Beirut, Lebanon: Whish Money has entered into a strategic collaboration with Mastercard to enable inbound and outbound remittances for consumers in Lebanon, marking Mastercard’s first partnership with a mobile wallet in the country. The agreement leverages Mastercard Move, the company’s global money movement network, to provide fast, secure, and near real-time international transfers.
With this partnership, Whish Money users in Lebanon can now send funds to over 50 countries through its mobile application, with beneficiaries able to receive money via bank accounts, mobile wallets, or cash pick-ups depending on the destination. Lebanese senders also gain flexibility to fund their wallets through cards or cash. Likewise, Lebanese abroad can remit money back home more efficiently, supporting millions of families that depend on foreign currency inflows.
Toufic Koussa, Co-founder and CEO of Whish Money, said the collaboration will help meet a critical need: “Many people in Lebanon rely on remittances from their family members abroad to meet their basic needs. Thanks to Mastercard Move, we can now offer fast, efficient, and secure remittances to Lebanese people.”
Onur Kursun, Executive Vice President at Mastercard, emphasized that the partnership gives Whish Money the reach, speed, and transparency to expand cross-border services while strengthening Mastercard’s regional presence.
Remittances are vital to Lebanon’s economy, with the World Bank estimating inflows at US$6.4 billion in 2022, making it the third-largest recipient in MENA after Egypt and Morocco. With Mastercard Move’s global reach covering 200 markets, 150 currencies, and access to 95% of the world’s banked population, this collaboration positions Lebanon to strengthen its remittance ecosystem and financial inclusion efforts.
