Tradeling, Mastercard Team to Increase Small Business Access to Finance

The MENA-focused B2B eCommerce Tradeling has announced a collaboration with Mastercard.

As part of the partnership, Tradeling business-to-business (B2B) customers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using Mastercard SME or Business debit, credit, or prepaid cards will be able to redeem a 5% discount on all their purchases, the company said in a press release.

The release added that the partnership will also enable small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to access trade finance by leveraging both companies’ platforms to “overcome hurdles that are commonly faced by B2B buyers and sellers.”

Commenting on the news, Marius Ciavola, chief executive officer at Tradeling, said, “Our newly formed partnership with Mastercard ensures that the trajectory of eCommerce in the region continues.”

“We are delighted to partner with Tradeling as we advance our efforts to strengthen the UAE’s vibrant [SMB] sector. … The more digital doors we can open for small businesses, the more we can future-proof the growth of the industry,” added Gina Petersen, Mastercard VP and country business development lead for the UAE and Oman.

As Ciavola told PYMNTS in an interview last year, Tradeling has a “particular focus” on the SMB market which he said has been underserved and doesn’t have access to the same trade finance and cross-border payment solutions as large corporations.

“We’re very sensitive to the needs of those [SMB] customers,” he stressed, adding that they make up around 66% of the firm’s client base.

He said that Tradeling is focused on setting MENA buyers up for success by streamlining the business buying process and providing access to trade finance and digitized payment solutions.

For example, the company has partnered with Amazon Payment Services (APS) to increase the payment and credit options available to its customers.

Explaining the arrangement, Ciavola said, “With Amazon Payment services, customers can now make purchases using their credit cards and pay back in three- to 36-month installments, sometimes at zero or low-interest rates.”

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