Pay10, an APM platform, has gained an Ancillary Service Provider - Payment Service Provider License from the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB).
The license reinforces the company’s goal to expand its presence globally and deliver real-time, secure, and inclusive payment solutions for businesses and individuals. With the regulatory approval, Pay10 integrate its mobile-first infrastructure with Bahrain’s domestic payment rails to ensure speed, compliance, and reliability for every transaction. This contributes directly to the Kingdom’s vision for financial inclusion and diverse economic growth.
Real-time payments for SMEs
With this license, the company aims to support Bahrain’s progressive approach to financial innovation by building real-time, compliant payment systems that improve the experience for all users, including businesses, merchants, and consumers. Bahrain presents a progressive financial system supported by thorough regulation, public-private collaboration, and a commitment to digital development. The country’s central bank built a regulatory framework that calls for innovation while maintaining oversight for platforms like Pay10 to contribute meaningfully to the region’s digitalisation.
According to the Central Bank of Bahrain’s March 2025 Financial Stability Report, the country’s payment ecosystem is currently going through a phase of accelerated digitalisation. In the H2 of 2024, POS and ecommerce transactions rose by 20.4% in volume and 14.6% in value. The Fawri+ payment system, a component of Bahrain’s domestic rails, had its transaction volume increase by 20.5%, and value grow by 13.2%.
Moreover, contactless payments in the country currently account for over 77% of all POS transactions, highlighting a shift in customer behaviour. The CBB expects contactless, QR-code-based, and wallet-enabled transactions to overtake traditional methods as the primary mode of retail purchases. More than 90% of Bahrain’s businesses are labelled as SMEs, and they demand reliable and cost-effective, real-time payment infrastructures. However, many of these enterprises remain underserved by legacy systems. Pay10 hopes to tackle this problem and offer SMEs what they need.
