Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain: LuLu Exchange Bahrain has partnered with Arab Financial Services (AFS), the leading digital payment solutions provider and fintech enabler in the Middle East and Africa, and a leading merchant acquirer in Bahrain to facilitate and promote BPay and debit card payments at all LuLu Exchange branches, with the aim of making digital payments easier and more accessible for customers. This collaboration is part of LuLu Exchange’s ongoing digital transformation drive focused on achieving the vision of a cashless Bahrain economy. Lulu Exchange Bahrain customers can conduct transactions through the BPay app or their debit cards, at any local branches. Customers can now use their BPay app to conveniently pay at all Lulu Exchange branches for international remittances with BPay QR payments which is easy and hassle-free. In addition, customers can also buy foreign currency through the settlement service.

Mrs Amira Ismail, Head of Merchant Acquiring Business, Bahrain at AFS said, “We are constantly looking for ways to grow digital payments acceptance in Bahrain, in line with the evolving needs and expectations of today’s customers. Today, with AFS’s market-leading PoS acceptance systems now available at all LuLu Exchange branches across the Kingdom of Bahrain we are giving access to more customer-friendly, digital payment methods for greater convenience, security and efficiency of payment.”

Mr. Edison Fernandez, General Manager of LuLu Exchange Bahrain said, "Our collaboration with AFS aims to provide our valued customers with an efficient and seamless payment experience, while also reinforcing our position as a leading financial services provider in the country. With this move, LuLu Exchange Bahrain is set to revolutionize the way customers send money and buy foreign currency, making it faster, safer, and more convenient than ever before."

Owned and operated by AFS, BPay is a secure, easy-to-use, and fully featured payments app that is part of a Kingdom-wide initiative to make Bahrain cashless and supports the Kingdom of Bahrain’s government initiatives to drive digital transformation. Users can use BPay to purchase goods or services, to send and receive money peer-to-peer (sending money by CPR, telephone number of My QR code), store money for when they need it, store credentials for various payment instruments securely and digitally, remit money (send money internationally), pay bills, use value-added services and more. BPay is directly integrated into AFS Point of Sale (PoS) terminals using APIs for merchants and corporations – for efficient, convenient use. For consumers, BPay is accessed by smartphone users through a digital app available from any app play store (Google or iOS). Once they have set up the app, users can move funds to their BPay account via Benefit.

Regulated by The Central Bank of Bahrain, and majority-owned by Bank ABC, AFS boasts numerous ground-breaking end-to-end digital payment services and solutions. These span debit, credit, and Islamic card processing, merchant acquiring, fintech, and a suite of state-of-the-art value-added services. Providing the highest quality payment solutions that are trusted by businesses, AFS has offices and data centres in Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, and the UAE. Its dedication to innovation has positioned AFS as a driving market force delivering a rich portfolio of payment solutions including popular digital mobile wallets, market-leading merchant acquiring services, Bahrain’s leading digital payroll solution, global contact centres and more.

LuLu Exchange

LuLu Exchange is an ISO 9001:2015 certified leading global remittance and currency exchange company headquartered in Abu Dhabi.  Incepted in the year 2013, LuLu Exchange Bahrain has now become an integral part of the country and its people’s lives. With 17 branches across the nation, LuLu Exchange makes money transfers, currency exchange, and cross-border remittances a lot easier for people. The group operates across several GCC countries such as Oman, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, as well as in India, Bangladesh, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the Philippines.

As an organization that supports women and stands for their rights, LuLu Exchange Bahrain has launched a new campaign named ‘The Digital Women,’ aimed at digitally empowering women and promoting gender equality in all spheres of life.

LuLu Money App, an initiative by LuLu Exchange, is a one-stop solution for all digital transactions. It enables customers to seamlessly send money to over 170 countries through instant payment while completely focusing on offering quality experiences for them.

For more information about LuLu Exchange, please visit www.luluexchange.com

About AFS:

Arab Financial Services (AFS) was formed in 1984 to provide payment products, services and expertise to banks and merchant groups and deliver customized payment solutions in an increasingly divergent, disruptive, and dynamic payment ecosystem.

A key to the growing and continued success of the company was an executive team determined to invest in the most up-to-date, leading-edge technologies. AFS is owned by a total of 37 banks and financial institutions and serves over 60 clients in more than 20 countries across MEA.

Today, AFS is the region’s leading digital payment solutions provider and Fintech enabler, regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain.

AFS’s innovative approach to the provision of financial services is evidenced by a series of pioneering payment services that covers debit, credit, and Islamic card processing, merchant acquiring, fintech, and a suite of state-of-the-art value-added services. Providing the highest quality payments solutions that are trusted by businesses, AFS has offices and data centers in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Arab Republic of Egypt, Sultanate of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates.

The emphasis that AFS places on innovation has positioned the company as a driving market force, delivering a rich portfolio of payment solutions including popular digital mobile wallets, customer orientated Merchant Acquiring services; Bahrain’s leading digital payroll solution, global contact centers and much more.

Trusted by businesses across the region AFS has been recognized as the “Most Innovative Payment Solutions Provider 2023" by MEA Finance, “Best Payment Solutions Provider Bahrain 2023" by International Business Magazine, “Best Payments Solutions Provider – Bahrain 2022” by MEA Finance, “Best New Payment Solutions Provider for MSME Business Bahrain 2022" by Global Business Magazine, “Leading Payments Innovator Bahrain 2022” by Global Business Outlook and “Best Payment Solution Provider Bahrain 2022” by Global Banking & Finance Review.

Visit www.afs.com.bh for more information and join the conversation on LinkedIn.