Instant payments system promises quick access for gig workers

Details: Vaughan O'Grady; Category: Mobile Finance; 31 March 2026; 14842 views

Global payment infrastructure provider Thunes says it has launched a direct-to-workforce cross-border payout solution that allows businesses to pay remote overseas teams, freelancers and gig workers instantly.

The solution is accessible via a single API, eliminating the need for multiple relationships or complicated technical setups and enabling real-time compensation to be paid into 12 billion bank accounts, mobile wallets and stablecoin wallets, across 140 countries, any time.

As Thunes points out, slow and fragmented cross-border payment structures create a challenge for the global digital economy, with 90% of gig workers prioritising quick access to their funds when choosing payout systems.

Thunes says it alleviates this friction by connecting companies directly to local systems like M-Pesa, Alipay and GCash, boosting convenience and access to funds. Moreover, workers in markets with volatile local currencies can be paid in stablecoins (which are pegged to the US dollar), ensuring that the value of their work remains consistent despite foreign exchange fluctuations.

Thunes says the solution is already making a powerful impact for its members conducting overseas payroll, managing international gig-working platforms, making fast e-commerce refunds, processing insurance claims, and by NGOs operating in hard-to-access payout markets.

Thomas McAllister, Chief Revenue Officer at payroll solution Ontop, explains: “Managing payroll for a global remote workforce is complex, particularly in a rapidly-changing landscape with growing demand for alternatives such as stablecoin payouts.

“Together with Thunes we are simplifying this through real-time payments across borders, to billions of endpoints. This allows us to guarantee that our clients’ employees are paid on time, every time, in the format that suits them best.”

Elie Bertha, Chief Product Officer at Thunes, adds: “Our single API entry point reaches all corners of the world, ensuring that whether you are paying a creator in Argentina, a hail-riding driver in Singapore or a developer in Nairobi, the experience is fast, transparent and reliable.”