WorldFirst, a digital payment and financial services platform tailored for cross-border trade small businesses, unveiled its roadmap to launch e-commerce financial solutions across new markets in Southeast Asia (SEA). 

This move aims to empower online sellers with secure, swift, and dependable cross-border payment services. It also offers a streamlined gateway to multiple global marketplaces, fostering growth for businesses in the digital commerce landscape.

“Our secure and rapid cross-border payment and e-commerce services are poised to assist small businesses in Southeast Asia to expand their international footprint,” said Clara Shi, CEO of WorldFirst and Vice President of Ant Group.

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Launched in 2022, WorldFirst’s Global Voyage program simplifies the process of opening stores across global marketplaces through robust partnerships. With an expedited setup process across 28 partner e-commerce platforms, sellers can establish their presence within 24 hours. 

Expansion for SMEs

Drawing upon its success in markets like China and Singapore, WorldFirst will introduce its suite of solutions through the World Account platform in Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. This strategic move aims to revolutionize global selling, management, and overall business expansion for SMEs.

SMEs can open a multi-currency World Account within minutes, enabling them to trade seamlessly worldwide. The World Account supports 42 currencies across over 200 global markets, facilitating efficient global sourcing. It also enables local currency collection from more than 120 e-marketplaces in 30 currencies, boosted by WorldFirst’s access to 40 local fast payment schemes worldwide. 

Unlike traditional service providers that often restrict SMEs from global multi-currency pooling, World Account allows instant pooling of funds paid into sellers’ local collection accounts as an available balance.

Streamlining management

World Account offers a unified, user-friendly portal empowering sellers to oversee businesses’ expanding operations across countries and marketplaces. Sellers can tier stores, e-marketplaces, and entities while customizing account statements for seamless reconciliation.

Additionally, WorldFirst offers an array of professional services, including online advertising, logistics, website development, and management, to augment business growth.