Citi Teams Up with Dandelion for Lightning-Fast Global Wallet Payments

Citigroup and Dandelion, a subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide, have joined forces to revolutionize cross-border payments by combining Citi’s WorldLink Payment Services with Dandelion’s extensive digital wallet network.

As a digital payments powerhouse operating in over 63 countries, Dandelion brings critical access to markets where digital wallets dominate financial transactions. This partnership specifically targets the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Colombia—regions where traditional banking often takes a backseat to mobile-based financial solutions.

I’ve watched these banking giants struggle to adapt to the digital economy for years, and this move feels like Citi finally acknowledging they can’t go it alone in emerging markets. By plugging into Dandelion’s established infrastructure, they’re essentially buying their way into relevance in regions they’ve historically underserved.

The collaboration promises near-instant, full-value payments into digital wallets globally with almost 24/7 availability. For Citi’s institutional clients, especially those in the remittance business, this means faster and more cost-effective business-to-consumer payments.

Behind the PR language, this is clearly Citi’s attempt to maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving payments landscape. With their system already processing 11 million instant payments daily and handling nearly $380 billion in cross-border transactions last year, this partnership extends their WorldLink service to over 135 currencies through various payment methods.

What they’re not highlighting is how fintech startups have been eating their lunch in these regions for years. This partnership feels reactive rather than innovative—a necessary move to keep from being completely sidelined in emerging digital economies.