Backbase has agreed a strategic collaboration with Mastercard to integrate Mastercard Move into its AI-native Banking OS for banks seeking cross-border payment services.
The integration is now available and is designed to simplify the deployment of international payment capabilities for financial institutions using the Backbase platform. Banks will be able to access Mastercard's money movement infrastructure without developing their own direct integrations.
Mastercard Move supports money movement across more than 200 countries and territories, connecting more than 17 billion endpoints and supporting transactions in 150 currencies.
Under the collaboration, banks using Backbase's platform can manage payment flows from customer initiation through settlement and reconciliation. The initial focus is on the European Union, the Middle East and North Africa.
Cross-border payments have become an increasingly contested area for lenders as customers compare bank services with those of digital-first providers that offer faster transfers and clearer tracking. The collaboration is intended to address slow-moving correspondent banking networks and limited end-to-end transparency in existing systems.
Backbase said the connector embeds cross-border payments into existing digital banking journeys rather than requiring a separate customer experience. Banks will also receive planning support, technical assessment and delivery guidance as part of the implementation process.
Mayank Somaiya, Global Vice President and Head of Ecosystem Partnerships at Backbase, framed the collaboration within the company's broader software strategy.
"The Backbase Ecosystem extends the AI-native Banking OS with best-of-breed capabilities across payments, fraud management, open banking, dispute management, and end-to-end banking services. With Mastercard Move accessible directly through the Banking OS, banks can deliver trusted international payments within the same digital journeys their customers already use - competing with digital-first and non-traditional players on experience, pricing, transparency, and speed," Somaiya said.
The deal also reflects Mastercard's efforts to distribute its transfer products through banking software providers rather than relying only on direct institutional integrations. That approach can shorten deployment times for banks that want to add cross-border services without building custom links to payment networks.
For Backbase, the agreement adds another payments service to an ecosystem spanning fraud management, open banking, dispute management and broader banking services. The Amsterdam-headquartered company says more than 120 banks use its software across retail, small-business, commercial, private banking, and wealth management.
Mastercard described the tie-up as a way for banks to launch international payment products more quickly. Its transfer service is designed to support transparent money movement across a broad range of destinations, payout options and currencies.
"By making Mastercard Move available through the Backbase AI-native Banking OS, we're accelerating banks' ability to bring cross-border services to market. This collaboration helps financial institutions deploy trusted, transparent international payments faster and with far less complexity," said Pratik Khowala, Global Head of Transfer Solutions at Mastercard.