Zepz acquires Pomelo to push beyond remittances into credit cards. Zepz, the global payments group behind worldremit and Sendwave, has acquired Pomelo, a fintech platform known for offering the "first credit card built for money transfer." The deal marks a significant strategic pivot for Zepz, signaling its intent to evolve beyond pure cross-border payments into broader financial services, including lending and credit building. Merging credit with remittance. Based in San Francisco with a strong foothold in the Philippines, Pomelo has carved out a niche by integrating consumer credit with global remittances. Unlike traditional money transfer services that require upfront cash, Pomelo allows users to send money using credit, eliminating cash advance fees and high APRs typically associated with using credit cards for transfers. Crucially, the product enables users to build their credit history through their remittance obligations - a feature designed to serve cross-border communities that are often excluded from mainstream financial scoring systems. Mark Lenhard, CEO of Zepz, described the move as a "natural next step" in the company's evolution. "It will allow us to offer customers access to cards and credit services, and supports our broader ambition of financial empowerment for cross-border communities," Lenhard said. "Pomelo is a strong product built by a fantastic team, and we're looking forward to extending these capabilities together over the long term." Strategic expansion. The acquisition builds on Zepz's recent product expansions, such as the Sendwave Wallet, and aims to strengthen its position in core markets like the Philippines, where both companies already possess deep local knowledge. By bringing Pomelo's team and technology in-house, Zepz plans to broaden its revenue mix and improve customer retention by offering a more complete suite of financial planning tools. Eric Velasquez Frenkiel, CEO at Pomelo, commented: "Zepz shares our focus on serving cross-border communities and has tremendous potential to accelerate access to credit and everyday financial tools for people who have historically been underserved." While the acquisition has been finalised, Zepz noted that the Pomelo product has been "temporarily paused" for customers while the technology is integrated into the wider Zepz product roadmap. The company has not yet specified a timeline for the relaunch.

Zepz acquires Pomelo to bring credit-powered transfers to cross-border customers. Zepz's strategic acquisition of Pomelo paves the way for affordable, credit-enhanced remittances and broader financial services for global migrant communities. London-based global payments group Zepz, the parent of remittance brands WorldRemit and Sendwave, has completed the acquisition of Pomelo International, Inc., a fintech platform that fuses consumer credit with cross-border money transfer capabilities. Under the deal, Pomelo's team and product vision will be integrated into the Zepz ecosystem to help evolve the company beyond traditional remittances into credit, cards and long-term financial tools for cross-border communities. Pomelo's core product, a remittance-linked credit card system, fits into the Zepz family by giving senders in developed markets a way to fund transfers with a credit line while building credit history, rather than relying solely on debit balances or cash. In practical terms, users can make transfers using credit and then repay the balance on time to avoid interest and fees, making this option more affordable and flexible compared with traditional cash-advance cards that often charge high fees and interest. By folding this credit-based remittance model into its existing money transfer infrastructure, including the Sendwave Wallet, Zepz aims to offer customers a broader financial relationship, not just the movement of funds. That means access to cards, lending, and credit-building tools that can help users manage cash flow and strengthen their financial profiles over time. This acquisition also strategically reinforces Zepz's presence in key remittance corridors such as the Philippines, where Pomelo already has traction, while giving the group a stronger product set to serve underserved cross-border users across the Global South. The remittance market remains a massive and growing global industry with total cross-border flows valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually and projected to continue expanding as digital solutions become more widely adopted. Globally, 67% of respondents favour sending money to a bank account using a mobile or web app, and 40% transfer money digitally from physical locations, like banks or retail outlets. The majority of receivers also prefer remittance apps to cash and checks. As digital remittance services rise in popularity, combining affordable transfer options with credit-building features can help differentiate offerings and provide tangible benefits to users who regularly send money home.