Bahrain doesn’t need more payment platforms—it needs ones that get it. The Central Bank’s latest license approval puts another piece in place to serve local businesses that are long overdue for better.
Pay10, now officially licensed by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), is stepping into a payment landscape that’s grown fast but still leaves gaps—especially for small businesses. While digital adoption has surged across the Kingdom, many startups and SMEs still rely on clunky, expensive, or poorly integrated payment tools. The CBB’s move signals that Bahrain is ready to let new players in—as long as they build responsibly, and locally.
With its new Ancillary Service Provider license, Pay10 says it will offer mobile-first infrastructure that plugs directly into Bahrain’s payment rails, including Fawri+, which processed over 20% more transactions in just the second half of 2024. Contactless payments now make up 77% of all in-store activity, and yet many of Bahrain’s founders still struggle to plug into reliable, real-time options—especially those just starting out or operating in hybrid retail models.
What makes this move worth watching isn’t just tech—it’s tone. Pay10 says it’s building regulator-aligned systems from day one. That matters in Bahrain, where agile licensing is paired with firm oversight, and where new entrants are expected to solve with—not just sell to—the local ecosystem.
With more startups prioritizing fast, low-cost payment options, Bahrain’s fintech scene is gaining tools that don’t just scale—they fit.
