Ant International have announced an exclusive move to integrate PayTo into its Global Account Service in Australia. This solution enables Australian export SMEs to access a faster, cost-effective, and more secure alternative to account-to-account pull payments.
The announcement is a collaboration with global leader in transaction banking, Citi. Citi’s role as the initiator sponsor bank provides the foundation for the speed, security, and reliability of this new service.
In 2025, Australia exported US$343.8 billion in goods worldwide. Yet behind this figure, nearly 80% of Australian SMEs, the backbone of trade, have faced significant cash flow impacts. For these export-focused businesses, slow cross-border payments only worsen the strain, making real-time payment solutions essential to unlocking working capital and sustaining growth.
Against this backdrop, Ant International’s Global Account Service — primarily powered by WorldFirst — has integrated PayTo with Citi. Via a digital PayTo agreement, WorldFirst clients can initiate pull payments to top up their World Account directly from Australian bank accounts connected with PayTo, offering a real-time account-to-account pull payment alternative to traditional direct debits. Key benefits include:
- Real-Time Payments – Digital top-ups or funds arrive instantly, 24/7, including weekends and public holidays.
- Enhanced Security – Payments are authorised directly with the customer’s bank, helping reduce fraud risk.
- Cost Effectiveness – Seamless reconciliation and fee reduction benefits, as it reduces reliance on card fees and decreases the likelihood of chargebacks.
Democratising Fintech Innovation for Australian SMEs
Beyond digital wallet top-ups, PayTo enables a wide range of use cases critical for modern trade—including paying billing for SaaS exporters, instant settlement for e-commerce marketplaces, and streamlined B2B invoice payments.
Ant International’s Global Account Service has also been advancing diversified payment solutions to give SMEs greater flexibility. World Card, launched in Q4 2024, has already gained strong traction — Q1 2026 volume grew 440%. The card eliminates costly FX conversion fees, offers cashback on eligible expenses, and lets businesses pay directly from foreign currency balances in their account.
Building on these innovations, both sides are now exploring further collaboration opportunities between PayTo and Global Account service, to offer Australian SMEs a more comprehensive payments ecosystem.
Technology is central to Ant International’s Global Account Service, using blockchain and global bank partnerships to improve payment efficiency. Leveraging AI, it helps Australian SMEs enhance global operations through AI-driven risk management, FX, and diversified cross-border support.
Jim Vrondas, General Manager of ANZ WorldFirst, Ant International, said, “As Australia’s financial infrastructure continues to evolve, we are proud to play a role in supporting innovative solutions for SMEs. Drawing on our experience in cross-border payments, we see firsthand how critical cash flow is to their success—and we remain committed to working with Citi and other banking partners to bring more innovation to Australian SMEs.”
Co-Head of Services for Citi Australia, Kirstin Renner, added, “Our collaboration with Ant International helps solve a tangible payments challenge for many Australians and Australian SMEs. By combining our robust PayTo infrastructure with their innovative platform, we are directly solving for better cash flow and security. This is a foundational step in modernising B2B payments, and we are proud to be the banking partner powering this essential change.”