CardUp mobile app is a company.
Key people at CardUp mobile app.
CardUp mobile app was founded by Raphael Levy (Founder).
Key people at CardUp mobile app.
CardUp is a no-code payment platform that enables individuals and businesses to make and collect domestic or international payments digitally, including with credit cards in areas where they were previously not accepted, optimizing cash flow, automating processes, and earning rewards.[1][2][3] It serves businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to large enterprises, addressing pain points like manual payment chasing, limited card acceptance for expenses such as rent, taxes, and supplier invoices, and inefficient working capital management.[2][3] A subsidiary of Funding Societies since its June 2022 acquisition, CardUp has raised $1.7M prior to the deal and continues to expand in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and beyond, with features like invoice management, real-time dashboards, and up to 3% cashback or 1.6 miles per dollar.[1][2]
The platform's growth momentum stems from its 5-in-1 solution—paying suppliers, collecting from customers, digitizing payments, automating workflows, and unlocking interest-free credit at rates 68% cheaper than SME loans—saving users up to 2 days monthly on payments and 24 man-hours weekly.[2] Testimonials highlight its role in improving payment timeliness and working capital ratios for clients like Far Ocean Group.[2]
Founded in 2015 (with some sources noting 2016) in Singapore, CardUp emerged to solve the challenge of using credit cards for large, non-traditional expenses like property taxes, rent, and education fees, allowing users to earn rewards on payments typically ineligible for cards.[1][3][6] The idea gained traction by enabling "big payments" via credit cards, initially targeting individuals and businesses in Southeast Asia seeking better cash flow and miles/points accumulation.[6]
Key early milestones include partnerships like with Kaddra in 2021 for eCommerce credit access and regional expansion into Hong Kong and Malaysia.[3] A pivotal moment came in June 2022 when Funding Societies, a leading Asian SME financing platform, acquired CardUp to bolster its payments ecosystem, integrating it with services for uncarded expenses across Asia Pacific.[1][3] Led by a Founder & CEO (name not specified in sources), the company evolved from a rewards-focused payment tool to a comprehensive no-code finance automation platform.[3]
(Note: A separate U.S.-based CardUP Inc. offers digital business cards, but this profile focuses on the Singapore fintech matching the query's context.[4])
CardUp rides the digital payments wave in Southeast Asia, where 89% of people use or plan digital bills but face card limitations and security issues for recurring expenses like utilities and rent.[1] Its timing aligns with rising SME financing needs post-pandemic, tokenization tech (e.g., Mastercard integration via partners), and neobank growth, enabling card use for "uncarded" payments amid Asia's cash-to-digital shift.[1][3]
Market forces favoring CardUp include Funding Societies' ecosystem for SME credit and payments, regional expansion via partners like AXS in Singapore, and demand for rewarding, automated B2B finance tools amid high loan costs.[1][2][3] It influences the ecosystem by accelerating fintech adoption, improving approval rates with secure tech, and bridging traditional finance gaps for 11-50 employee firms to larger players.[1][4]
CardUp's integration into Funding Societies positions it for deeper SME lending synergies, potentially expanding to more APAC/Africa/LatAm markets via partners like 2C2P and FitBank.[1] Trends like agentic AI for payments (e.g., automated collections) and BNPL evolution will shape it, enhancing no-code features for global remittances and AI-driven cash flow predictions.[1][5] Its influence may grow as a rewards gateway in high-growth fintech hubs, evolving from payments enabler to full working capital suite—unlocking scalable growth for businesses chasing efficiency in a digital-first economy.[2][3]
CardUp mobile app was founded by Raphael Levy (Founder).