How Money Service Businesses Can Stay Resilient During Political Instability
In today’s climate, political tensions are already shaping how money moves across borders. For money service businesses in cross-border payments, this can mean adapting to changing regulations, shifting corridor dynamics, and evolving customer behaviours.
While these situations can bring pressure, they also highlight an opportunity to build long-term resilience, as those who are equipped with the right tools and strategies can continue operating smoothly and supporting their customers without disruption.
Digitisation: keep funds moving
Let’s explore how your money transfer operations can remain stable in the current environment.
During periods of disruption, customers tend to gravitate towards faster, more accessible, and mobile-first options, prioritising reliability and speed over traditional in-person services.
Mobile wallets and open banking allow customers to send money securely, instantly, and without relying on physical locations.
By enabling digital access, businesses can ensure continuity, improve convenience, and meet customers where they are, helping transactions remain seamless, even as the landscape shifts.
Data shows:
- 5.2 billion people used digital wallets globally in 2025, over 60% of the world’s population.
- Visa and Mastercard pilots have shown stablecoins fees to be less than 1%, helping to improve margins for money service businesses (MSBs)
By embracing digital channels, businesses can gain:
- Operational continuity, even if branches or corridors are disrupted
- Lower costs and faster transfers for your customers
- Future-ready infrastructure, prepared for new trends like CBDCs and digital-first remittances
In short, the more digital your business, the easier it is to keep operations flowing. We’ve also kept this in mind by embedding digitisation at the core of our RemitONE system, with open banking and wallets integrated, alongside a customisable app for our clients to stay relevant to their customers’ changing needs and continue moving forward.
If you’re interested in these tools to future-proof your operations, you can get in touch at marketing@remitone.com or see which fit best based on your needs by booking a free demo
Strategic planning: adapting to disruption with AI
Having clear contingency plans in place before further problems appear is crucial, and technology plays an increasingly important role here. AI and automation are helping financial institutions detect risks earlier, anticipate fraud spikes, and maintain operational continuity during turbulent periods where they’re most exposed. Over 70% of financial institutions in the UK are already using AI in their workflows. In the same way, our AI tools help automate FX rates and fees to optimise margins, which you can see in action.
But resilience isn’t just about technology; it’s also how to stay afloat without it. If systems temporarily go down or digital channels are disrupted, businesses need reliable fallback methods to stay connected with their customers. Simple measures such as SMS notifications, alternative payment rails, or backup service channels can make the difference between a minor disruption and a full operational shutdown.
Ultimately, strategic planning ensures your customers never feel the disruption, even as the environment around them changes.
Regulations: staying compliant when the rules keep changing
If there’s one area businesses can’t afford to overlook during political uncertainty, it’s regulation. Sanctions lists change, compliance requirements tighten, and new rules can appear almost overnight. The UK’s move to a single sanctions list in January 2026, designed to simplify and clarify checks, is a good example of how fast the landscape can shift.
Keeping up with these changes manually can quickly become overwhelming. An oversight or delayed update can lead to heavy penalties, frozen transactions, or even the loss of operating licences.
That’s why automation is becoming essential. Having compliance systems that update regulatory lists and monitoring requirements in real time helps reduce risk and removes the constant pressure of manual checks. We provide this with our RemitONE Regulatory Compliance Manager (RCOM™).
It brings everything in one place – with over 350 global sanctions lists, real-time alerts, automated screening against 1.7M+ PEP records, and advanced reporting so teams don’t miss anything critical. It also provides full transaction visibility and configurable compliance rules to help regulators and financial institutions monitor activity, set specific rules, and stay ahead of regulatory changes without adding operational strain.
Compliance can run quietly in the background with the right tools, giving MSBs peace of mind to focus on growing.
If you’d like to know more about RCOM™, you can get in touch by booking a demo or emailing marketing@remitone.com for our brochure or any questions.
Diversifying corridors: never rely on just one market
In cross-border payments, relying heavily on a single corridor can quickly become a vulnerability. Especially when political tensions escalate, certain regions may face restrictions, sanctions, or banking disruptions, bringing transfers to an immediate halt.
But when one corridor slows down, having others already active allows your business to keep funds moving and revenue flowing.
Global remittance flows are expected to hit $5.4 trillion by 2030, driven by increasingly diverse diaspora communities sending money across multiple corridors worldwide. For money transfer operators, this creates opportunities to expand into new corridors that better serve their customers.
Diversifying corridors not only reduces operational risk; it also opens new revenue and strengthens connections with different diaspora communities.
However, a main challenge many banks and MSBs face is being slowed down by long licensing approval timelines when trying to enter new markets.
Many are turning to the Remittance-as-a-Service (RaaS) solution instead, as it allows businesses to enter new corridors in a matter of weeks while testing and adapting to new markets without the usual upfront commitment.
This makes it easier for MSBs to stay agile, respond to changing conditions, and gradually expand their reach, while continuing to operate within a compliant framework and explore new revenue opportunities across different corridors.
If you’d like to explore how this could enable faster expansion, you can book a call with our team to walk through it in more detail here: https://calendly.com/remitone-oussama/free-30min-consultation-website?
Building resilience for whatever comes next
Global uncertainties are realities the remittance industry will continue to face. While no business can predict exactly when disruptions will happen, the ones that stay ahead are those that build resilience into their operations through digitisation, strong compliance processes, strategic planning, and diversified corridors.
By putting the right systems and strategies in place, MSBs can continue doing what matters most: keeping funds moving for the communities that rely on them, no matter the external pressures.
If you’re looking to strengthen your operations and stay prepared for whatever comes next, explore the tools available through RemitONE, designed to support growth, stability, and compliance across global remittance operations.
You can book a call with our team or if you have any questions, email us at: marketing@remitone.com
Webinar Replay: Launch Cross-Border Remittance Services in Weeks with RaaS
Expanding into new remittance corridors has traditionally meant long licensing timelines, high upfront costs, and regulatory complexity. But the market isn’t waiting, and neither are your competitors.
In our latest webinar, we explored how banks, fintechs, and money service businesses are rethinking expansion using Remittance-as-a-Service (RaaS), allowing them to move faster, test smarter, and unlock new revenue streams without the usual barriers.
Here’s what you’ll take away:
- How to enter new corridors in weeks instead of years
- A smarter way to test markets before fully committing capital
- How to capture both sides of the corridor and increase revenue potential
- What a compliant, low-risk expansion strategy actually looks like today
- Practical steps to start scaling without operational strain
Discover why more leading players are turning to RaaS here:
If you’re exploring expansion or want to understand how RaaS could fit into your plans, it’s worth having a quick conversation. It’s an opportunity to see how RaaS might work within your current operations and spot potential challenges before they slow you down.
You can book a free call with Oussama here:
RemitONE and Digit9 Partner Up to Expand Global Cross-Border Payments
RemitONE continues to strengthen its global payments ecosystem with a new integration with Digit9, enhancing cross-border payment capabilities for Money Service Businesses (MSBs), including Money Transfer Operators (MTOs), banks, and fintechs worldwide.
Through this integration between RemitONE and Digit 9, RemitONE clients can now access cross-border services across 170+ countries. Services include bank/account credit, cash pickups, and wallet payouts, supporting both B2B and C2C payment flows across multiple rails.
By combining RemitONE’s technology with Digit9’s global payout network, clients benefit from competitive market rates and greater flexibility in managing international payments.
You can, together with RemitONE and Digit9, create a powerful infrastructure layer for your business to expand without the burden of multiple integrations or bilateral agreements.
This is another step in RemitONE’s ongoing mission to give MSBs faster expansion, smarter routing, and greater operational control.
“We are thrilled to partner with Digit9 as we continue expanding our ecosystem. RemitONE brings an active global base of MSBs worldwide. By connecting their transaction flows into Digit9’s impressive network, our clients can enhance their corridor coverage, allowing them to offer strategic rates to their customers and create more sending options, driving stronger pricing and scalability.” Aamer Abedi, Chief Marketing Officer, RemitONE
“We are excited to partner with RemitONE and support their growing global client base. RemitONE works with active MTOs and fintechs that are driving real cross-border transaction flows, and this collaboration allows us to extend our payout capabilities to a broader network. Together, we are simplifying global expansion for money service businesses by delivering a scalable, compliant, and cost-effective global payment network.” Hashim Rasheed, Head of Business, Digit9
If you’d like to activate or explore how this integration can help you expand globally, then book a free call or get in touch with us at marketing@remitone.com
A new wave of integrations is underway that’s built to give our clients even more reach, efficiency, and a competitive edge. So, stay tuned for more exciting updates.
The Next Era of Cross-Border Payments in 2026
The cross-border payments industry is entering a structural shift. In 2026, growth won’t come from simply moving money faster or cheaper. It will come from building smarter, revenue-generating ecosystems around the transaction.
In this article, we’ll cover:
- How interoperability reduces friction and unlocks cleaner, faster processing
- Revenue-driving add-ons that increase customer lifetime value
- Why digital liquidity tools free up capital and improve margin control
- How AI-driven optimisation protects revenue while lowering operational strain
Let’s look at what’s really shaping the next phase.
1. Interoperability Becomes the Baseline
Cross-border payments still move through a web of banks, wallets, correspondent networks and clearing systems. When those systems aren’t well connected, payments slow down, data gets lost in translation, and manual intervention increases.
In 2026, interoperability is becoming an expectation rather than an advantage. Institutions increasingly require infrastructure that allows them to connect with multiple partners, corridors and services through a unified framework — reducing complexity while enabling faster expansion.
This is why hub-based connectivity models are gaining traction, enabling senders, receivers, payment gateways and verification layers to plug into a single ecosystem instead of operating in silos — an approach we’ve built into our own RemitONE Hub architecture to simplify global connectivity.
Another key enabler of this shift is ISO 20022, the global messaging standard being adopted across major payment networks.
Together, stronger connectivity and standardised messaging enable:
- Scalable multi-corridor expansion without bespoke integrations
- Cleaner data exchange across senders, payout partners and gateways
- Reduced operational friction and exception handling
- Faster reconciliation and improved straight-through processing
Interoperability in 2026 is about building intelligent, unified connectivity that supports growth without multiplying complexity.
2. Value-Added Services That Drive Revenue & Loyalty
Cross-border payments are no longer just about moving money, they’re about the value businesses can unlock beyond each transaction, as showcased in our recent webinar.
Add-ons reduce customer churn and increase customer retention. Instead of being a one-time transfer business can become part of their customers’ financial journey through:
- Prepaid cards – Enable recipients to spend funds instantly on everyday purchases and subscriptions, increasing engagement beyond the initial payout.
- Travel eSIMs – Keep customers connected when travelling, maintaining brand relevance between transfers while opening additional revenue streams.
- Mobile Top-Ups – Offer convenient, low-friction add-ons that encourage repeat usage.
- Loyalty & Rewards Programmes – Incentivise repeat transfers through points-based systems, reducing switching.
Together, these extensions encourage repeat usage, reduce customer switching, and enable money service businesses (MSBs) to generate greater value from their existing customer base without rebuilding core infrastructure.
As pricing pressures intensify, diversification becomes critical. Those who expand their value beyond simple transaction processing will outperform those who don’t.
We offer these add-ons, so if you’d like to simply know more or explore how it can be tailored to your operations, then feel free to book a free call.
3. Digital Liquidity & Tokenised Settlement Rails
Another defining cross-border trend in 2026 is the mainstream use of regulated digital assets for settlement. Institutions are exploring tokenised deposits and regulated stablecoins to improve liquidity management and reduce pre-funding costs.
Traditionally, cross-border payments providers and banks have had to pre-fund accounts in multiple countries to ensure payouts happen instantly. That means keeping large sums of money sitting idle abroad, tying up capital and increasing operational risk.
Now, regulated digital assets, such as tokenised bank deposits and regulated stablecoins, are beginning to change that model. They allow institutions to move value across borders faster and more efficiently, without needing to park large pools of funds in every country.
But beyond cost savings, this infrastructure shift enables:
- Dynamic FX optimisation
- Real-time treasury dashboards
- Monetisable priority settlement options
Instead of simply managing where money sits, institutions can actively optimise how capital is deployed and reduce balances.
4. AI-powered Automation & Compliance
We’re seeing the rise of agentic AI that doesn’t just analyse data but actively makes decisions within rules.
Traditionally, operations teams have had to monitor transaction flows, review compliance alerts, and adjust FX rates. Agentic AI changes that dynamic; it learns from transaction patterns, responds to risk signals in real time, and makes decisions that improve speed, cost efficiency and compliance simultaneously.
It can help:
- Identify the fastest and cheapest payment routes instantly
- Predict potential delays and re-route transactions before they fail
- Monitor liquidity across multiple accounts and currencies
- Optimise foreign exchange rates in real time
- Identify fraud patterns that humans or static systems would miss
This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about removing operational friction so teams can focus on growth to stay ahead of the competition.
At RemitONE, our AI-powered tools have been developed around the real operational pressures MSBs face, from reducing failed transactions and improving FX outcomes, to easing compliance workload. They’re designed to integrate smoothly into existing systems, helping teams streamline workflows without disruption.
If you’d like to explore it more, book a call or see it in action here: https://www.remitone.com/ai-cross-border-payments-1/
Next Steps
This is a pivotal moment in the industry. As margins tighten and competition increases, the businesses that innovate beyond basic transfers will move ahead, while others gradually fall behind.
If you’re exploring how to evolve your cross-border strategy, we’re always open to a conversation. Share where you’re seeing operational pressure or growth challenges, and we can explore what smarter infrastructure could look like for you.
You can book a call or reach out to us at marketing@remitone.com
Upcoming Webinar: Launch Cross-Border Remittance Services in Weeks with RaaS
Cross-border expansion is no longer just about where you grow.
It’s about how you grow.
Banks and fintechs today face mounting pressure to enter new corridors faster, reduce regulatory friction, and avoid committing years of investment before real demand is proven. Traditional expansion models — full licensing, infrastructure build-out, local partnerships, can be slow, costly, and complex.
But what if you could launch in weeks instead of years?
That’s where Remittance-as-a-Service (RaaS) comes in.
In our upcoming 30-minute webinar, we’ll explore how forward-thinking institutions are using RaaS to:
- Launch cross-border remittance services in weeks in the UK, Europe & US
- Test new markets before pursuing full licences
- Reduce regulatory and operational complexity
- Maintain control while scaling with greater flexibility
Secure your spot here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4058ee36-d33a-4ddf-9f68-4c4cf7895707@36d5614f-f651-4945-9632-7053acdae73a/registration
We’ll also examine how recent regulatory developments, including fast-track licensing frameworks, fit into the wider strategic decision-making process. When does it make sense to pursue your own licence? When is RaaS the smarter entry route? And where does a hybrid model deliver the greatest long-term advantage?
Who Should Attend?
This session is designed for:
- Fintechs scaling remittance services
- Banks planning international expansion
- Decision-makers evaluating speed, risk and long-term strategy
If cross-border growth is on your roadmap, this webinar will provide a practical, strategic lens on how leading institutions are rethinking expansion.
Join us for a clear, actionable discussion on how to launch smarter and scale with confidence.
Register now here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4058ee36-d33a-4ddf-9f68-4c4cf7895707@36d5614f-f651-4945-9632-7053acdae73a/registration
Upcoming Webinar: How Remittance Providers Can Unlock More Value From Every Transaction
Remittances is no longer just about sending money.
Today’s remittance providers are under pressure to do more with every transaction, move faster, open new corridors, and deliver added value to customers, all without increasing risk or operational complexity.
In this 30-minute webinar, we’ll explore how value can be unlocked at every stage of the remittance journey:
- Faster account-to-account payment initiation using open banking.
- Prepaid cards that give receivers faster access to funds and greater flexibility for everyday and online spend.
- Simple, convenience-led services such as travel eSIMs that strengthen customer loyalty.
- Broader and more reliable payout options across key corridors.
The discussion will highlight practical, real-world use cases and show how these can be implemented through a single, existing software with minimal disruption to your current operations.
Discover where hidden value lives within your remittance flow.
Register here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/1e53507a-5998-4bf2-b7bd-f68aec69a4db@36d5614f-f651-4945-9632-7053acdae73a/registration
Episode 6: RaaS Explained – How Banks and Fintechs Can Expand Cross-Border Without Licensing
This year, something has shifted. Banks and large fintechs are no longer asking if they should expand cross-border—they’re asking how to do it faster? Reduce regulatory friction? Avoid locking yourself into multi-year commitments?
Some regions like the UK are looking to introduce a fast-track licensing regime, which offers provisional approval for up to 18 months until full authorisation is processed. While it’s a positive step, it’s only available for small fintechs and doesn’t remove the complexity that comes with entering new markets.
That’s why more money service businesses are turning to RaaS (Remittance as a Service) and in this episode we’ll be diving into how it can unlock new revenue and growth.
You’ll discover:
- Why adoption is accelerating – what’s changed, and why banks are reassessing their cross-border strategy now
- What onboarding really looks like – from qualification to integration and going live.
- New revenue opportunities – how to test corridors, capture more value, and grow without being constrained by provisional licences
- Choosing the right RaaS partner – the criteria that matter most when assessing flexibility, compliance, and long-term fit
Tune into the full episode
What the UK’s Fast-Track Licence Means for Fintechs Expanding Cross-Border
Expansion is a present-day requirement for banks and fintechs, but the routes to market are not one-size-fits-all.
Fast-track or provisional licences can offer a direct path into new corridors, yet they come with operational demands, regulatory ownership, and long-term obligations that may not suit every business model. At the same time, alternative approaches to expansion are gaining attention.
We’ll compare fast-track licensing and Remittance-as-a-Service (RaaS) so you can be more confident in choosing the option best suited to your needs and goals.
Why RaaS is Gaining Momentum
RaaS has been gaining more of an uptake by banks and fintechs because it allows them to:
- Grow new revenue: capture customers rapidly on the send side without losing time to regulatory delays
- Move faster to market: start offering cross-border services immediately, without waiting for provisional or full licences.
- Reduce internal strain: compliance, onboarding, and transaction flows are handled by the RaaS provider, freeing internal teams to focus on strategy and growth.
- Test and scale strategically: test new corridors without committing to long-term infrastructure or licensing obligations.
RaaS vs Fast-Track Licensing
The UK’s provisional licence is designed to help early stage fintechs get to market sooner, but it comes with limits:
- Time-bound operations (up to 18 months)
- Internal compliance and operational demands still remain
- Limited flexibility to test new markets or scale quickly
RaaS complements and even accelerates this process. In short, it gives you options and flexibility that a provisional licence alone cannot provide.
What This Means for Your Money Service Business (MSB)
For banks and fintechs looking to grow cross-border without unnecessary risk or delay, RaaS offers a practical path forward:
- Unlock revenue from existing customers more efficiently
- Free internal teams from operational bottlenecks
- Expand strategically while staying fully compliant
- Test new markets before committing long-term
Choosing the Right RaaS Provider
Not all RaaS providers are created equal, and the right partner can make a real difference to your speed, compliance, and strategic flexibility. When evaluating options, you should consider:
- Regulatory coverage: Ensure the provider understands your key markets and can manage compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions.
- Platform maturity: Look for a solution that’s proven, reliable, and capable of handling the scale and complexity of your operations.
- Operational support: A strong provider will manage onboarding, transaction flows, and reporting, reducing internal strain.
- Value-added services: eSIMs, airtime, open banking are just some examples of how you can generate more revenue around the transaction whilst providing more benefits to your customer.
- Long-term partnership mindset: Beyond technology, the best providers work with you strategically, helping you test, scale, and optimise your cross-border operations.
At RemitONE, we’ve built our RaaS solution with these principles in mind. It’s designed to help banks and fintechs move quickly into new markets while keeping compliance front of mind, simplifying onboarding, and providing full transparency across transactions.
More than just a solution, you gain a partner who understands both the operational and strategic challenges, helping you navigate complexity with confidence.
Our RaaS is available for sending markets across the UK, Europe, and the US.
Next Steps
The remittance market is moving fast, and the right approach can help you enter new corridors with speed and confidence.
If you’d like to explore how RaaS could fit with your growth plans, book a free call with our team.
Update: Integrated PEP & Sanctions Lookup Checks
From 1 March 2026, we will introduce an integrated screening service that covers both sanctions and PEPs lookup checks for each transaction on the beneficiary and sender.
Sanctions and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) screening is a regulatory requirement across both sending and receiving markets. In the UK, this is mandated by the FCA, with similar obligations enforced by regulators globally. These checks must be completed on a transaction-by-transaction basis to ensure ongoing compliance.
Our platform already supports sanctions screening and is routinely reviewed by regulators across multiple jurisdictions. Building on this foundation, we are now extending to include PEP checks, enabling full sanctions and PEP screening to be completed seamlessly in one place.
This enhancement reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a robust, regulator-aligned compliance framework that our clients can rely on as they scale across corridors and markets. By centralising these checks within our platform, we help ensure consistency, reduce operational friction, and support confident regulatory engagement with regulators and partners.
PEPs and sanctions screening is a mandatory requirement and must be applied on a transaction-by-transaction basis. If you are reviewing your current setup or evaluating providers, contact us to understand how integrated screening is delivered within our platform at marketing@remitone.com
Episode 5: Your 2026 Headstart – Trends, Predictions & Insights Shaping Cross-Border Payments
2026 is shaping up to be a year of rapid change, and standing still is no longer an option. The question is: how will your business not just keep up, but grow on top?
In Episode 5 of the RemitONE podcast, Natalie Perkins sits down with Aamer Abedi (CMO) and Oussama Kseibati (Head of Business Solutions) to break down the trends shaping the year—AI-driven automation, evolving fraud patterns, shifting customer behaviour, and early Web 3.0 use cases—and what they mean for your business.
Those who act early will be best placed to grow, protect margins, and stay ahead. If you want to discover the forces redefining cross-border payments and turn them into opportunities, this episode is your roadmap.
You’ll uncover:
• How agile MSBs are outpacing larger incumbents across key corridors
• The product areas creating meaningful new revenue channels
• A fast-growing opportunity expanding 85% year-on-year
• What the convergence of remittances and payments means for long-term strategy
• The early indicators pointing to next year’s competitive advantage
Watch the full episode below:
2026 won’t slow down. Adapt, diversify, and seize the tools that will put your business ahead of the competition. Book a free call with our team, and we’ll walk you through a solution tailored to your needs.