3 Guidelines When Evaluating Global Payment Partners

By Pouya Moghavem, Chief Business Development Officer

In every industry, navigating global payouts is increasingly complex, and the decisions payout managers make can directly impact business continuity, customer trust, and operational efficiency. Based on my 15 years in the payments space, here are three essential guidelines - along with some approaches we’ve taken at MassPay - to help you evaluate global payment partners more effectively:

1. If You Have One Bank, You May As Well Have No Banks

Relying on a single banking partner is a significant operational risk. If that bank fails to deliver, changes its policies or ends the relationship, your payout capabilities can be disrupted overnight. The best practice is to build redundancy through multiple banking relationships. At MassPay, we’ve invested heavily in a large, redundant banking footprint and robust custodial architecture to ensure continuity and resilience. For payout managers, this means prioritizing partners who can demonstrate true banking redundancy and infrastructure depth.

2. Don’t Treat Payouts as an Afterthought

Payouts are often seen as a back-office function, but in reality, they’re a critical touchpoint with your customers, workers, or partners. The trust you build is often determined by how reliably and quickly you pay out. Delays or failed payments erode trust and can drive partners and customers away, while seamless payouts can increase loyalty and retention. We focus on making payouts a core part of the infrastructure, ensuring funds are delivered when, where, and how recipients want. This sounds simple but it’s surprising how few businesses really prioritize these details. This approach turns payouts into a differentiator and can even create new revenue opportunities by building stronger, stickier customer relationships.

3. Flexibility Is Essential - Not Just a Bonus

The global workforce is diverse, and so are their payment preferences. Flexibility in payout options is now an expectation, not a luxury. At MassPay, flexibility is built into our DNA. We support all domestic payout rails alongside globally preferred payout methods, including mobile wallets, stablecoins, and even cash delivery. This allows recipients to choose what works best for them, increasing satisfaction and engagement - and repeat business. When evaluating partners, payout managers should look for this level of adaptability and breadth of options to future-proof their payout programs. And it goes without saying that seamless compliance should be built into every option.

By keeping these basic principles in mind - and seeking partners who embody them - payout managers can reduce risk, enhance customer experience, and build a more resilient global payout operation, making payouts a business driver and customer stickiness tool - not an afterthought.