A new approach to cross-border payments

Earlier this year Visa and HSBC announced their technological collaboration in support of HSBC Group’s new international payments app, Zing. Zing enables users to hold funds in over 20 different currencies, send over 30 currencies, transact in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, all managed through a single app and smart multi-currency card. The app successfully launched in the U.K. in January 2024 and will expand to additional markets in the near future.

Continuing this momentum, Zing has announced its rollout of two new frictionless, top-up options for members. Automatic and one tap top-ups will utilise open banking variable recurring payments (VRP) to enable members to add funds from seven major banks within 30 seconds.

The new features will be available for all members because of Visa’s open banking platform, Tink. Members can now link their banking app directly to their Zing wallet for fast and automatic top-ups without the need for reconnection every 30 days. Learn more about the rollout here.

As a result of the partnership, Zing was able to have a single point of contact for the entire project that delivered a multi-currency wallet courtesy of Currencycloud technology, and multiple methods to top-up an account including ‘quick bank transfer’, using open banking technology delivered by Tink – both Visa solutions. In addition, Zing offers internationally minded consumers in the U.K. a range of digital services including very low-cost and transparent currency exchange, financial management, instant collections, real-time exchange rates, and person-to-person (P2P) payments, all linked to a Visa card.

Currencycloud and Tink enabled speed-to-market for the Zing team by providing ready-made solutions to be added to Zing’s core infrastructure, saving on development time and the costs associated with building and maintaining their own solutions. “Zing shows how outdated the ‘legacy financial services versus fintechs’ narrative really is. The reality is that you don’t have to choose; Zing is as intuitive, quick, and transparent as anything to come out of the fintech boom – but with the benefits of 150 years of international finance experience as part of the HSBC Group,” said James Allan, CEO and Founder at Zing. “We shared a clear vision with our partners at Visa – that people all across the globe want easy to use, secure, and trustworthy financial products that enable them to live their best international lives. Zing delivers on that promise, and we look forward to building on this partnership in the future.”

“In today’s connected world, consumers should be able to move money as simply and routinely as sending a text message. Yet, in many cases, consumers still rely on manual, paper-based processes, high fees and cash to send and receive money across borders,” said Serge Elkiner, Global Head of Product, Money Movement Solutions at Visa. “Our partners and customers, and more importantly, their customers, want simplicity. By combining the benefits of Tink and Currencycloud with the wider Visa solutions and brand, we have delivered a great solution in double-quick time.”

The new global agreement between Visa and HSBC allows Zing to roll out new features, currencies, and to more international markets in the future.

For more information on Zing, click here.