Botim Money Partners with Mastercard Move to Expand UAE Remittance Reach

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Botim Money partners with Mastercard Move to add international remittance to its UAE super-app, targeting the expat money transfer market.

Botim Money has integrated Mastercard Move to enable transfers from the UAE to over 150 countries via bank deposit, mobile wallet, or cash pickup.
Transfers are initiated entirely within the Botim app, eliminating the need to switch to a separate remittance platform.
Many corridors offer near real-time settlement, powered by Mastercard's global payment infrastructure and partner network.
Botim Money holds Central Bank of the UAE licences as a Retail Payment Services Provider and Stored Value Facility operator.
The partnership intensifies competition for traditional UAE exchange houses and specialist digital remittance operators.
Botim's digital wallet activity rose around 50% in early 2025, signalling strong in-app demand for financial services among its user base.

A CBUAE-Licensed Platform Steps into the UAE Remittance Market

The UAE remittance market is one of the largest in the world, driven by an expatriate majority that regularly sends income to families abroad. Against this backdrop, embedded cross-border payments - where money transfer capabilities are built directly into apps people already use - are gaining traction as an alternative to standalone remittance services and physical exchange counters.

Botim Money, licensed by the Central Bank of the UAE as a Retail Payment Services Provider (RPSP) and a Stored Value Facility (SVF) provider, is now at the forefront of this shift. Its newly announced collaboration with Mastercard positions the app as a serious player in the cross-border transfer space, with regulatory credentials and global network reach that set it apart from lighter-touch digital competitors.

What the Mastercard Move Partnership Delivers

Botim Money, the financial services arm of UAE super-app Botim and a portfolio company of Astra Tech, has announced a collaboration with Mastercard to integrate Mastercard Move into its platform. Mastercard Move is a modular money-movement technology layer that connects sending platforms to a global distribution network covering bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash-out partners. The integration means UAE-based users can now send funds to more than 150 countries without leaving the Botim environment.

Payout options vary by destination and include direct deposit to bank accounts, credit to mobile wallets, and cash pickup at local partner locations. According to reporting by Fintech News and FF News, many corridors support near real-time settlement, with transfers routed through Mastercard's infrastructure in the background while users interact only with the familiar Botim interface. The aim, as described in multiple trade reports, is to make sending money abroad as simple as sending a message.

How Botim Money Fits into the Botim Super-App

Botim began as a VoIP calling and messaging app and has since evolved into a multi-service platform under the ownership of Astra Tech, which sits within the G42 ecosystem. Astra Tech consolidated its earlier payments brand, PayBy, into the unified Botim Money identity, bringing payments, transfers, lending, and investment tools under one interface. The app now serves more than 150 million users globally and, according to Embedded Finance Review, processes as many payment transfers as video calls - a significant indicator of how far its utility has shifted toward financial services.

Botim Money's consumer product range in the UAE includes local and international transfers, prepaid cards, a "Send Now, Pay Later" lending product, savings options through National Bonds, and access to gold investment. On the business side, the platform offers merchant point-of-sale solutions and Wage Protection System integrations. The Mastercard Move integration extends the platform's international reach, turning what was primarily a domestic payments and basic remittance service into a fully fledged cross-border transfer capability.

Competitive Implications for Exchange Houses and Remittance Operators

The UAE's outbound remittance flows have traditionally been handled by specialist exchange houses and dedicated digital remittance apps. By embedding international transfer functionality into a super-app with an existing, active user base, Botim Money is directly entering that space. Coverage from Gulf Business and World Finance Informs frames the partnership as an example of how super-apps can encroach on single-purpose financial services, with user convenience and stickiness acting as competitive advantages.

Botim's combination of communication tools, financial services, and now expanded remittance capabilities creates a platform where users have fewer reasons to seek out alternative providers. Its RPSP and SVF licences also give it a compliance edge over less formally regulated operators, a factor that matters increasingly as UAE authorities strengthen AML and consumer protection frameworks. Mastercard's own executives, quoted in FF News coverage, described the collaboration as furthering financial inclusion by bringing remittance services to people's existing digital environments.

Broader Market Context

Industry estimates cited in trade coverage suggest the UAE's fintech market could reach approximately 6.43 billion US dollars by 2030, driven by digital wallet adoption, embedded finance, and super-app models. Botim Money's own digital wallet activity reportedly surged by around 50% between January and May 2025, according to UAE Feed, reflecting strong demand among its predominantly expatriate user base. The Central Bank of the UAE has also been active in promoting real-time and interoperable payments infrastructure, and multiple reports link the Botim Money–Mastercard collaboration directly to those broader policy objectives.

Dr. Tariq Bin Hendi, Board Member of Astra Tech and CEO of Botim, has been quoted in Fintech News stressing that partnerships with global players such as Mastercard are central to Botim's strategy to build a comprehensive financial services platform. Mastercard's statements, reported across multiple outlets, emphasise the role of fintech collaborations in making essential cross-border services accessible to more people - particularly those who are underbanked or new to formal financial systems.

What Clients are Asking their Advisors

What is Mastercard Move and how does it work for international transfers?

Mastercard Move is a money-movement technology platform that connects sending apps to a global network of bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash-out partners. It operates as the infrastructure layer inside platforms like Botim Money, routing transfers to over 150 countries without users needing a separate remittance service.

How do I send money abroad using Botim Money in the UAE?

Open the Botim app and navigate to the Botim Money section, then select the international transfer option. Enter the recipient's details, choose a payout method - bank account, mobile wallet, or cash pickup - and confirm the transfer, all within the app you already use for calls and messaging.

How does Botim Money compare to traditional UAE exchange houses for sending remittances?

Botim Money offers the convenience of initiating transfers inside an app already used daily for communication and payments, with near real-time settlement in many corridors. Traditional exchange houses may maintain stronger cash-out networks in certain destinations, but require a separate visit or app. The key differentiator is Botim's integration of remittances into an everyday super-app environment.

Is Botim Money regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE for cross-border transfers?

Yes. Botim Money holds two licences from the Central Bank of the UAE: as a Retail Payment Services Provider (RPSP) and as a Stored Value Facility (SVF) provider. These licences allow it to hold customer funds and process domestic and international payment transactions within the UAE's formal regulatory framework.