The Qatari fintech has launched its Visa card as digital payments become more established, giving the company an opportunity to build a broader relationship with consumers around everyday money management. 

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Qatar's digital payments market has developed rapidly in recent years, with the country's financial infrastructure expanding to support mobile wallets, instant transfers, ecommerce and card payments. Qatar Central Bank's Qatar Mobile Payment system now connects licensed mobile payment providers and allows customers to make instant transfers between participating wallets, while its Fawran system supports instant transfers between bank accounts. The expanding infrastructure has created more room for fintech companies to build consumer facing financial services, but it has also raised the bar for what those services need to offer. QCB recorded 66.2 million payment system transactions worth QAR20.1 billion in December 2025 alone, highlighting the scale of digital payment activity already taking place in the country. 

KARTY LLC is entering that market with its Visa card and a broader digital wallet proposition after receiving Visa's FinTech Innovation Award. The company says the card is the first Visa card in Qatar provided by a licensed fintech. It is licensed by Qatar Central Bank as a payment service provider and registered with the Qatar Financial Centre. Through the app, customers can open an account, load funds and use the Visa card wherever Visa is accepted. The service also includes a Visa Subscription Management feature that allows users to view recurring subscription payments and stop recurring card payments through the app. The current launch follows several years of development around the wallet, including a 2022 partnership with i2c to develop a digital Visa wallet with budgeting and spending management features. 

“We started KARTY with a simple idea: people should have a clearer view of their money and better tools to manage it. This award recognises the work that has gone into building this application and the success it’s had with our customers. It motivates us for our next steps.” stated Mohammed Suleiman, Co-founder of KARTY LLC 

The timing also reflects how the competitive environment for payment companies is changing. QCB's retail payment infrastructure already supports debit and prepaid cards across ATMs, points of sale and ecommerce, while its mobile payment and instant transfer systems give consumers several established ways to move money digitally. QCB's December 2025 figures recorded more than 66 million transactions across its payment systems in a single month, including 11.77 million ecommerce transactions and 50.71 million point-of-sale transactions. For a fintech entering this market, simply providing another way to make payments is unlikely to be enough on its own. Spending visibility, budgeting and controls around recurring payments give users reasons to engage with the platform beyond individual transactions, although the value of those features will ultimately depend on how often customers use them. 

The relationship with Visa gives the fintech access to an established global payment network while also placing the company within Visa's wider work with fintechs in the region. Both companies had previously worked together on the digital wallet before the latest card launch, making the award part of a relationship that has developed alongside the company's progression toward becoming a regulated payment provider. The more important stage is now underway as the business moves from building the product to establishing a customer base that uses it regularly. The 2022 i2c announcement confirms that the earlier wallet was designed around Visa branded digital cards and financial management tools, providing a clear link between that earlier product development and the current offering. 

“Qatar's digital economy is accelerating at an extraordinary pace with a growing base of digitally savvy consumers who expect more from payments and financial services. We are proud to recognise KARTY and remain committed to supporting the innovators and institutions that are shaping Qatar’s digital future.’’ said Luca Bianconi, Visa’s VP and Country Manager for Qatar 

The next phase will be shaped less by the availability of the card than by whether its wider financial management features give consumers a reason to keep the app in their daily financial routines. Qatar already has the payment infrastructure and regulatory framework to support digital services, while established banks and other providers give consumers plenty of existing options. The company's ability to turn its wallet, card and money management tools into a service customers find genuinely useful will ultimately say more about its position in Qatar's fintech market than the launch itself.  

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