We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience.
This includes personalizing content and advertising.
By pressing "Accept All" or closing out of this banner, you consent to the use of all cookies and similar technologies and the sharing of information they collect with third parties.
You can reject marketing cookies by pressing "Deny Optional," but we still use essential, performance, and functional cookies.
In addition, whether you "Accept All," Deny Optional," click the X or otherwise continue to use the site, you accept our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service, revised from time to time.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Visa-UnionPay Link-Up: A Turning Point in Cross-Border Money Flow?
Read MoreHide Full Article
Key Takeaways
V partners with UnionPay International to link Visa Direct and MoneyExpress for China cross-border payouts.
Visa gains access to 95% of UPI debit cardholders via a single integration, lowering friction.
V embeds into domestic rails ahead of a first-half 2026 rollout, monetizing flows via real-time settlement.
Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) is ramping up its efforts in global money movement through a partnership with UnionPay International (“UPI”). This collaboration aimed at expanding the reach of Visa Direct in the Chinese Mainland. By linking Visa Direct with UPI’s MoneyExpress platform, clients will be able to send cross-border remittances and business-to-consumer payouts to more than 95% of UnionPay International debit cardholders in the region through a single integration, significantly lowering friction for global senders.
This strategic move bolsters Visa's transition from a card-centric revenue stream to an infrastructure-driven model for money movement. As global labor and digital platforms grow, cross-border payments are becoming structurally significant, particularly for freelancers, creators and businesses. China’s scale makes it a critical corridor and access point, and this breadth meaningfully expands Visa Direct’s addressable transaction volume.
For V, the partnership complements its international expansion strategy. Rather than competing with domestic rails, the company is embedding into an incumbent network with regulatory familiarity and distribution scale. This reduces execution risk while allowing Visa to monetize flows through value-added services like real-time settlement, transparency and reliability — areas where global platforms increasingly differentiate on experience rather than price alone.
Looking ahead to an expected first-half 2026 rollout, the partnership could represent a step-change in Visa’s money movement strategy. As cross-border payments increasingly compete on reach and consistency, exposure to large, high-volume corridors such as the Chinese Mainland enhances Visa Direct’s relevance within evolving real-time payout networks.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of V’s competitors in the payments space include Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) and American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) .
Mastercard is expanding cross-border reach by enhancing its Move platform and forging partnerships with digital wallets and corporate payment providers. Mastercard’s payment network net revenues increased 12% year over year in 2025, along with 15% growth on a local currency basis in cross-border volumes.
American Express is focusing its cross-border strategy on global business payments and integrated corporate solutions. Through investments in digital platforms and partnerships, it emphasizes simplified international payouts for enterprises, reinforcing its premium client ecosystem. American Express reported 7% year-over-year growth in its network volumes in 2025.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, shares of Visa have declined 5.9% compared with the industry’s 18.2% fall.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.53, above the industry average of 19.62. V carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies an 11.8% jump from the year-ago period.
Image: Bigstock
Visa-UnionPay Link-Up: A Turning Point in Cross-Border Money Flow?
Key Takeaways
Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) is ramping up its efforts in global money movement through a partnership with UnionPay International (“UPI”). This collaboration aimed at expanding the reach of Visa Direct in the Chinese Mainland. By linking Visa Direct with UPI’s MoneyExpress platform, clients will be able to send cross-border remittances and business-to-consumer payouts to more than 95% of UnionPay International debit cardholders in the region through a single integration, significantly lowering friction for global senders.
This strategic move bolsters Visa's transition from a card-centric revenue stream to an infrastructure-driven model for money movement. As global labor and digital platforms grow, cross-border payments are becoming structurally significant, particularly for freelancers, creators and businesses. China’s scale makes it a critical corridor and access point, and this breadth meaningfully expands Visa Direct’s addressable transaction volume.
For V, the partnership complements its international expansion strategy. Rather than competing with domestic rails, the company is embedding into an incumbent network with regulatory familiarity and distribution scale. This reduces execution risk while allowing Visa to monetize flows through value-added services like real-time settlement, transparency and reliability — areas where global platforms increasingly differentiate on experience rather than price alone.
Looking ahead to an expected first-half 2026 rollout, the partnership could represent a step-change in Visa’s money movement strategy. As cross-border payments increasingly compete on reach and consistency, exposure to large, high-volume corridors such as the Chinese Mainland enhances Visa Direct’s relevance within evolving real-time payout networks.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Some of V’s competitors in the payments space include Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) and American Express Company (AXP - Free Report) .
Mastercard is expanding cross-border reach by enhancing its Move platform and forging partnerships with digital wallets and corporate payment providers. Mastercard’s payment network net revenues increased 12% year over year in 2025, along with 15% growth on a local currency basis in cross-border volumes.
American Express is focusing its cross-border strategy on global business payments and integrated corporate solutions. Through investments in digital platforms and partnerships, it emphasizes simplified international payouts for enterprises, reinforcing its premium client ecosystem. American Express reported 7% year-over-year growth in its network volumes in 2025.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Over the past year, shares of Visa have declined 5.9% compared with the industry’s 18.2% fall.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.53, above the industry average of 19.62. V carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies an 11.8% jump from the year-ago period.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Visa stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.