HitPay, Primer partner to expand cross-border payments for MSMEs

HITPAY, a Singapore-based payment platform, has partnered with payment infrastructure firm Primer to help Filipino micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) tap overseas markets by making cross-border transactions easier to manage.

Under the partnership, HitPay merchants can accept payments from customers in major markets such as the US and Europe using Primer’s global infrastructure. HitPay will continue to manage payment processing, compliance and settlement for merchants operating in the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia.

HitPay is regulated by multiple authorities including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Bank Negara Malaysia, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre and the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, giving merchants regulatory coverage across key markets.

MSMEs account for about 99% of businesses in the Philippines, but payment complexity has long limited their ability to sell abroad. HitPay said local firms have often treated overseas expansion as a lower priority due to fragmented payment systems and compliance hurdles.

“The Philippines is at a tipping point,” HitPay said in a statement, adding that simplifying access to international payments could help smaller businesses compete beyond the domestic market.

Across Southeast Asia, MSMEs represent about 97% of all businesses. The region’s cross-border e-commerce market is projected to exceed $76 billion (P4.5 trillion) by 2030 as merchants seek customers outside their home countries.

HitPay said the partnership lets merchants accept multiple currencies beyond Southeast Asia, while keeping payment performance aligned with local market conditions.

For sellers, this reduces the need to manage multiple payment service providers and navigate complex licensing requirements, which often slow expansion.

“Pairing HitPay’s regional depth with Primer’s global infrastructure creates a two-way expansion model,” Primer co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Gabriel Le Roux said. “It connects Southeast Asian merchants to the world, and global merchants to Southeast Asia.”

The deal also brings HitPay into the Primer for Partners Program, launched in December 2025. The program allows payment providers to build and manage their own integrations on Primer’s platform, making their services available to Primer’s merchant network while tracking performance across markets.

Primer said the partnership gives its merchants access to Southeast Asia’s fragmented payment landscape without the need for additional integrations. — B.M.D. Cruz