Merchant Acquiring
End-to-end acquiring strategy, onboarding and portfolio growth across UAE markets.
Based in Dubai · Available for advisory
Scaling payments across the Middle East.
I'm Prashant Punjabi — a merchant acquiring, POS and lending leader with 18+ years helping banks, gateways and e-commerce platforms grow revenue, expand portfolios and ship payment products that stick.
- 18+
- Years in Banking & Payments
- 9
- Industry Leaders Served
- 6
- Languages Spoken
- UAE
- Regional Expertise
What I do
Deep expertise across the payments stack.
Lending
Structuring merchant lending — Loan Against POS Receivables, SME credit and risk-aware growth.
Business Development
Building sales pipelines, closing enterprise deals and scaling revenue for fintechs and banks.
Fraud & Risk
Award-winning collaboration with fraud teams to mitigate lending risk and nab fraudsters.
Cluster & Relationship Mgmt
Leading multifaceted teams and nurturing long-term client relationships at AVP level.
Projects & Operations
Delivering payment infrastructure programs, launches and operational excellence.
E-commerce & Gateways
Payment gateway growth, product launches and experience solutions for merchants.
Profile
A results-driven leader in cards, acquiring & lending.
An accomplished and versatile professional with over 18 years of distinguished experience in banking and financial services — excelling in Merchant Acquiring, Lending, Business Development, Cluster Management, Fraud Investigations, SME Sales, Marketing, Relationship Management, E-commerce, Payments, and Operations.
Adept at leading multifaceted teams, devising strategic initiatives, and fostering enduring business relationships — with a proven track record of exceeding revenue targets and achieving operational excellence.
Strategic PlanningDecision-MakingCross-Functional CollaborationCards & Payments (CCPP1)SME LendingPortfolio Management
Career
Two decades. One mission.
VaultsPay
Sep 2024 — PresentHead of Merchant Acquiring Business
Dubai, UAE
Extra Miles
Aug 2024 — PresentSenior Consultant
Dubai, UAE
eeasy Payment Services
Sep 2023 — Sep 2024Head of BD — Experience Solutions & Acquiring
Dubai, UAE
Marshal Fintech Partners
Jun 2020 — Sep 2024Senior Manager — Projects & Operations
Dubai, UAE
Mashreq Bank
Nov 2017 — Jan 2020Cluster Head / Assistant Vice President
Dubai, UAE
PayTabs
Aug 2017 — Oct 2017Head Business Development
Dubai, UAE
First Gulf Bank
Jul 2012 — Mar 2016Business Development / Portfolio Manager
Dubai, UAE
Mashreq Bank
Mar 2005 — Jun 2012Cluster Head, RM & Business Support (7+ yrs)
Dubai, UAE
Recognition
Awards & honors.
★
Recognized for mitigating lending risks with Fraud Department
★
Launched Loan Against POS Receivables product for Business Banking
★
BRAVO Award — Launched new Start-Up product for Business Banking
★
Honored by the bank & CID for nabbing fraudsters
★
Delivered trainings across the bank for Business Banking products
Certifications
SABRE CRS Training
Cards & Payments Professional 1 (CCPP1)
Build & Manage a Profitable SME Card Program
IATA UFTAA Standard Course — Paper 1
Contact
Let's build the next chapter of payments & lending.
Open to advisory, board and leadership roles across acquiring, fintech, lending and e-commerce payments. Drop a note — I read every message.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates