Can Ovanti’s Mastercard Partnership Overcome US BNPL Market Challenges?

Strategic Partnership with Mastercard’s Finicity

Ovanti Limited (ASX – OVT) has taken a significant step in its US expansion by entering into a contract with Finicity Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mastercard. This collaboration is designed to underpin the launch of Ovanti’s Flote buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform in the United States, scheduled for the first quarter of 2026. By leveraging Mastercard’s Open Finance capabilities, Ovanti aims to bring a new level of intelligence and transparency to consumer payments.

Harnessing Open Finance for Smarter Consumer Decisions

The partnership enables Ovanti to access secure, permissioned financial data and cash flow insights, allowing Flote to make faster and more accurate credit decisions without relying on traditional credit scores. This approach aligns repayment schedules with consumers’ actual income and spending patterns, potentially reducing default rates and improving overall repayment performance. It also positions Ovanti as a challenger BNPL provider with a differentiated value proposition in the competitive US market.

Accelerating Merchant Adoption and Market Entry

With Mastercard’s robust open finance infrastructure backing Flote, Ovanti is poised to reduce friction at checkout and enhance merchant conversion rates. The integration promises a seamless ecosystem connecting consumers, merchants, and lenders through transparent data sharing. Ovanti US Inc. CEO Peter Maher highlighted that this foundational step will help scale merchant adoption and deliver a highly differentiated BNPL product tailored to the US consumer landscape.

Building on Fintech Expertise and Regional Experience

Ovanti’s core technology platform, which already services banks and telcos in Malaysia and Indonesia, provides a strong foundation for its US ambitions. The company’s expertise in fintech and digital commerce solutions, combined with this new partnership, could give it a competitive edge as it navigates the complex US BNPL market. The collaboration with Mastercard’s Finicity underscores Ovanti’s commitment to innovation and data-driven consumer finance.

Looking Ahead to Flote’s US Launch

As Ovanti prepares for Flote’s commercial rollout in early 2026, the market will be watching closely to see how effectively the company can leverage this partnership to gain traction among US merchants and consumers. The integration of open finance data could redefine affordability assessments in BNPL, offering a fresh alternative to traditional credit-based models.