Banco Cathay Activates Pay-to-Wallet with Thunes to Power Faster Cross-Border Payments

Banco Cathay has activated Pay-to-Wallet payments with Thunes, enabling near-real-time international transfers directly to recipients’ digital wallets — enhancing speed, transparency and accessibility.

Banco Cathay, a prominent financial institution in Brazil, has activated a Pay-to-Wallet payment solution in partnership with Thunes, a global cross-border payments network. The new capability enables Banco Cathay’s customers — both individuals and corporate clients — to send funds directly to recipients’ digital wallets across a wide range of countries in near real-time. The move enhances speed, transparency and convenience for international payments, positioning the bank to better serve customers in an era of growing cross-border remittance demand.

Thunes’ Pay-to-Wallet infrastructure connects Banco Cathay to an extensive ecosystem of mobile money and e-wallet providers, allowing recipients to receive funds straight into their wallet accounts rather than navigating slower correspondent banking routes. This shift not only accelerates delivery — often to within minutes — but also improves cost efficiency and end-to-end tracking, reinforcing Banco Cathay’s commitment to modernising cross-border financial services.

Key Highlights

  • Pay-to-Wallet deployed: Banco Cathay has gone live with Pay-to-Wallet payments via Thunes’ global network.
  • Near-real-time transfers: Funds can reach recipients’ mobile wallets within minutes.
  • Wide geographic reach: The Thunes network supports payouts to e-wallets across multiple countries and regions.
  • Improved customer experience: Reduces reliance on slow correspondent banking and provides transparent fees.
  • Financial inclusion: Digital wallets enhance access for recipients without traditional bank accounts.
  • Compliance and tracking: Built-in screening and status visibility strengthen governance and transparency.

What Pay-to-Wallet Does

1. Direct Wallet Delivery

Banco Cathay customers can send funds internationally that land directly in recipients’ digital wallets — avoiding traditional banking intermediaries that often delay settlements by days. This boosts speed and reliability for remittances, payroll or vendor payments.

2. Enhanced Transparency and Cost Efficiency

With Pay-to-Wallet, senders and receivers benefit from clearer fee structures and real-time status updates, eliminating hidden costs and uncertainties common in legacy payment routes.

3. Regulatory Compliance and Visibility

Thunes’ infrastructure includes compliance checks and detailed tracking, helping Banco Cathay satisfy regulatory obligations while providing users with clear visibility into payment progress — from initiation to completion.

Why This Matters

1. Growing Demand for Faster Payments

Cross-border mobile wallet payouts are increasingly preferred by customers due to their speed and accessibility. Banco Cathay’s adoption of Pay-to-Wallet reflects a broader trend in global finance where digital wallets are fast becoming mainstream endpoints for remittances and global payouts.

2. Financial Inclusion and Accessibility

Direct wallet transfers empower recipients who may lack traditional bank accounts but use mobile wallets for everyday transactions — from paying bills to making purchases — fostering broader financial inclusion.

3. Competitive Cross-Border Strategy

As fintechs and non-bank players expand internationally, banks must adapt by offering faster, more transparent services. Banco Cathay’s partnership with Thunes positions it competitively in the cross-border payments arena.

Market and Competitive Context

Banks, fintechs and wallet providers worldwide are investing in faster payout rails as consumer expectations evolve toward real-time experiences. Solutions like Pay-to-Wallet compete with alternatives such as Visa Direct, Mastercard Send, Ripple, Wise and other wallet networks — but Thunes’ broad connectivity and scalable infrastructure make it a compelling choice for institutions seeking global reach.