What PublishEX (Simpaisa) does

PublishEX (Simpaisa) is a Singapore-headquartered payment infrastructure company operating across frontier markets, originally founded in Pakistan in 2016 by serial entrepreneur Yasir Pasha (who previously founded Tapmad, Pakistan's first ad-free OTT service). The company operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in Pakistan, Bangladesh, the UK, Canada, the UAE, and Nepal, and has expanded coverage to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

The core product is a single unified API that gives merchants access to local payment methods — JazzCash (40M+ users), Easypaisa (35M+ users), bKash, Khalti, Raast, IBFT/1Link (40+ banks), and the Visa/Mastercard/UnionPay schemes — without redirect-based flows. The platform supports three core products (Acquiring, Disbursing Payouts, Remittance), a compliance/fraud module ("Comply") backed by Eastnets Safewatch, and a "Value Addition" services layer. Operational metrics disclosed are 270M annual transactions, ~$1B annual GTV, 30M unique customers annually, 90%+ success rate, and 98% of transactions processed in real-time across 150+ merchant titles. Certifications include PCI DSS Level 1 and ISO 27001:2022.

Revenue is generated through Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on payment processing — mobile wallets 1.5%–2.5%, cards 2.0%–3.5%, IBFT flat fee PKR 15–30, plus 1.0%–1.5% cross-border surcharges and ancillary fees (setup, annual maintenance, chargebacks, FX markup). The go-to-market is API-first with enterprise field sales for large merchants (Samsung, Xsolla, ByteDance, Shein, inDrive, CodaShop) and self-serve plugins for Shopify/WooCommerce SMBs. Customer segments are horizontal across gaming, e-commerce, freelance platforms, insurance premium collection, ride-hailing, OTT, and remittance.

Name

PublishEX (Simpaisa)

Legal name

Simpaisa

Website

https://simpaisa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

PublishEX (Simpaisa) is a Singapore-headquartered payment infrastructure platform offering a single unified API for acquiring, payouts, and remittances across frontier markets including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, serving 150+ merchants and processing ~$1B in annual GTV.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Payments / Payment Infrastructure

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Finance Services (6199), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Payment Processing & Acquiring Infrastructure (FSAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), Merchant Cross-Border Collections (Pay-ins) & Local Payment Methods (FSAGAKAD), Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG)

Keywords

• Digital payment infrastructure
• Cross-border remittance services
• Mobile wallet payments
• Payment API platform
• Merchant acquiring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Karachi

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Transaction/Payment Processing Fees: Revenue generated through Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on digital transactions. Mobile wallets (JazzCash, Easypaisa): 1.5%–2.5%; Cards (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay): 2.0%–3.5%; Bank transfers (IBFT): flat fee per transaction. International card transactions carry additional cross-border fees of 1.0% to 1.5%

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Simpaisa provides a unified Single API payment infrastructure platform that enables merchants and platforms to acquire payments, disburse payouts, and execute cross-border remittances across frontier markets including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The platform aggregates local payment methods such as JazzCash, Easypaisa, bKash, Khalti, Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, IBFT, and Raast under one integration, supporting PCI DSS Level 1 and ISO 27001:2022 certified real-time processing with fraud detection via Eastnets Safewatch.

Product overview

Simpaisa is a unified payment infrastructure platform offering three core products: Acquiring Payments for payment acceptance, Disbursing Payouts for fund distribution, and Remittance for cross-border transfers. All three products operate through a single API integration, providing instant access to local payment methods, digital wallets, and card schemes across frontier markets. The platform is complemented by Comply (compliance and security solutions) and Value Addition (merchant support services). The product portfolio includes industry-specific solutions for Gaming, E-commerce, Freelance, Insurance, Ride-Hailing, and OTT verticals. Simpaisa operates across Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Iraq, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia with localized payment method integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Acquiring Payments

Quantifiable outcome

• Boosted payment traffic in Pakistan by 10% for Xsolla gaming platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration21 records

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Faysal BankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026Commerce Plex (Simpaisa subsidiary) partnered with Faysal Bank Limited to revolutionize remittances. Collaboration aims to boost inflow of USD into Pakistan through government-approved channels, providing increased efficiency and transparency in remittance services.
• CodaShopcoreTechnology or IntegrationGaming and e-commerce payment partner - partnership has driven mutual growth with cashback offers and media initiatives
• Samsung EC PakistancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for Digital Wallets feature enabling streamlined and secure payment process for Samsung's online shopping customers
• XsollacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGaming payments partnership - Simpaisa's payment solutions integrated into Xsolla's platform, boosting payment traffic in Pakistan by 10%
• inDrivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal-time pay-out solution for inDrive's Business Mode - custom tech solution for delivery package coverage claims disbursement up to PKR 10,000
• EastnetscoreTechnology or IntegrationCompliance and fraud monitoring partner - Safewatch technology for enterprise transaction-level fraud screening
• aamarPaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBangladeshi Payment System Operator acquired by Simpaisa for nearly $1 million - first foreign fintech investment in Bangladeshi PSO, enhancing digital payment infrastructure and financial inclusion

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• bKash: Bangladesh's dominant mobile financial services platform with tens of millions of users. Comparable as a frontier market wallet/payment rail; integrated into Simpaisa's API for Bangladesh transactions.
• JazzCash: Pakistan's largest mobile wallet with 40M+ users operated by Mobilink/Veon. Both a Simpaisa payment method integration and a potential competitor in disbursements and merchant acquiring within Pakistan.

Direct peers

• dLocal: Emerging market payment orchestrator providing single-API access to local payment methods across 40+ countries including South Asia, MENA, and Latin America. Directly comparable to Simpaisa's single-API, multi-method model for frontier markets, and is also an existing Simpaisa partner.
• Thunes: Cross-border payments network enabling real-time payments across 130+ countries with strong presence in emerging markets. Comparable to Simpaisa's remittance and cross-border settlement infrastructure; also an existing Simpaisa technology partner.
• Flutterwave: Payment processor operating across 30+ African and emerging markets with a single API for payments, payouts, and remittances. Highly comparable business model and GTM, though geographic focus skews more to Africa than South Asia.
• Tazapay: Cross-border payment platform focused on frontier and emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Directly comparable to Simpaisa's cross-border acquiring and remittance offering and is also a Simpaisa partner.
• Safexpay: South Asia-focused payment gateway offering multi-method acquiring through a single API for SMBs and enterprises. Closely comparable to Simpaisa's single-API acquiring and payouts model in the regional market.
• PayFast: Pakistan-based payment gateway offering online payment processing for local merchants through cards and bank transfers. Direct competitor for Simpaisa's acquiring product in the Pakistan market with overlapping merchant base.

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Global payment processor with API-first acquiring and disbursement infrastructure. Comparable on technology and developer experience; a broader incumbent now expanding into emerging markets.
• Payoneer: Cross-border payments platform specializing in freelancer and marketplace payouts globally. Comparable to Simpaisa's freelance and marketplace use cases; broader incumbent with stronger global brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/simpaisaholding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simpaisa
• Instagraminstagram.com/simpaisaholdings

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PublishEX (Simpaisa)