Faisal Khan
Answers by

Faisal Khan

Cross-border payments, banking access, licensing. Thirty-one years inside regulated money movement.

Founder, Faisal Khan LLC·Istanbul, working globally
3,061Questions answered
31+Years in payments
400+Companies served
72+Countries
About

Every answer on askmint is mine. I have spent more than thirty-one years in financial services, almost all of it on one problem: how money legally crosses a border, and what a regulator needs to see before it will.

My career began in technology, not banking. I moved into banking and payments, and then into cross-border payments. That is where I saw how badly companies get caught by the rules across many countries. Not because the rules are impossible, but because the wrong structure was chosen before anyone understood the flow of funds.

Since starting the consultancy in 2010, I have worked with more than four hundred companies across seventy-two countries, from early-stage startups to established financial institutions. The work is helping them obtain licences, secure banking relationships, and build compliance frameworks that hold up under examination.

Today it is mostly licensing strategy, MSB banking access and cross-border payment structures, alongside writing, speaking and the educational sites that sit around the practice. This site is one of them.

Every call I take, I take myself. Twelve thousand of them so far.

Where I work

Licensing and compliance

Money transmitter licences, payment institution registration and compliance programmes across many countries. More than fifty licence applications done.

Banking relationships

Getting and keeping bank accounts for high-risk and regulated businesses. The part most operators underestimate.

Cross-border payments

Payment corridors, settlement design, FX risk and the licensing that sits underneath international money movement.

What I am not
  • A bank, money transmitter or money services business
  • A law firm. Nothing here is legal advice
  • In the flow of funds. I never hold client money

Answers

3,061 answers · newest first
What laws or tools would be needed to legally link Bitcoin wallets to real identities like PayPal accounts? Jan 12, 2016 US Money Transmitter Licensing and MSB Registration Which financial institutions are progressive-leaning and widely accessible across the U.S. (and ideally internationally), either via branches or strong online access? Jan 12, 2016 Sustainable, Ethical and ESG Finance What safeguards prevent a bank from artificially creating balances or simulating deposits, similar to how Bitcoin uses proof-of-work and an auditable ledger? Jan 12, 2016 How Banks Work Which startups are focused on corporate or B2B payments? Jan 11, 2016 Trade Finance, Letters of Credit and B2B Payments What should I do with old routers? Jan 11, 2016 Payments (General) Which payment gateway providers offer strong protection and transparency when responding to government data requests? Jan 11, 2016 Merchant Accounts, Processors and Gateways Is it true that central banks are privately owned? Jan 10, 2016 Central Banks and Bank Supervision How can payments be processed between banks in an app, similar to Visa, using ACH or another network? Jan 9, 2016 Domestic Payment Rails, National Switches and Clearing Systems Would a credit receipt appear on a monthly bank statement? Jan 9, 2016 How Banks Work How long does a wire transfer through Wells Fargo usually take? Jan 9, 2016 Domestic Payment Rails, National Switches and Clearing Systems What are some strong examples of digital-only banks? Jan 9, 2016 Digital Banks, Neobanks and Mobile Banking Can international bank transfers take longer than five business days? Jan 9, 2016 International Wire Transfers and Large Transfers What types of locations typically cash Western Union money orders? Jan 9, 2016 Money Transfer Business and MTOs How much does it cost to mint a 1p coin? Jan 9, 2016 General Finance Questions What is the Pakistan Remittance Initiative and what does it do? Jan 8, 2016 Regulators, Enforcement and Regulatory Change Besides the fixed transfer fee per transaction, what other revenue streams do MTOs and remittance agents have? Jan 7, 2016 Money Transfer Business and MTOs Online Payments: Why isn’t Airbnb licensed as a money transmitter? Jan 7, 2016 Licensing Strategy, Sponsorship and Agent Models In the U.S., do you have to include a tax ID (SSN or EIN) on an invoice? Jan 7, 2016 Tax and Financial Reporting Can a 14-year-old living in Pakistan get a Mastercard? Jan 7, 2016 Credit, Debit and Prepaid Cards Does a marketplace-style business need a money-transmitter license? Jan 7, 2016 US Money Transmitter Licensing and MSB Registration Does David Marcus regret leaving PayPal now that the company is going public? Jan 7, 2016 Careers, Jobs and Working in Finance What is SEPA Direct Debit, and why is it considered challenging for e-commerce use? Jan 7, 2016 E-Commerce, Marketplace and Platform Payments What features should a payment app include if it combines chat, P2P transfers, and payments like Venmo? Jan 7, 2016 Digital Wallets, Mobile Money and P2P Payments How did Visa and Mastercard significantly expand their margins starting around 2005? Jan 7, 2016 Card Networks and Card Issuing Would widespread use of digital currency make the world a better place? Jan 6, 2016 Emerging Markets and Financial Inclusion How can I convert my U.S. dollars to Bitcoin and then invest in U.S. stocks from that balance—can this be done via a broker like Thinkorswim? Jan 6, 2016 Crypto Payments, On-Ramps and Off-Ramps How can someone obtain a Wells Fargo debit card? Jan 6, 2016 Credit, Debit and Prepaid Cards What is required to safely store other people’s money? Jan 6, 2016 US Money Transmitter Licensing and MSB Registration Do developing countries gain from free trade, and why or why not? Jan 5, 2016 Economics, Inflation and Monetary Policy How long will it take before Bitcoin could make banks and traditional money obsolete, if ever? Jan 5, 2016 General Finance Questions Who is not required to file income taxes in the United States? Jan 5, 2016 Tax and Financial Reporting In what ways are currency-exchange bureaus used for money laundering? Jan 5, 2016 Money Laundering and Financial Crime Why does it take several business days to move money electronically between two U.S. banks? Jan 5, 2016 Domestic Payment Rails, National Switches and Clearing Systems I’ve used my credit card at stores like Target and Walgreens—what is the best way to ensure they remove my card number so it’s not exposed in a data breach? Jan 5, 2016 Cybersecurity, Digital Identity and Authentication Does fractional-reserve banking primarily benefit banks, citizens, or both? Jan 5, 2016 Economics, Inflation and Monetary Policy What is the fastest way to receive salary payments from a U.S. employer into Pakistan? Jan 5, 2016 Sending and Receiving Money Abroad How do banks settle international payments internally? Jan 5, 2016 Correspondent Banking, Nostro and Vostro, and Settlement Could companies that dominate payments one day rival central banks in importance? Jan 4, 2016 Central Banks and Bank Supervision Legally speaking, is Bitcoin treated more as a currency or as a payment protocol? Jan 4, 2016 Law, Contracts, Terms of Service and Legal Structures Why are some Square and PayPal transactions described as “offline” even though authorization occurs online? Jan 3, 2016 Merchant Accounts, Processors and Gateways Does Russia have a central bank comparable to those in the U.K. and U.S.? Jan 3, 2016 Central Banks and Bank Supervision What is the best way to move large amounts of fully declared (“white”) money between countries without being taxed twice? Jan 2, 2016 Tax and Financial Reporting What does the shutdown of Mt. Gox imply for Bitcoin’s long-term prospects? Jan 2, 2016 Crypto Exchanges, Trading and Markets Are there genuinely legitimate ways to earn money from home? Jan 2, 2016 Freelancers, Side Hustles and Getting Paid Online What is the legal and technical structure behind Coinbase’s exchange platform? Jan 2, 2016 Crypto Exchanges, Trading and Markets What might happen if we chose a specific date after which the U.S. dollar would no longer be used? Jan 2, 2016 Geopolitics of Money and the International Monetary System Why might a company demand a bank wire instead of an ACH transfer for large payments? Jan 2, 2016 Domestic Payment Rails, National Switches and Clearing Systems Are there fintech incubators similar to the FinTech Innovation Lab? Jan 2, 2016 Starting and Running a Fintech or Payments Business Which fintech accelerator programs exist, how much seed funding do they provide, and what equity percentage do they typically take? Jan 2, 2016 Starting and Running a Fintech or Payments Business Is Dwolla considered a cryptocurrency? Jan 1, 2016 Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Basics