UniBank has partnered with Mastercard to launch Mi Negocio sin Frontera, a cross-border payments solution for Panamanian SMEs.
According to the official press release, the offering extends UniBank's existing Mi Negocio proposition with new functionality aimed at reducing friction in cross-border transactions and improving visibility over the movement of funds.
Addressing a gap in SME cross-border payments
Panama occupies a position in regional trade and financial services due to its logistics and banking infrastructure. As local companies expand their supplier and customer relationships abroad, cross-border payment capabilities have become a factor in maintaining operational efficiency and business continuity.
According to a 2026 study conducted by Mastercard and FXC Intelligence, SMEs account for more than 40% of import payments across Latin America. The same research found that three out of four surveyed SMEs said unpredictable payment timing had directly affected their working capital, complicating cash flow management and business planning. The study also indicated that 95% of SMEs open to changing providers said they would consider moving other banking services within twelve months, pointing to a broader appetite among smaller businesses for improved payment infrastructure.
With this in mind, Mi Negocio sin Frontera is built on Mastercard Move, Mastercard's set of money movement capabilities, and connects bank accounts, cards, and other receiving points to widen the payment options available to businesses. Through the platform, UniBank customers can send payments to more than 50 countries, including destinations in Central America, the US, Europe, and Asia. Transfers are processed with next-day or near-real-time availability, depending on the receiving system in the destination market.
The solution is positioned to reduce the manual processes traditionally associated with international transfers, giving SMEs greater transparency and predictability over incoming and outgoing funds.
Company perspectives
John Rozo, General Manager of UniBank, said the collaboration with Mastercard is intended to give SMEs a more transparent way to manage financial operations across borders, supported by Mastercard's global payments network.
In addition, Soledad Rovira, Mastercard's Country Manager for Panama and Belize, said cross-border payments form part of the broader infrastructure that allows companies to connect with international suppliers, customers, and markets, and that the partnership with UniBank is aimed at extending these capabilities to Panamanian SMEs specifically.
Market implications
The launch reflects a wider trend among payment networks and banks to address structural gaps in SME cross-border payments, a segment that has historically had less access to the transparency and speed available to larger corporates. Through the process of linking a domestic bank's SME proposition to a global money movement network, UniBank and Mastercard aim to give Panamanian businesses a more predictable route into international markets, with potential implications for how similar partnerships develop elsewhere in Latin America's SME segment.
