Across Asia Pacific, banks aren’t waiting to act. Investment in cross-border payments is already well underway, with over 72% of banks investing or expanding cross-border P2P capabilities, and nearly 76% investing in cross-border B2B payments. At the same time, account-to-account and domestic P2P payments are also seeing strong momentum.

This isn’t experimentation. It’s acceleration.

But as banks move to scale these capabilities, a more complex reality is emerging.

On the surface, the opportunity is clear: expand into new corridors, increase transaction volumes, and serve customers more effectively across borders.

In practice, it’s not that simple.

57.4% of banks in Asia Pacific cite the complexity of meeting multijurisdictional AML and compliance requirements in real-time as a major barrier to growth.

At the same time, 46.5% point to the high cost of cross-border payments driven by multiple intermediaries, while 35.6% highlight limited transparency of payment status and 36.6% cite lack of interoperability between systems.

What this creates isn’t just an operational barrier – it also highlights where customer experience can be improved. Delays, opaque fees, and limited visibility don’t stay behind the scenes. They show up directly in the customer experience.

Banks are investing to grow – but the systems that have served them well are now being pushed beyond their limits and holding that growth back.

Customer experience remains a top strategic priority

It’s no surprise, then, that customer experience remains a top strategic priority for banks in the region, with 46.5% identifying it as a key focus.

Banks point to very specific gaps:

• 44.6% prioritise faster cross-border transactions
• 35.6% highlight the need for better transparency of payment status
• 33.7% say reducing the cost of cross-border payments is critical

In other words, experience is measured in speed, visibility, and reliability – not just usability. Improving these factors is now central to how banks compete and grow.

In cross-border payments, those factors are directly shaped by how money moves behind the scenes – so the front-end and back-end challenges are intrinsically linked.

When asked what faster, more efficient payment capabilities would enable:

• 60.4% are aiming to reduce transaction fees
• 56.4% of banks are expecting increased customer acquisition
• 42.6% of banks are anticipating higher transaction volumes

These aren’t just operational upgrades; they’re the foundation of better customer relationships – and a clear path to growth.

What banks want isn’t just seamless payments. It’s scalable growth.

Despite the constraints, the direction of travel – and the opportunity – is clear.

Banks are not slowing investment – they are doubling down.

But their focus is shifting; it’s now about using payments as a lever for growth, to:

• Unlock and scale cross-border and B2B payment opportunities
• Reduce reliance on intermediaries
• Increase transparency across payment experiences
• Streamline operations without adding new layers of complexity

In a region defined by diverse markets, regulatory environments, and payment corridors, scale only works if it is sustainable.

Cross-border payments sit at the centre of growth across Asia Pacific.

They connect markets, unlock new revenue streams, and enable banks to compete beyond their traditional boundaries.

As investment accelerates, so does the need to rethink how these payments are supported.

The winners won’t just be the ones that move money faster – they’ll be the ones that remove the barriers to money movement at scale.

For deeper insights into how banks are addressing cross-border payment challenges and unlocking growth in APAC, read the full white paper.