ACI Worldwide and Security Bank Philippines Set New Benchmark for Enterprise-wide Payments Modernization

Key Terms

iso20022 technical

A global messaging standard that modernizes how financial institutions exchange payment and transaction information, ISO 20022 defines a common language and structured format for messages so banks, clearing houses and payment systems can communicate more precisely. For investors, it matters because the switch to ISO 20022 can improve cross-border payment speed and transparency, reduce errors and reconciliation work, and change banks’ operating costs and liquidity management—like everyone agreeing on one clear template instead of dozens of messy formats.

iso 20022-native technical

A system or service described as ISO 20022-native is built from the ground up to send and receive payment and financial messages using the ISO 20022 standard rather than converting between older formats. Think of it as moving from short, cryptic postcards to full, structured emails: it carries richer, standardized information that makes reconciliation, compliance and cross-border transfers smoother. For investors, being ISO 20022-native can mean lower operational risk, faster processing, and potential cost savings as the financial industry converges on the newer standard.

real-time payment technical

A real-time payment is a system that moves money and makes it available to the recipient almost instantly, any time of day, rather than waiting hours or days for banks to process transfers. For investors, it matters because instant access to cash changes how businesses manage working capital, lowers the risk of payment delays, and can speed revenue recognition or alter customer spending patterns—similar to how instant messaging changed how people communicate.

microservices-based architecture technical

An approach to building software where a large application is split into many small, independent pieces that each do one job and communicate over simple interfaces. Like replacing a single multi-function appliance with separate specialized tools, this makes it easier for teams to update, scale, or fix parts without stopping the whole system, which can lower operational risk, speed product changes, and affect a company’s costs and growth potential—key considerations for investors.

cloud-native technical

Cloud-native describes a way of creating and running applications that are designed specifically to operate smoothly on cloud computing platforms. Think of it as building a house with flexible, lightweight materials that can be easily moved, scaled, or adjusted as needed, rather than using rigid, traditional construction. For investors, it signifies technology that is more adaptable, efficient, and capable of quickly responding to changing market demands.

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Unified, cloud-ready payment platform powers 35% transaction growth, triples processing capacity

OMAHA, Neb. & SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ACI Worldwide (NASDAQ: ACIW), an original innovator in global payments technology, and Security Bank Corporation (Security Bank), a leading universal bank in the Philippines, today announced that they won the "Best Payment Technology Initiative in Asia Pacific" at The Asian Banker (TAB) Global Financial Technology Innovation Awards 2026. This award recognizes Security Bank and ACI Worldwide’s transformation of payment infrastructure by consolidating fragmented systems into a unified, scalable payments platform that converges low and high-value ISO20022 real-time payment processing and automation across all channels.

From left to right: Nicole Ranna Feliciano, Product Management and Payments Channel Head, Security Bank Corporation; Ong Chee Cheng, VP, Head of ASEAN, ACI Worldwide; Matthew Grech, VP, Head of Services, Asia Pacific, ACI Worldwide

What sets this initiative apart is its enterprise-wide scope and forward-looking architecture. Security Bank and ACI transformed the entire payments orchestration layer across all lines of the bank’s businesses, creating a single platform that supports continuous innovation, regulatory compliance and ecosystem expansion. It integrates transaction processing, monitoring, investigation, and reporting into a single operational environment, reducing manual intervention and improving straight-through processing. At a time when digital commerce is accelerating, and expectations for speed, reliability, and security are rising, the initiative establishes a new standard for how banks can transform payments into a strategic growth engine.

“While many payment transformation efforts focus on infrastructure modernization, this initiative delivers clear business value. By simplifying operations, accelerating time to market, and enabling new revenue models, it moves beyond modernization to creating a competitive advantage for the bank,” said Leslie Choo, Senior Vice President, Managing Director – APAC, ACI Worldwide. “In partnership with Security Bank, we transformed the payments backbone, replacing fragmented layers with a unified, intelligent orchestration layer. This goes beyond speed, giving Security Bank the control, agility, and resilience to lead in a digital economy and raise the bar for the region.”

The initiative reflects the bank’s proactive approach to addressing long-standing industry-wide challenges of fragmented systems, limited scalability and inconsistent customer experiences. The new platform unifies payment processing across multiple payment rails, enabling standardized workflows, greater automation, and full operational visibility across the payment lifecycle. Built on a modern, microservices-based architecture and deployed in a cloud-native environment, the platform is ISO 20022-native, ensuring interoperability and readiness for evolving regulatory requirements while maintaining compatibility with legacy systems.

“This transformation goes to the heart of how we serve our customers and grow as a bank,” said John Cary Ong, Executive Vice President and Wholesale Banking Segment Head from Security Bank Corporation. “Payments are no longer a back-end utility. They are a front-line experience and a competitive differentiator. Together with ACI, we have built a modern payment platform that allows us to move at the speed of our customers, scale with confidence, and innovate without being held back by legacy constraints.”

Delivered through a highly collaborative model between Security Bank and ACI, the initiative combined deep domain expertise, agile execution, and strong executive sponsorship. A phased rollout approach enabled rapid time-to-value, with InstaPay going live within 10 months and scaling to more than 10 million transactions per month shortly after. The impact of the initiative has been both immediate and sustained. Transaction volumes across domestic payment rails increased by 35% year-on-year, while the platform tripled transaction processing capacity and achieved 99.99% uptime, demonstrating exceptional scalability and operational resilience.

About ACI Worldwide

ACI Worldwide, an original innovator in global payments technology, delivers transformative software solutions that power intelligent payments orchestration in real time so banks, billers, and merchants can drive growth, while continuously modernizing their payment infrastructures, simply and securely. With 50 years of trusted payments expertise, we combine our global footprint with a local presence to offer enhanced payment experiences to stay ahead of constantly changing payment challenges and opportunities.

© Copyright ACI Worldwide, Inc. 2026

ACI, ACI Worldwide, ACI Payments, Inc., ACI Pay, Speedpay and all ACI product/solution names are trademarks or registered trademarks of ACI Worldwide, Inc., or one of its subsidiaries, in the United States, other countries or both. Other parties’ trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

About Security Bank Corporation

Established in 1951, Security Bank is one of the Philippines' leading universal banks, and is publicly listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE:SECB) in 1995. The Bank's major businesses cover retail, corporate, commercial, and business banking, offering a wide range of services including financing, leasing, foreign exchange, stock brokerage, investment banking, and asset management.

Security Bank differentiates itself from competition as a strong, independent, domestic bank with a global reach. The Bank provides superior customer experience in line with its brand promise of BetterBanking, stemming from an in-depth understanding of customers' needs and providing solutions in a professional, problem-free, personalized and prompt manner. With the Bank's strategic partnership with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), the largest financial group in Japan, it is also able to provide customers access to an extensive global network.

The Bank has been recognized by international and local organizations for its continuous product innovation, market leadership, and best-in-class management practices. More information is available on www.securitybank.com

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Media Contacts
ACI Worldwide
Pierce Rohrmann | Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs | pierce.rohrmann@aciworldwide.com
Lyn Kwek | Communications and Corporate Affairs Director | lyn.kwek@aciworldwide.com

Security Bank Corporation
TANYA ANSALDO-DEAKIN | Corporate Communications Division Head | +63 920 901 7900 | TDeakin@securitybank.com.ph

Source: ACI Worldwide