Sends and UnionPay International Launch Global Cooperation Across Card Issuing and Acquiring

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 6th, 2026, FinanceWire

Sends announces the launch of its cooperation with UnionPay International (UPI), expanding its payment capabilities across both card issuing and acquiring.

LONDON, United Kingdom, October 06, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- Sends, a UK-based fintech company providing payment and financial services to individuals and businesses, announces the launch of its cooperation with UnionPay International (UPI), expanding its payment capabilities across both card issuing and acquiring.

The cooperation brings together UnionPay’s extensive global payment network and Sends’ financial infrastructure to create broader payment opportunities for consumers and businesses across markets. Sends plans to develop UnionPay card issuing, enabling customers to access UnionPay-powered payment products and use their cards across UnionPay’s global acceptance network.

At the same time, the companies are working together on UnionPay acquiring, allowing merchants within the Sends ecosystem to accept payments made with UnionPay cards. This will provide businesses with additional opportunities to serve international customers, particularly those connected to Asian markets, while expanding the range of payment methods available through Sends.

The combination of issuing and acquiring creates a two-sided payment proposition: supporting customers in making payments internationally while enabling merchants to accept UnionPay transactions through Sends’ infrastructure.

“Payments are becoming increasingly global, while customers and businesses expect the experience itself to remain simple. Our cooperation with UnionPay International is an important step in building infrastructure that connects these two realities,” said Alona Shevtsova, CEO of Sends. “By developing both UnionPay issuing and acquiring capabilities, we are expanding what Sends can offer on both sides of a transaction — giving our customers greater payment flexibility while helping merchants reach a broader international audience.”

The cooperation also reflects Sends’ broader strategy of developing an interconnected financial ecosystem for businesses and individuals. Rather than focusing on individual payment products, the company continues to expand infrastructure covering accounts, international transfers, foreign

Beyond its expanding card and acquiring capabilities, Sends continues to develop its ecosystem for both individuals and businesses. Recently the company launched a special offer for businesses who want to open a British account and make international payments right away. The platform brings together personal and business accounts, international payments, FX, cards and merchant solutions, while recently expanding its offering with eSIM travel data directly in the Sends app.

Sends and the company's CEO, Alona Shevtsova, also strengthened international presence and industry engagement, contributing to conversations around real-time and cross-border payments, digital wallets and the future of payment infrastructure across key markets, including the UK and the Middle East.

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About Sends

Sends is a UK-based financial services provider and FCA-authorised Electronic Money Institution (EMI), offering secure payment solutions for individual and corporate clients. The company supports e-wallet services, electronic money issuance, and merchant acquiring, underpinned by a compliance-driven approach to growth and innovation. Sends is a trade name of SMARTFLOW PAYMENTS LIMITED, registered in England and Wales (Company No.11070048). For more information, visit sends.co.

Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding Sends’ partnership with UnionPay International, including the planned development and rollout of card issuing, merchant acquiring, and ecosystem features. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, and projections about future industry trends, strategic goals, and operational plans. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and regulatory approvals that may cause actual results, timelines, or product availability to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Sends undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future developments.

Media Contact

Anastasiia Pervushyna

Marketing Department, Sends

contact@sends.co

+44 1273 004434

SOURCE: Sends

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