J.P. Morgan Payments is expanding its cross-border payments infrastructure through a new collaboration with Thunes, combining J.P. Morgan’s access to local real-time payment rails with Thunes’ Direct Global Network. The integration expands Xpedite Remit’s reach to bank accounts and mobile wallets across more than 100 corridors, targeting faster payouts for remittances, supplier payments and international bill settlement.

Cross-border payments are increasingly being rebuilt around local payment infrastructure rather than a single global transaction path. J.P. Morgan Payments is taking another step in that direction through a collaboration with Thunes, expanding its Xpedite Remit solutions with access to local real-time payment networks and Thunes’ Direct Global Network.

Announced September 22, 2026, the collaboration is designed to help J.P. Morgan Payments clients send funds directly to bank accounts and mobile wallets across more than 100 corridors. The solution supports same-currency payouts as well as foreign-exchange conversion, while providing principal protection and end-to-end transaction traceability, according to the companies.

The technical proposition is relatively straightforward: J.P. Morgan brings banking, FX and local real-time payments connectivity, while Thunes adds an extensive network of local payout endpoints. The combination allows clients to access multiple payment methods through a single account and connectivity layer instead of integrating separately with payment systems in every market.

Thunes says its network can connect to 12 billion mobile wallets and bank accounts across more than 100 corridors. Its broader Direct Global Network spans more than 140 countries and 90 currencies, according to the company.

For multinational businesses, that abstraction can be important. Local payment preferences vary substantially between markets. Consumers and businesses may rely on bank transfers in one country, mobile wallets in another and domestic instant-payment systems elsewhere. Supporting those methods independently can create additional integration, reconciliation, FX and compliance requirements.

The J.P. Morgan-Thunes arrangement effectively moves some of that complexity into the payment infrastructure layer.

The initial use cases include instant supplier settlements, bill payments and remittances, with rollout covering markets such as India, Mexico, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Pakistan and the Philippines.

The timing reflects a broader shift in the economics and architecture of cross-border payments. McKinsey estimates that global cross-border payment flows reached approximately $190 trillion in 2025, generating more than $290 billion in revenue. Its August 2026 analysis argues that international payments are increasingly becoming embedded into broader treasury, procurement, accounting and commerce workflows rather than operating as standalone products.

That trend creates an opportunity for payment orchestration providers. Rather than forcing businesses to select and manage individual rails, an orchestration layer can aggregate domestic real-time payment systems, bank networks, wallets, cards and other payment mechanisms behind a common API or account structure.

The model also aligns with regulatory and infrastructure efforts to make cross-border payments faster and more interoperable. The Bank for International Settlements’ Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures said in May 2026 that expanding access to payment systems, extending operating hours and designing interoperability into fast-payment systems are important foundations for improving cross-border retail payments. It also highlighted standardized APIs and connections between fast-payment systems as ways to reduce inefficiencies.

For J.P. Morgan, the collaboration extends an existing cross-border infrastructure strategy. Its Xpedite platform already provides financial institutions with cross-currency payment and receipt capabilities, supporting payments in 120 currencies across more than 200 countries and territories, according to the bank.

The new Thunes connectivity adds another dimension: access to local endpoints that customers already use.

J.P. Morgan Chase’s consumer and community banking business is also expected to benefit. The bank says its Chase accounts serve approximately 94 million consumer and small-business customers, with the expanded payment rails intended to support faster inbound payments into the United States.

That connection between institutional payment infrastructure and consumer-facing banking is significant. Cross-border payments are no longer limited to corporate treasury departments. Migrant workers, freelancers, international students, online sellers, suppliers and small businesses increasingly move money between countries as part of routine economic activity.

The competitive landscape is consequently becoming more fragmented. Banks such as J.P. Morgan are competing alongside fintech payment platforms, remittance providers and infrastructure companies that specialize in local payment connectivity. McKinsey notes that nonbank providers have already captured significant shares of consumer cross-border payment activity, while competition is increasingly moving into SME and business flows.

The collaboration also illustrates how banks can use fintech infrastructure without abandoning their existing banking relationships. Instead of building direct integrations with every local wallet or payment system, J.P. Morgan can extend its existing payment capabilities through a specialized network provider.

For businesses, the practical impact will depend on corridor coverage, payout speed, FX economics, compliance requirements and the availability of specific local payment methods. A broad network does not eliminate those market-level differences.

Still, the direction is clear. Cross-border payment infrastructure is shifting from correspondent-network complexity toward API-driven orchestration of local rails. J.P. Morgan’s collaboration with Thunes is another example of that transition, combining global banking infrastructure with locally relevant payment endpoints.

Market Landscape

Cross-border payments are becoming increasingly dependent on local real-time payment systems, payment orchestration and API connectivity. McKinsey estimates $190 trillion crossed borders in 2025, while its 2026 research identifies payment orchestration as an emerging infrastructure layer connecting banks, fintechs, domestic instant-payment systems, cards and digital wallets.

The BIS CPMI has likewise identified interoperability between fast-payment systems, extended operating hours and standardized API frameworks as important components of more efficient cross-border payments.

This creates room for partnerships between global banks and specialized fintech infrastructure providers. Rather than replacing banking rails, companies such as Thunes can provide the connectivity layer that helps banks reach local payment ecosystems at scale.

Top Insights

• J.P. Morgan Payments is adding Thunes connectivity to Xpedite Remit for faster payouts to bank accounts and mobile wallets across 100+ corridors.
• The infrastructure combines J.P. Morgan’s local real-time payment connectivity with Thunes’ global network of payment endpoints.
• Initial use cases include remittances, supplier settlements and international bill payments across major emerging and developed markets.
• McKinsey estimates global cross-border payment flows reached $190 trillion in 2025, highlighting the scale of the infrastructure opportunity.
• The partnership reflects a broader shift toward API-based payment orchestration connecting global banks with fragmented local payment rails.

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