Payments made easy for international travelers.
At Moreta, we simplify payments for international travelers, letting you pay for anything using just your phone. Say goodbye to the hassle of searching for the best cash exchange rates or ATMs on your next trip. With Moreta, paying local merchants is easy, and the best part? Transparent fees. We came up with Moreta while on our own backpacking adventures. Watching locals pay with a simple scan while we fumbled with cards and cash. So, we created a solution. By syncing with local payment networks, Moreta lets you pay like a local—securely and digitally—without needing a bank account in every country. We’re starting in Asia, where QR code digital wallets are taking over and are now the top choice at checkout. As these wallets start to join forces for cross-border payments, Moreta will be the first to bridge the gap for international travelers from card-centric markets to seamlessly tap into these local networks. Moreta will target 67 million travelers arriving in the region each year, who together have $127 billion in everyday expenditure.
Active Founders
Walid Mahd, Founder/CEO
Walid is the co-founder and CEO of Moreta. He was previously a card and fintech payments consultant at Mastercard Advisors and is an Ivey Business School HBA graduate. He is an avid world traveler and backpacker, having explored over 30 countries across Europe, Southeast & Eastern Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
Sam Yu, Founder/CTO
Sam is the co-founder and CTO of Moreta. He studied Computer Science at the University of Waterloo and has extensive experience building and shipping consumer products. As the Head of Research & Development at Stems, he led the development of their first mobile app and generative AI product. During his internships at Apple, Google, Meta, and Uber, Sam worked on high-impact projects, including developing the instagram.com search feature used by over 50 million people.
Company Launches
Hi everyone, we’re Walid and Sam! We are avid travelers and backpackers who’ve been to over 40 countries combined. 🌏🎒
TLDR: Moreta enables international travelers to pay for anything using their phone anywhere in the world. We’re launching first to allow users to pay in Southeast & East Asian markets.
Join our waitlist for early access.
❌ THE PROBLEM
When traveling abroad, do you find yourself asking if merchants accept card? How much cash do you need? Where can you get the best rate?
Payments around the world are very fragmented and rely heavily on cash, or an alternative like QR code digital wallets.
And for foreigners traveling, this typically means you need some combination of card and cash. In many countries, merchants may not accept card payments, and when they do, they often charge extra fees. Cash payments can also be costly due to high foreign exchange and ATM fees.
✅ THE SOLUTION
Moreta simplifies payments for international travelers, letting you pay like a local using just your phone. Users download Moreta, upload documentation verifying their identity, connect their bank account to load funds, and pay, all within minutes.
Moreta will launch first in the Southeast and East Asian markets. Users can scan existing merchant QR codes and pay like locals.
👥 THE TEAM
Walid (CEO) and Sam (CTO) have been friends since high school.
Walid was a payments consultant at Mastercard Advisors and experienced the payment pains of an international traveler when he backpacked through Southeast & Eastern Asia.
Sam was previously the Head of Research & Development at Stems and developed the Instagram web search feature used by over 50 million people.