Visa Accelerates Support for Small and Micro Businesses Across APEC and Globally

11/20/2023

Visa Foundation pledges $100 million commitment to APEC economies
Visa surpasses its pledge to digitally enable 50 million SMBs globally
Visa announces SMB accelerator initiatives in U.S. and 15+ emerging economies

Visa (NYSE: V) and Visa Foundation today made several announcements related to their ongoing commitment to support small and micro businesses (SMBs) across APEC and the world. First, Visa Foundation is pledging $100 million to support underserved and women-led SMBs in APEC economies over five years. Visa announced it has exceeded its three-year goal of digitally enabling 50 million SMBs globally by June 2023 and has now helped nearly 67 million SMBs. To deepen its support for global SMBs, Visa launched a new initiative to further accelerate digital enablement of underserved SMBs in the United States and developing economies with an initial focus on APEC economies including Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, and Vietnam. Visa and Visa Foundation made these announcements as part of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum Economic Leaders and CEO Summit hosted by the United States in the City of San Francisco.

Small businesses are the heartbeat of the global economy and of their local communities, representing about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. To accelerate access for underserved and women-led SMBs in APEC economies, Visa Foundation has pledged $100 million over five years to advance digital financial inclusion, stimulate job creation, and increase access to capital to drive economic mobility. Through this pledge, the Foundation will collaborate with and complement the work of local partners to drive access for underserved communities.

In parallel, Visa’s multi-year goal helped SMBs meet their evolving payment needs in an increasingly dynamic commerce ecosystem, focusing on digitizing more ways to be paid by customers, ways to pay for supplies, goods and services, and providing access to financial skills through training and education. Of the nearly 67 million SMBs reached by Visa, an estimated 29.6 million are from economies in the APEC region, including 10.9 million women-led SMBs.

Recognizing the critical needs of SMBs, Visa announced new SMB accelerator initiatives in the United States and more than 15 developing economies. Visa is prioritizing economies that have clear digital development needs including APEC economies in Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines and Vietnam. In the economies where Visa will focus, cash still accounts for the majority of the ways businesses and individuals buy and sell and much of the population does not have access to digital payments.

“Small businesses are anything but small to Visa. Over the past three years, we’ve seen them shift from leveraging digital payments to survive, to now harnessing the power of digital to improve efficiency and reach new customers,” said Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., Executive Chairman at Visa and Co-Chair of the APEC CEO Summit 2023. “Visa is committed to continue expanding equitable access and extending digitization for underserved and women-led SMBs globally, so that payments can truly be a catalyst for growth.”

“SMBs form the core of Vietnam’s burgeoning economy, and Visa has been a proud supporter of facilitating their growth with secure and convenient digital payment solutions,” said Ms. Dung Dang, Visa Country Manager for Vietnam and Laos. “As part of our commitment, Visa will continue implementing innovative financial and payment solutions in supporting SMBs in Vietnam to help their businesses thrive.”

Visa has spearheaded an array of programs to support SMBs in Vietnam. In 2023, Visa launched its SMB Accelerator Program which has helped 20,000 SMBs and partners. The expanded SMB Accelerator initiatives will also focus on a wider set of partnerships with ecosystem participants to serve smaller sellers and fast-track solutions deployment for SMBs.

Recently, Visa has been a strategic partner and sponsor of Base.vn Baas Day – one of Vietnam’s largest technology and business events – and share data-driven SMB insights with attendees. Meanwhile, Visa’s Financial Literacy Program has run for the last ten years, and will continue strengthening the financial management skills of SMBs and ethnic minority groups in Vietnam. Visa’s partnerships with various e-wallets in Vietnam has also benefited SMBs by providing more modes of payment that are beneficial to both businesses and consumers. Wallets serve as a crucial conduit for greater financial inclusion to reach populations that may not have access to traditional banking services.

Powering SMB Growth Globally, Year-Round
Visa’s 50 million SMBs digital enablement milestone is just one piece of its and Visa Foundation’s ongoing commitment to help small and micro businesses thrive. Since April 2020, Visa Foundation has supported localized programs and solutions to enable small business owners to meet the fast-changing needs of commerce, trade and consumers in different parts of the world. Visa offers numerous payment services designed to help SMBs pay and get paid, and includes Visa Business credit and debit cards, rewards programs, business and payment management tools, fraud and security services, among many other solutions. Visa also provides financial education and business skills training, including Practical Business Skills globally and Enko in Latin America.

About Visa Foundation

Visa Foundation seeks to support inclusive economies where individuals, businesses and communities can thrive. Through grant making and investing, the Foundation prioritizes the resilience and growth of micro and small businesses that benefit women. The Foundation also supports broader community needs and disaster response in times of crisis. Visa Foundation is registered in the U.S. as a 501(c)3 entity. For more information visit: visafoundation.org.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive. We believe economies that include everyone uplifts everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.