Lean Technologies expands Pay by Bank on UAE open finance rails

By Parth Prabhudesai

Lean Technologies has expanded its Pay by Bank capabilities in the UAE, building on the country’s newly operational Open Finance framework to strengthen account-to-account (A2A) payments across digital commerce.

The move enables businesses to initiate regulated payments directly from bank accounts, consolidating key use cases such as deposits, collections, checkout, and subscription payments into a single Pay by Bank suite. The expansion reflects a broader shift in the UAE’s payments landscape, where regulated A2A infrastructure is emerging as an alternative to traditional card-based systems.

Lean has been offering A2A payments in the UAE since 2022 and has processed billions in total payment volume. The company said its infrastructure has been adopted by major enterprises including e&, Careem, DAMAC and OKX. According to Lean, the platform has helped businesses save over $100 million in card-related fees.

Tewfik Cassis, Chief Product Officer at Lean Technologies, said, “By bringing these capabilities together under Pay by Bank, Lean reinforces account-to-account payments as a visible and scalable payment method within digital commerce.”

He added, “Over the past four years, we have demonstrated that this model works at scale, processing billions in transaction volume and embedding these payments into everyday digital journeys.”

The launch builds on the UAE’s structured rollout of Open Finance, which enables regulated payment initiation and supports interoperability across financial institutions. By aligning its platform with this framework, Lean aims to provide businesses with a secure and standardised way to adopt A2A payments.

The development positions Pay by Bank as a scalable payment option alongside cards, offering businesses greater flexibility while reducing transaction costs. Lean said it will continue to expand its infrastructure to support the ongoing growth of the UAE’s digital economy.