A handshake in Dubai signals a future where identity and payments merge into a single digital layer.
KEN MACON
Visa and TECH5 have entered a seven-year global agreement aimed at accelerating the rollout of digital identity and payment systems under the broader framework of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
The initiative, formalized in Dubai, supports a vision promoted by organizations including the United Nations, the European Union, the World Economic Forum, and Bill Gates. DPI strategies are being pushed as part of a global roadmap to digitize identity and financial access by 2030.
Under this deal, Visa will combine its payments network with TECH5’s biometric and identity technology.
Together, the companies plan to create integrated platforms that allow individuals to store verified credentials and use them to access services and conduct financial transactions. These systems would be built with adaptability in mind, reflecting regional regulations and market conditions.
The collaboration will center on developing identity wallets that not only verify users but also include embedded payment capabilities. TECH5 brings AI-powered systems capable of facial, fingerprint, and iris recognition, while Visa contributes its infrastructure and global experience in digital payments.
Visa will provide strategic and financial support for selected projects. TECH5 will offer the core biometric and identity components.
Both companies say their joint work will prioritize data protection, user consent, and alignment with standards for wallet interoperability and digital credentials.
Machiel van der Harst, Co-founder and CEO of TECH5, said, “Our collaboration with Visa represents a significant step in broadening the reach and applicability of TECH5’s DPI technologies. By combining our identity and biometric expertise with Visa’s global payment network and resources, we are positioned to address the evolving needs of governments and institutions seeking secure and inclusive digital infrastructure.”
Dr. Svyatoslav Senyuta, Vice President and Head of Visa Government Solutions in the CEMEA region, added, “At Visa, we believe that secure, inclusive, and scalable digital identity is foundational to the future of payments.”
Although the announcement describes the agreement as global, neither company has confirmed where initial deployments will take place. Previous collaboration between Visa and TECH5 in Ethiopia helped support the Fayda digital ID system, and both were involved in the early stages of South Africa’s digital ID initiative.
Future pilot programs will depend on local regulations, governmental interest, and the readiness of implementation partners. The companies describe this as a flexible model that will adjust based on jurisdiction-specific needs.
The move reflects a broader international push to integrate verified digital identity with financial services. This is often presented as a way to reduce friction in service delivery, expand inclusion, and prevent fraud. However, privacy advocates continue to raise alarms over the implications of centralizing both identification and payment systems.
By embedding biometric ID into the infrastructure of daily life, these systems risk enabling mass surveillance, particularly in regions where transparency and oversight are weak. Claims around data protection and consent rely heavily on implementation details, many of which remain vague.
This article (Visa Enters The Digital ID Race) was created and published by Reclaim the Net and is republished here under “Fair Use” with attribution to the author Ken Macon
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