Nearpay Becomes First Saudi Payments Fintech to Enter the US Market

Saudi payments fintech Nearpay has launched operations in the United States, becoming the first Saudi payments company to establish a presence in the American market. The expansion took place in July 2025.

Nearpay is bringing its tap-to-phone technology to the US, software that turns any NFC-enabled smartphone into a secure, contactless point-of-sale terminal without the need for extra hardware. The company is entering a market where more than 80 percent of in-store card payments are already contactless, betting that its soft-POS approach can win merchants and payment providers seeking lower-cost acceptance.

Founded in 2020, Nearpay builds payments infrastructure as a service for banks, payment providers and startups, enabling transactions that are easy, secure and accessible for merchants. In 2024 the company reported processing more than 40 million transactions, and it has expanded its footprint across the region ahead of the US move.

The US launch follows earlier regional expansion, including work with PayTabs Group to extend soft-POS experiences to Jordan and other markets, and a partnership with NomuPay to introduce contactless point-of-sale technology in Turkey. Entering the United States represents a step up in ambition, taking a Saudi-built payments product into one of the world's most developed card markets.

The move is a notable marker for the Kingdom's fintech sector, which under Vision 2030 has produced a wave of payments companies now looking to export their technology rather than remain confined to the domestic market.