Pinar Alpay, Chief Product and Marketing Officer of Network International, Explores the Next Evolution of Payments

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As e-commerce continues to evolve, so too do consumer expectations around digital payments. Today’s online shoppers expect checkout experiences that are fast, intuitive, and secure, while businesses are increasingly seeking payment solutions that improve conversion, reduce fraud, and simplify operations.

Against this backdrop, innovations such as network tokenization, biometric authentication, and AI-driven commerce are redefining the future of digital payments.

In the latest episode of Entrepreneur Middle East’s special video series in partnership with Visa, we speak with Pinar Alpay, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Network International, about the technologies and strategies shaping this transformation.

As one of the leading fintech companies across the Middle East and Africa, Network International empowers businesses and economies by simplifying commerce and payments, serving more than 240,000 merchants and over 250 financial institutions across 56 markets.

During the conversation, Alpay explains how Visa Click to Pay is helping merchants streamline the checkout experience by moving card credentials to the network level through tokenization, reducing payment friction while strengthening security and consumer trust.

She also shares how these innovations are improving authorization rates, minimizing the risks associated with storing card credentials, and enabling businesses to offer faster, more seamless digital payment experiences.

The discussion also looks beyond today’s payment landscape to explore emerging technologies, including biometric authentication and agentic commerce, where AI agents can discover, select, and complete purchases on behalf of consumers.

Alpay outlines how Network International is preparing for this next chapter by building the infrastructure, trust, and compliance layers required to support intelligent, AI-enabled transactions across the region.

Whether you’re a merchant, entrepreneur, or simply interested in the future of digital commerce, this conversation offers valuable insights into the innovations transforming digital payments—and what businesses can do today to build secure, scalable, and future-ready payment experiences.

Watch the full episode on Entrepreneur Middle East’s YouTube channel:

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