ACI partners with iNet to boost Saudi digital payments

By Vriti Gothi

ACI Worldwide has partnered with iNet, Saudi Arabia’s independent NSP, to expand secure digital payments and support the Kingdom’s cashless goals.

Earlier this year, iNet secured principal licences to operate independently as a POS NSP, enabling the company to deliver POS services directly to banks and merchants across Saudi Arabia. A customer of ACI since 2006, iNet will now adopt the Postilion acquiring platform to deploy and manage a modern POS infrastructure that supports fast, omnichannel transaction processing while ensuring compliance with evolving local regulations.

At present, iNet handles over five million transactions daily. Through its partnership with ACI, the company intends to significantly scale its operations in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, which sets out to transform the Kingdom’s payments ecosystem and encourage the shift towards digital transactions.

The Postilion platform will provide iNet with enhanced capabilities, including support for SoftPOS, QR payments, link-based payments and digital wallets. These services will run on an active-active infrastructure across two PCI-compliant data centres within Saudi Arabia, designed to ensure high service availability and reduce operational risks.

Turki Almadi, Executive Vice President at iNet, said, “The rapid expansion of Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector underscores the need for a resilient, locally anchored infrastructure to scale securely and sustainably. iNet’s POS infrastructure, powered by Postilion, combines our deep local expertise with ACI’s advanced acquiring technology, enabling fintech providers and merchants with faster speed to market, allowing them to focus on their core business without being encumbered by regulatory, technological or operational challenges.”

Alexis Haessler, Regional Head, Middle East at ACI Worldwide, said, “Our partnership with iNet is grounded in a shared vision to simplify payments, unlock new growth opportunities and support the Kingdom’s journey towards a digital-first economy. Together, we are creating a frictionless and interoperable payment experience and powering a modern, inclusive and future-ready financial ecosystem.”

Looking ahead, iNet’s strengthened infrastructure is expected to contribute to major national projects and events, including Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2034, reinforcing the country’s ambitions to showcase technological leadership in digital financial services.