PayTabs Acquires TAPn’GO to Streamline MENA’s Contactless Payments

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 14-04-2026

4 min

PayTabs has acquired TAPn’GO to own the checkout experience across MENA.

The deal embeds contactless, smartphone payments into its unified “Super App”.

It aims to cut friction, merging in-store and online systems seamlessly.

Over 20,000 businesses may adopt the integrated, real-time payment platform.

With contactless booming, execution will decide if this becomes a regional “gamechanger”.

PayTabs Group has snapped up 100 per cent of TAPn’GO, a UAE-born contactless payment technology, in a move that underlines just how serious the Saudi fintech is about owning the checkout experience across MENA.

The acquisition folds TAPn’GO directly into the PayTabs “Super App”, a platform designed to bring together in-store and online payments under one roof. The idea is simple enough: make contactless payments faster, smoother and less of a faff for merchants and their customers. In practice, that means real-time, smartphone-based transactions embedded into a single merchant ecosystem.

For founders and operators across the region, this matters. I’ve lost count of how many startup teams told us at Arageek that managing fragmented payment systems was a bit of a headache, different providers for POS, online checkout, QR codes… you know? It slows teams down. And in retail or hospitality, a few seconds at the till can feel like forever.

TAPn’GO’s technology is built to reduce that friction. It supports features such as bill splitting, tipping and paperless receipts, while accepting cards, digital wallets and split payments. The aim is to cut waiting times and boost staff efficiency, whether in a café in Dubai, a clinic in Riyadh or a donation platform operating under tight regulations. The company says the solution is designed to work seamlessly across in-store, web and mobile channels.

According to PayTabs, more than 20,000 businesses across over thirty industries are preparing to adopt the integrated system. That’s no small feat. The group already operates as a regional distribution hub, connecting merchant experiences across online and offline environments. With TAPn’GO embedded, the Super App now adds smartphone-driven, contactless capability tightly synchronised with POS systems, plus loyalty and other value-added services.

Abdulaziz Al Jouf, Founder and CEO of PayTabs Group, said the acquisition reinforces the company’s ambition to connect businesses and consumers through what he described as a flawless, integrated payment experience in real time. He added that the deal supports wider regional economic growth and financial inclusion, turning everyday transactions into smarter, more connected interactions.

From TAPn’GO’s side, founder Cyrille Picard called the deal a potential “gamechanger” for the region, saying the technology, now proprietary to PayTabs Group, would contribute to ongoing digital disruption and create a win-win for stakeholders.

The financial terms were not disclosed. Still, the timing is telling. Contactless payments in MENA are reportedly growing at around 25 per cent annually, with real-time transactions projected to reach 3 billion by 2028. That’s serious momentum. On the flip side, competition in fintech is intense, and I reckon only players with genuine scale and deep integration will stay ahead of the pack.

Founded in 2014, PayTabs has built a full-stack payments infrastructure spanning digital invoicing, QR codes, social media payments, POS solutions and switching platforms. It processes transactions in multiple currencies and has offices in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, with a presence in Jordan and Kuwait. In October 2024, it became the first company from the Arab world to be named among the top 100 global fintech firms, a milestone that was, for many in the Saudi startup scene, a definately proud moment.

That said, acquisitions are always easier announced than executed. The real test will be how smoothly TAPn’GO’s tech integrates into the Super App, and whether merchants truly feel the benefits on the ground. If PayTabs gets this spot on, it could tighten its grip on a region where digital payments are no longer a luxury but the default. And for MENA’s startups trying to scale without operational chaos, that can only be good news.

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