VISA Launches Money Transfers in Bahrain via Benefit BE App Using Only Phone Number
April 17, 2025, 12:06 pm

VISA Launches Money Transfers in Bahrain via Benefit BE App Using Only Phone Number

التحويلات المالية

Visa, the global leader in digital payments, announced the launch of Visa+ in Bahrain, enabling users to send money to Visa cardholders in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries using only the recipient's phone number. This innovative service is initially available to customers of the Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) and Gulf Bank. Bahrain is among the first global markets to offer Visa+, marking a significant achievement that demonstrates the market's readiness to adopt the new generation of financial solutions and accelerate digital experiences.

The Visa+ service allows customers of Bahrain Islamic Bank and Gulf Bank to transfer funds to Visa debit and prepaid cardholders in other Gulf countries using only the recipient's phone number, eliminating the need for the recipient to share sensitive information such as 16-digit card numbers (primary account number) or International Bank Account Number (IBAN), making the transaction safer and easier.

The initial phase of launching the new Visa+ feature in the region focused on enabling seamless cross-border money transfers by customers of Bahrain Islamic Bank, Gulf Bank in Bahrain, Emirates NBD in the UAE, and Qatar Islamic Bank in Qatar. This strategic move represents the first stage in building a comprehensive ecosystem aimed at connecting several banks across the GCC markets and then expanding to Pakistan and EU countries, facilitating cross-border money transfers for a larger number of senders and recipients worldwide.

Commenting on the service launch, Abdul Wahid Al-Junaibi, CEO of Benefit, said: "The launch of this service through our strong partnership with Visa represents an important step in enhancing innovation in the fintech sector by providing a crucial service for cross-border money transfers among GCC countries in the initial phase, and later with the rest of the world. We thank Visa for choosing Benefit to launch this service, and we also thank Bahrain Islamic Bank and Gulf Bank for their early participation in the service through the Benefit BE app, and we aim to include other banks soon."

Ahmad Al-Qaffas, General Manager of Visa in Bahrain, stated: "At Visa, we recognize the importance of providing a fast, easy, and secure payment experience to improve people's lives in the region. The launch of Visa+ in collaboration with Benefit through the Benefit BE app, as well as Bahrain Islamic Bank and Gulf Bank, is a significant step toward positively transforming the landscape of money transfers, enhancing efficiency, and simplifying the process, with the aim of reimagining the flow of money in Bahrain. In addition to facilitating the experience for money senders, this innovative service will benefit families, communities, and economies around the world."

The Visa+ service helps financial institutions provide a better money transfer experience while enhancing privacy protection mechanisms for both senders and recipients in various use cases, including peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, funding disbursements, and cross-border money transfers. The Visa+ service supports Visa's financial institution partners in enhancing their expansion efforts by linking them to a growing network of secure systems to improve the money transfer experience for these institutions and their customers.

About Visa
Visa (listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol V) is a global leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories. Visa's mission focuses on connecting the world through the most secure, innovative, convenient, and reliable payment network, along with its role in empowering and supporting individuals, businesses, and economies to achieve growth and prosperity. At Visa, we believe that economies that include everyone, everywhere, uplift everyone, everywhere, and we see enhancing access to financial system solutions and services as a fundamental pillar for building the future of money movement. For more information, please visit the following websites About Visa or visamiddleeast.com/blog and follow our news on @VisaCEMEA.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”