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Asia-Pacific
Hong Kong, China
Money service operators are licensed by Customs & Excise; stored value facilities by the HKMA; virtual asset platforms by the SFC.
4 licences · 5 institutions
Regulator sites
Licence types
4What the regime looks like
- Money Service Operator licenceMSOCustoms & Excise licence for remittance and/or money changing — the main register for non-bank money services in Hong Kong.
- Permitted activities
- Operating a money service: remittance and/or money changing, as defined under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance.
- Typical holders
- Remittance firms, money changers and payment businesses that move or exchange money in Hong Kong.
- Application path
- Licence from the Customs and Excise Department; the public register is searchable on the MSOS portal.
- Key limits
- Does not authorise issuing stored value (that is the HKMA SVF regime) or operating a virtual asset trading platform (SFC VATP).
- Stored Value Facility licenceSVFThe HKMA licence for prepaid wallets and stored-value products — the core licence for e-wallets in Hong Kong.
- Permitted activities
- Issue or facilitate a stored value facility used to make payments.
- Typical holders
- E-wallet and prepaid-product operators serving Hong Kong users.
- Application path
- Licence from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority under the Payment Systems and Stored Value Facilities Ordinance.
- Key limits
- Does not by itself authorise virtual-asset trading (that sits with the SFC VATP regime).
- Banking licenceBanking licenceFull, restricted or deposit-taking company licence under the Banking Ordinance.Banking & deposit-takingOfficial source
- Virtual Asset Trading Platform licenceVATPSFC licensing regime for virtual asset trading platforms serving Hong Kong investors.Crypto-asset & VASPOfficial source
A hand-picked sample for orientation — not the full register.
- AdyenHolds a Dutch banking licence, so it settles as a bank in Europe and licenses locally elsewhere.BankingMTLEMIAFSLMPISVFIPLicensed inEuropean Union / EEAUnited StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaSingaporeHong Kong, ChinaBrazilUnited Arab Emirates
- AirwallexCross-border accounts, cards and acquiring with one of the widest licence footprints in APAC.AFSLAPIEMISVFMPIMSBLicensed inAustraliaUnited KingdomHong Kong, ChinaSingaporeUnited StatesMalaysiaNew ZealandChina (mainland)
- Checkout.comEnterprise acquiring with local acquiring licences across four regions.APIEMIMTLMPISVFLicensed inUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEAUnited StatesUnited Arab EmiratesSingaporeHong Kong, ChinaAustraliaJapan
- NiumReal-time cross-border payments and card issuance for banks and businesses.MPIEMIAPIMTLAFSLLicensed inSingaporeUnited KingdomUnited StatesAustraliaHong Kong, ChinaIndiaMalaysia
- PayoneerCross-border payouts and receivables for marketplaces and SMBs.MSBMTLEMIAPISVFAFSLLicensed inUnited StatesUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEAHong Kong, ChinaAustraliaSingaporeIndia
Region
A curated reference, not legal advice and not exhaustive. Confirm the scope of any licence with its regulator before relying on it.