Bringing Practical AI Solutions to SMEs

HONG KONG, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Payment Asia Group ("Payment Asia" or "Group") today announced the expansion of its artificial intelligence capabilities with the introduction of the Merchant Health Index (MHI) and the ARCS Marketing Platform, reinforcing the Group's commitment to helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) harness AI to enhance business performance, marketing effectiveness, and operational resilience.

The announcement comes as Hong Kong accelerates its AI agenda, encouraging broader adoption across industries to boost productivity, strengthen competitiveness, and create new opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

"Artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic growth engine, moving decisively from experimentation into business operations," said Paul Tang, COO of Payment Asia. "For SMEs, the value of AI lies in its ability to support smarter decisions, greater efficiency and long-term business growth. Our strategy focuses on making enterprise-grade intelligence accessible through practical solutions that help merchants anticipate change, strengthen resilience and capture new opportunities."

Introducing the Merchant Health Index (MHI) and ARCS Marketing Platform

The Merchant Health Index (MHI) is an AI-powered merchant intelligence framework that transforms business and transaction information into meaningful business insights. Designed to provide a forward-looking view of merchant health, it helps businesses identify potential risks, uncover growth opportunities, and respond more effectively to changing market conditions. MHI is a major showcase of Payment Asia's "More than Payment" strategy, extending the Group's role beyond payments to deliver intelligence, tools, partnerships, support, and more through an integrated ecosystem focused on long-term merchant success.

Drawing on merchants' operating metrics from before onboarding, such as compliance records and business registration information, and after their first transaction, such as website activity, transaction behavior, and other relevant indicators, MHI generates a comprehensive financial health score. Its transparent, evidence-based approach offers a broader view of business performance and resilience, helping to identify emerging issues, unusual transaction patterns, and opportunities for operational improvement earlier.

"Through the launch of MHI, Payment Asia aims to contribute to the development of an objective industry benchmark that provides a clearer view of merchants' financial health," added Tang. "We believe greater transparency and standardized insights can help drive the industry's continued growth and development."

Alongside MHI, Payment Asia has unveiled the ARCS Marketing Platform, an AI-driven tool that helps SMEs streamline content creation and digital marketing. It generates localized text and product imagery tailored to Hong Kong consumers and offers a wide selection of preset prompts and campaign templates for common SME marketing needs, enabling merchants to launch campaigns more efficiently across multiple channels. A payment link generated by Payment Asia will also be included to direct customers to make a purchase. Payment Asia is inviting selected F&B merchants to join its pilot program.

The launch of MHI and ARCS builds on Payment Asia's broader AI strategy, which advanced significantly with the introduction of AI capabilities for the Group's mascot, PACO, in 2023.

Founded in 1999, Payment Asia today serves more than 100,000 merchants across Hong Kong and international markets. The Group recorded more than 30% year-over-year growth in global transaction volume in the first three quarters of 2026. Over the past decade, including during the COVID pandemic, Payment Asia has consistently achieved double-digit growth in worldwide transaction volume, supported by its early expansion into international markets and strong positioning in digital payment services as businesses and consumers accelerated their shift toward e-commerce.

At Hong Kong FinTech Week next week (Booth 5FG-TAO4), Payment Asia will present the Merchant Health Index (MHI), the ARCS Marketing Platform, and its latest innovations designed to help businesses unlock growth opportunities. At the booth's "Insights Lounge," Payment Asia and its partners will discuss emerging trends in merchant services, intelligent payments, and next-generation commerce, reinforcing the Group's vision of serving as a gateway to business growth and takeoff.

About Payment Asia

Established in 1999 and based in Hong Kong, Payment Asia Group is a leading e-payment technology and e-commerce management company specializing in offering a secure and prompt payment processing network to local and global businesses. The Group also invests in and operates several fintech companies, building a diversified ecosystem spanning digital payments, asset management, trust services, lending, and other financial services. Driven by professionalism, dedication, and innovation, Payment Asia aspires to grow together with our clients and shape the future together. For more information, please visit: https://paymentasia.com/