM AMRO and Dosh, offering core banking and payment capabilities through cloud-native APIs.
Visa expressed positive feelings about the initiative, mentioning that the alliance with Circle and Pismo brings unifies AI technology with its global network to deliver secure, faster, and convenient payment experiences for the Vietnamese market. The company remains committed to the country’s digital transformation, aiming to further help with new developments for transparency, customisation, and security.
