Global financial infrastructure platform Yuno has announced a strategic partnership with Tabby, the leading financial services application in the Middle East. This collaboration will integrate Tabby’s popular Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions into Yuno’s payment ecosystem. The move is set to provide Yuno’s merchants with direct access to Tabby’s interest-free installment options, significantly enhancing their checkout experience for customers in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Navigating the Regional Financial Landscape
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) presents a unique market where credit card penetration remains relatively low compared to global averages. Financial services in the region are often designed to be Sharia-compliant, which typically avoids interest-based lending models. BNPL solutions like those offered by Tabby provide a modern and compliant alternative, giving consumers greater flexibility to manage their spending without incurring interest.
Tabby has established itself as the dominant force in the region's BNPL sector, with a valuation of $4.5 billion following its latest share sale. The platform boasts an impressive shopper base of over 25 million users and processes an annualized transaction volume exceeding $17 billion. This extensive reach means that approximately two out of every three adults in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are registered Tabby users.
Unlocking Merchant Growth and Consumer Access
For merchants utilizing the Yuno platform, this integration translates into tangible business advantages, including higher conversion rates and larger average basket sizes. More importantly, it provides immediate access to Tabby’s large and highly engaged customer base. This partnership effectively removes one of the most significant barriers for businesses looking to enter or expand their operations within the lucrative Saudi and Emirati markets.
Zain Khan, Senior Director of Business Development at Tabby, noted that merchants are not starting from a blank slate when they add the service. "The majority of their customers are already on our platform," he explained, which results in faster underwriting and lower rejection rates. This pre-existing relationship ensures a smoother and more reliable payment experience for consumers, fostering greater trust and loyalty for the merchants.
A Strategic Vision for E-Commerce
Juan Pablo Ortega, Co-founder and CEO of Yuno, highlighted the strategic importance of the alliance in serving a distinct market. "The MENA region is incredibly unique in that it has a massive shopper population, many of whom are relatively speaking, underbanked," he stated. Ortega emphasized that working with a trusted brand like Tabby allows Yuno’s merchants to meet strong consumer demand while materially increasing their revenue.
The integration is designed for simplicity, making Tabby's payment options automatically available to merchants from the first day they join Yuno's platform. This seamless availability ensures that businesses can immediately offer a trusted and familiar local payment method. This approach accelerates their ability to compete effectively and cater to local consumer preferences without complex technical hurdles or lengthy integration processes.
Ultimately, the partnership between Yuno and Tabby marks a significant development for the fintech and e-commerce ecosystems in the Middle East. By combining Yuno's global payment infrastructure with Tabby's deep regional penetration, the collaboration is poised to accelerate digital commerce growth. It provides a powerful tool for merchants to thrive while offering consumers the flexible, modern payment solutions they increasingly expect.