UK’s IFX Payments Expands in UAE with DFSA License

“With this enhancement to our services, we look forward to empowering our clients with greater efficiency, flexibility, and control over their payment and treasury operations.”

The 3C licence from the DFSA

The Category 3C licence, issued by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), empowers financial firms to carry out a range of financial services, including:

• Managing collective investment funds
• Managing assets
• Providing custody
• Providing trust services
• Offering money services

This allows IFX Payments to transition from a non-operational representative office to a fully authorised service provider across the UAE financial market. UAE clients can now access compliant, more integrated and faster international payment solutions. IFX Payments cuts barriers that normally complicate or slow down cross-border transfers by operating locally in the UAE market. The license will allow IFX to offer secure custody of financial assets and funds under a locally regulated framework. The UAE continues to secure its position as a regional fintech leader. This is down to progressive regulatory bodies like the DFSA, the DIFC’s legal and financial infrastructure and strategic national initiatives that strive to turn the UAE into a global digital finance hub. IFX Payments will demonstrate its long-term commitment to the market by aligning with this regulatory environment. This will secure trust among regulators, clients and partners.

Customer-centric innovation

IFX Payments operates a service-led alternative banking model that is tailored to the needs of financial institutions and corporate clients. It integrates personalised support with advanced digital infrastructure to offer FX risk management solutions and seamless international payments. IFX Payments offers tailored FX solutions to support clients in protecting profit margins and managing exposure, including forward contracts, spot contracts and limit and stop-loss orders. Its new Category 3C license from the DFSA allows it to fully operate its service-led alternative banking model in the UAE. This license will mean the company can support its core offering of tailored FX solutions for corporates and financial institutions by providing money and custody services locally. Not only will operating under UAE regulations help to enhance compliance, client trust and operational flexibility, but it will also align with rising local demand for tech-enabled, scalable financial services. IFX Payments can utilise this license to support businesses with efficient international transactions and its global expansion. Will Marwick, CEO, IFX Payments, says: “Expanding our services in the UAE is a vital stepping stone towards our vision of becoming the number one service-led alternative banking partner in EMEA for corporates and financial institutions. “By combining seamless international payments with strategic foreign exchange risk management, we’re empowering businesses in the region to operate globally with greater confidence and control. “We’re excited to enhance our proposition in the UAE, one of the fastest-growing payment hubs, to deliver our customers value beyond the transaction.”

The impact on the fintech industry

IFX Payments’ emergence in the UAE market with the Category 3C license will boost the region’s position as a global fintech hub. The presence of an international, regulated fintech, such as IFX, will push for higher standards of transparency, compliance and client service. This could accelerate the adoption of FX risk solutions and digital treasury tools among UAE-based businesses. IFX’s focus on platform-led efficiency and tailored support may help catalyse the move towards more customer-centric fintech models across the region. Overall, this move will support the expansion and presence of the UAE’s fintech market. Source: Fintech Magazine