stc pay Bahrain has launched stc pay Secure Approve, an in-app transaction authentication feature for online card payments, becoming the first financial technology provider in the country to let customers review and approve payments directly within its mobile app rather than through SMS or email one-time passwords (OTPs).

The feature addresses security gaps in traditional OTP verification, which remains vulnerable to interception, phishing, and SIM swap fraud.

Instead of a numerical code, stc pay Secure Approve displays the merchant’s name and transaction amount in real time, letting customers confirm or decline the payment using their existing in-app credentials and device security.

“At stc pay, security must be both robust and seamless,” said Metin Zavrak, CEO of stc pay.

He said the update gives customers full visibility over their transactions before authorising a payment, rather than simply entering a code, and positions stc pay as the region’s most advanced digital wallet.

The feature is already live and requires no action or opt-in from users. It applies automatically the next time a customer makes an online purchase using an stc pay card.

Bahrain First, UAE Next?

stc pay operates under STC Group, Saudi Arabia’s largest telecommunications and digital services provider, which also runs stc pay operations in Bahrain and Kuwait.

STC Group has previously flagged plans to expand stc pay into the UAE, and stc pay’s own website already lists the UAE among the countries it serves.

The Bahrain rollout follows a string of recent product updates in the market, including a partnership with PayPal for cross-border transfers and support for Mastercard Click to Pay.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE based on an image by stc pay via its website.