Levelling the Cross-Border Payments Playing Field for Asia’s SMEs

SMEs power Asia’s economic growth, yet cross-border payments, FX costs, and fragmented financial infrastructure continue to limit their ability to scale globally. This roundtable explores how banks, fintech platforms, and payment networks are redesigning financial rails to make international trade, marketplace payouts, and supplier payments faster, cheaper, and more accessible for small businesses. From embedded finance and multi-currency accounts to real-time settlement and local acquiring, the discussion will unpack what it takes to create level playing fields for SMEs across Asia’s diverse markets — and what still needs to change.