EXCLUSIVE: “The Future of Borderless Payouts” – Runa in ‘The Paytech Magazine’

Runa’s new Pay to Card capability streamlines the process of remunerating and rewarding workers, partners, and customers – eliminating complexity and enabling businesses to deliver funds with speed and precision. The result is a more agile, strategic approach to global payouts.

Legacy payout systems come with a consistent set of hurdles: complex bank details, slow processing times, inconsistent experiences from country to country, and the constant headache of compliance. For businesses trying to scale globally – whether they’re paying creators, partners, gig workers, or customers – the challenges stack up fast. Business moves at the speed of now, but traditional payouts often do not.

It’s time to think differently about payouts. And expect better. Pay to Card offers a smarter way forward.

These increasingly popular payouts allow businesses to tap into the cards people already carry and use daily, making sending funds anywhere in the world as easy as sending an email. They offer payouts without borders. Fast, flexible, and seamless. The problem with the old model Traditional cross-border payouts were designed for a different era. They rely on: n Bank details that few people know off-hand and often can’t easily access How many people have their routing and bank account numbers memorised?

Local rails that don’t translate globally ACH in the US, BACS in the UK, SEPA in Europe, UPI in India all have different rules and timelines. They’re just a few examples.

• Vague timelines Funds can take days or nearly a week to arrive, leaving recipients in the dark and waiting for their money.
• Hidden fees Currency conversion and intermediary banks often chip away at what recipients actually receive, as can expensive wire transfers.
• Lacklustre support experiences When payouts go wrong, support teams are left dealing with frustrated recipients and often don’t have immediate solutions to appease them. That’s if and when they can be reached at all.
• The recipient doing the heavy lifting Making sure you have the right details, waiting for the funds, or even going into a physical bank branch.

For businesses, this fragmented landscape drives up operational costs and risks. Instead of focussing on growth, they get bogged down managing payout complexity across multiple countries and partners.

Payouts shouldn’t be just a back-office task. Done well, they can become a driver of loyalty, engagement, and revenue. If you pay people how they want to be paid – instantly, securely, and in a locally relevant way – you strengthen trust and unlock long-term value.

Enter Pay to Card: A simpler way

Pay to Card turns a complicated process into something radically simple. Instead of needing bank details or new accounts, recipients can use a debit or prepaid card they already have. They can also be issued a new prepaid card just for payouts. Behind the scenes, Pay to Card leverages the robust global networks of Visa and Mastercard, which already reach billions of people in nearly every country. Here’s how it works in practice:

1. You initiate the payout From your system or directly from a trusted partner, you set the payout amount.
2. Currency conversion is handled automatically If you’re funding in USD but your recipient is in the UK, for instance, conversion happens in the background.
3. Funds arrive instantly The recipient sees local currency appear on their debit card, ready to spend immediately.
4. You provide transparency Real-time tracking confirms when the payout lands, so you and the recipient are in the know.

The result is a frictionless experience for both sender and recipient. No waiting, no chasing, no complex onboarding.

Why Pay to Card matters for global businesses

Pay to Card offers a tech-enabled strategic advantage for businesses. By removing barriers and delivering funds instantly, organisations can:

• Reach more people, faster If you’re paying a gig worker in Brazil, a content creator in Germany, or a partner in India, recipients can securely load and store information for their preferred payout card from their physical or digital wallet. Plus, you don’t have to collect, manage, and protect sensitive data. All you need as the sender is an email address.
• Cut costs and risk There’s no need to manage multiple banking relationships or worry about failed payments due to missing details.
• Boost engagement and retention Instant, seamless payouts show recipients you value their time, building loyalty and trust.
• Scale with confidence One method works everywhere, eliminating the patchwork of payout systems across different regions.
• Create a local experience globally Using local language to deliver funds in local currency means they’re ready to use right away.

For recipients, the benefit is real money, real fast, delivered straight to the card they already use every day.

“It’s time to think differently about payouts. And expect better”

Use cases: where Pay to Card shines

Because it’s so flexible, Pay to Card unlocks value across industries and use cases:

• Gig economy and marketplaces Paying drivers, couriers, or freelancers instantly helps keep your business competitive and workers motivated. You can pay freelancers, influencers and other gig workers without worrying about whether they’re set up on a specific payment platform.
• Employee incentives Companies with a global workforce can deliver bonuses or stipends without the friction of bank wires. This gives you access to global talent without a hefty price tag.
• Customer refunds and rebates Instead of waiting days for a refund, customers see funds land back on their card in real time. This concept also works for rebates that immediately reinforce desired behaviours, or even appeasements when you need to make something right.
• Loyalty programmes and rewards Flexible, spend-anywhere funds beat the limitations of traditional vouchers or closed-loop systems. Want to reward a customer a reward for their loyalty or for making a purchase? Consider it done.

Wherever there’s a need to move money instantly and globally, Pay to Card offers a smarter path. Pay to Card can be easy with the right partner

While Pay to Card technology is powerful, businesses need more than rails. They also need a partner who makes it seamless to implement and manage. This combination of the right infrastructure and a global payouts platform removes friction at every step. With a single integration through the Runa API, businesses can embed payouts directly into their workflows and consolidate multiple payout options into one powerful system.

Whether domestic or cross-border, funds reach recipients instantly, turning payouts from a bottleneck to a growth driver. Runa offers:

• Localised funds Currency conversion and compliance are handled in the background. Businesses can fund in USD and Runa will convert automatically, cover encryption, licensing, and cross-border compliance to give businesses peace of mind.
• Transparency and security Every payout is tracked in real time with delivery confirmations. Thanks to Runa Assure, security is embedded at the core, ensuring businesses can move money confidently and in compliance, while recipients get funds without risk.
• Seamless experience for recipients Recipients don’t need new apps or accounts. With just an email and their existing card, they can access funds instantly. It feels local, even when it’s global.
• Better value Different payout methods can be combined to deliver even more value.

For example, receiving a bonus gift card for selecting a preferred payout option.

From transaction to transformation

Payouts are often treated as the last mile of a transaction. But with the right infrastructure, they can become a powerful tool for better performance and user experiences. Faster payouts mean more engaged employees, happier partners, and more loyal customers. Instead of having to wait weeks for a payout or having to go to a physical bank location, people can get their money with a swipe or tap on their smartphone.

Runa makes this possible by turning payouts into something more than a cost centre. Businesses can move money while moving their relationships, reputation, and revenue forward.

Breaking down global barriers

Payouts don’t have to be border-limited anymore. People expect speed, flexibility, and simplicity, whether they’re ordering dinner, streaming content, or getting paid. Pay to Card is one of the clearest examples of how financial technology can deliver on that expectation for a seamless digital lifestyle. It strips away complexity and gives businesses the ability to meet recipients where they are and how they want.

Global payouts don’t have to be an obstacle or an afterthought. Instead, they can serve up a competitive advantage that helps businesses expand faster, engage better, and lead with confidence.

This article was published in The Paytech Magazine Issue #17, Page 12-13