The recent public discussion around Apple Pay, Cash App, Venmo, Google Pay, and online creator monetisation touches a larger issue than convenience. It raises a central question for Barbados’ digital economy: are our small businesses and creators being given the same tools as the customers, tourists, and audiences they are trying to serve?
For micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), payments are no longer a back-office issue. They affect sales, customer experience, cash flow, and market access. A tourist accustomed to tapping a phone to pay for coffee, a taxi, a craft item, or a tour experience does not separate payment convenience from the quality of service. If the transaction feels difficult, the business—not the payment system—often absorbs the frustration.
Payment flexibility can determine whether a sale is completed or lost. This is especially true in tourism-facing sectors, where visitors often arrive with established payment habits. Barbados recorded 727,310 stay-over tourist arrivals in 2025, which reinforces the scale of the market interacting daily with local businesses, restaurants, taxi operators, vendors, attractions, and service providers.
Digital wallets are already standard in many of Barbados’ key visitor markets. Apple’s official list shows Apple Pay support in countries including Canada, the United States, The Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, while Google Wallet’s supported-country list includes Barbados. Cash App, however, states that its core app is only available in the United States and United Kingdom, and Venmo requires users to be physically located in the United States. These differences matter because “digital payments” are not one system; each platform has its own geographic, banking and regulatory limitations.
The recent research on the MSME sector shows that more than half of MSMEs operate at very low or low levels of digital adoption, while fewer than one in five report high or very high adoption. Social media use is widespread at 78.7%, but advanced systems, integration and AI use remain limited. This suggests that many firms are visible online, but not yet fully integrated into the digital systems that convert visibility into sales, payments and growth.
That distinction is important. A business may have an Instagram page, WhatsApp contact and a loyal customer base, but still struggle to complete a transaction smoothly. Digital presence without digital payment readiness creates a gap between marketing and revenue.
The research shows that over 53% of MSMEs report annual revenues below BDS $100,000, while nearly half report operating at a loss or breaking even. In that environment, every lost transaction counts.
The rollout of BiMPay should not be seen as being in competition with global payment platforms. It is better understood as part of the foundation Barbados needs for a modern payments ecosystem.
The Central Bank of Barbados states that BiMPay will be a national instant payment system (IPS) allowing payments between individuals, businesses and Government on a 24/7/365 basis. It is designed to be interoperable, allowing users to send and receive money regardless of whom they bank with, or whether they are banked at all.
The IPS can help reduce delays, improve cash flow and lower dependence on cash. However, BiMPay solves a domestic payments problem. It does not automatically solve the issue of global platform access, tourism-facing payment preferences, or creator monetisation restrictions. Barbados needs both: strong local payment infrastructure and broader compatibility with the tools visitors and digital markets already use.
Tourism is increasingly shaped by frictionless experiences. Visitors book online, check in online, review businesses online, navigate by phone, and expect to pay digitally. The payment experience is now part of the destination experience.
Consider a small tour operator selling last-minute experiences to cruise passengers or stay-over visitors. If the visitor can book through social media but cannot pay instantly, the business may lose the sale. Likewise, a food vendor or craft seller may attract attention through a viral post, but if payment options are limited, interest may not convert into income.
This is where the digital economy becomes practical. It is not only about technology for technology’s sake. It is about ensuring that businesses can meet customers where they already are.
The second part of the discussion—the ability of Barbadian creators and influencers to monetise content—is just as important.
The recent visit by global streamer IShowSpeed to Barbados and the wider Caribbean showed the scale of opportunity in real time. His Caribbean tour generated major online attention, and CBC reported that Barbados received significant exposure during his visit. BET also reported that the tour included Barbados among several Caribbean stops.
This matters because creators are no longer merely entertainers. They are tourism promoters, cultural exporters, brand partners and digital entrepreneurs. YouTube states that it paid more than US$70 billion to creators, artists and media companies between 2021 and 2023. That figure shows the scale of the global creator economy and why countries excluded from monetisation systems are not just missing entertainment revenue—they are missing business income.
The frustration around “geo-tagging” or geo-restrictions is really a frustration about unequal participation. Many platforms determine eligibility based on country availability, banking infrastructure, tax systems, compliance frameworks and advertising-market readiness. For creators, this can mean building audiences without access to the same monetisation tools available elsewhere.
Instagram’s monetisation policies require accounts to reside in an eligible country to use monetisation or promotional tools, while Facebook Content Monetisation is available only in certain countries and languages. These eligibility rules shape who can earn directly from content and who must rely on indirect income such as sponsorships, event hosting or brand deals.
Creator monetisation intersects with entrepreneurship, tourism, culture, foreign exchange earnings and digital exports. A creator who earns from content is operating a business. A small business that uses creators to market products is also participating in the digital economy.
The appeal for Apple Pay, Cash App, Venmo, Google Pay and creator monetisation is ultimately a plea for modern business infrastructure. MSMEs are not asking for novelty. They are asking for tools that reduce friction, expand customer reach and allow them to compete.
The challenge is regulatory as much as technological. Payment systems require compliance with anti-money laundering rules, banking standards, data protection, taxation and platform-specific requirements. That work cannot be avoided. However, delays have real costs. Every year without broader digital compatibility is one where businesses and creators operate with fewer tools than their international counterparts.
In today’s economy, being digitally visible is no longer enough. Barbados must also be digitally payable, digitally bankable, and digitally monetisable.
