Lumanu and Visa have partnered to tackle the issue of delayed creator compensation in cross-border payments.

This collaboration integrates Visa Direct into Lumanu’s payment system, enhancing the platform’s reach to more than 195 jurisdictions. The joint initiative is expected to simplify compliance processes and spending oversight for brands and agencies while accelerating direct disbursements to creators and contractors.

Background on Creator Payments

A recent Campaign investigation highlighted that many creators face protracted payment delays, sometimes stretching into months due to existing approval systems and ‘pay when paid’ clauses. Agencies often shoulder the operational and reputational burden during such delays.

Lumanu’s approach allows brands to pre-fund an exclusive account managed by Lumanu for vendor onboarding, compliance verification, and payments. Visa Direct’s integration enables cross-border payments directly into local bank accounts, reducing intermediary steps and speeding up settlement times.

Visa officials view creators and small businesses as a burgeoning sector of global commerce, noting that this partnership is part of broader efforts to enhance reliability and transparency in the creator economy infrastructure. Industry media outlets have anticipated such an expansion by Visa.

Lumanu has stated that its system has handled over USD 1.5 billion in payments to more than 100,000 creators and contractors for clients including Warner Music Group, PepsiCo, WPP, and Keurig Dr Pepper. Agencies utilizing the platform report reduced administrative burdens and better reconciliation visibility.