Singapore has, by most measures, cracked cashless payments. PayNow is ubiquitous. QR codes work at hawker centres and luxury boutiques alike. Consumer readiness is high and the regulatory environment, shaped by MAS, is among the more coherent in the region.
But a 2026 analysis of payment and settlement inefficiencies across...
Real-time payments (RTPs) are becoming an integral part of everyday transactions across Southeast Asia, according to a regional study written in partnership with the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), Nextrade Group, and the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute (VEEI).
The study, "Strengthening Southeast Asia's Real-Time Payments: Security, Trust and New Pathways...
As Asia’s e-commerce growth accelerates, a less visible constraint is beginning to surface — one that sits not at the start of the customer journey, but at its most critical point. A Payoneer whitepaper estimates that US$72 billion in transaction value is being lost each year across Asia-Pacific due to breakdowns at...
Vietnam, one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing digital markets, is seeing its e-commerce seller economy expand at breakneck speed, driven by a young, digitally fluent generation of entrepreneurs - but the ecosystem supporting them is struggling to keep pace, according to a study by Milieu Insight.
The survey of 300 Vietnamese online sellers...
Retailers are planning significant investments in advanced digital solutions and warehouse automation to help address supply chain challenges and optimize fulfilment operations.
A survey by ABI Research found that more than 90% of retailers plan to deploy AI for both decision support and network optimization.
"Gen AI applications have slowly been...
While Chinese Mainland consumers living within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) exhibit higher confidence in artificial intelligence (AI) tools and are more exposed to AI-driven shopping experiences, Hong Kong consumers tend to be more reserved, underscoring the importance of tailoring AI strategies to local consumer behaviours and preferences, according to a...
The Aspire Hong Kong Ecommerce Pulse Check for 2025 reveals that while 100 Hong Kong merchants (with HKD 1–10 million annual business revenue) remain optimistic about growth even amid macroeconomic challenges, hidden financial friction is quietly eroding margins.Developed in collaboration with Stripe, the report identifies payment friction as the most...
Visa has released new survey findings on the state of digital commerce in Asia Pacific, revealing that while consumers are increasingly using AI to shop, concerns over security and transparency are creating hesitation at the crucial moment of checkout.
With Asia Pacific’s rapid shift towards digital commerce and mobile-first shopping,...
Frustrated that many durian desserts in Singapore failed to live up to the promised taste, lifelong durian lover Zenobia Loh decided to take matters into her own hands, creating desserts that let the fruit speak for itself.
Taking a leap of faith during the pandemic, she founded The Durian Bakery...
As Vietnam's e-commerce market surpasses USD25 billion, new analysis from leading consumer research company Milieu Insight reveals a significant shift in shopper expectations.
Based on a comprehensive study of shoppers across Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the findings show Vietnamese consumers are now prioritising reliability, service quality, and centralised accountability over the simple pursuit of low...
