Salla acquires Paylink to integrate fintech into Saudi commerce OS

Saudi e-commerce platform Salla has acquired Paylink, a domestic fintech company specializing in electronic payment solutions. The move integrates Paylink's payment infrastructure directly into Salla's commerce ecosystem to expand the financial services available to its merchant base.

Paylink, founded in 2017 by Ammar AlTwaijri and Abdulelah Alsayegh, holds a license from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) to provide e-commerce payment services. By absorbing this infrastructure, Salla can now provide advanced payment management that spans both online storefronts and physical sales channels. According to the company, the acquisition specifically enables merchants to accept payments in multiple currencies and reach international markets.

Strategic Ecosystem Expansion

This acquisition is part of a broader effort by Salla to evolve its platform into a comprehensive commerce operating system. The company has previously pursued a strategy of aggressive ecosystem expansion, which included the acquisition of Sweply—subsequently rebranded as Salla Ads—to bring AI-driven digital advertising to its users. By adding a licensed payment layer to its portfolio, Salla is moving beyond simple store enablement to control the critical financial flow of its merchants' businesses.

Impact on Saudi Merchants

Owning the payment layer reduces operational complexity for business owners by consolidating commerce and finance within a single platform. The integration is expected to facilitate the global expansion of Saudi brands by removing friction from international transactions. Furthermore, Salla intends to enhance its physical retail capabilities by expanding its point-of-sale (POS) offerings, including the implementation of SoftPOS technology, which allows software to turn mobile devices into payment terminals.

"We believe that financial services are a natural extension of this vision," said Nawaf Hariri, Founder and CEO of Salla. "Our acquisition of Paylink adds important capabilities and expertise to Salla that will help us build smarter and more integrated payment solutions."

Future Outlook

Industry observers will now watch how quickly Salla rolls out its SoftPOS capabilities and whether the integration leads to a higher adoption of international sales among its merchant base. While the core acquisition is complete, the full technical integration of Paylink's SAMA-licensed services into the Salla dashboard remains the primary next step for the company's fintech roadmap.