Mashreq, a financial institution in the Middle East and North Africa, has partnered with healthcare platform Toothpick to launch an embedded financing solution that allows patients in the United Arab Emirates to access credit directly at clinics.

The product, Mashreq NEO Credit Loans, enables customers receiving treatment within Toothpick’s network of more than 1,000 dental and aesthetic clinics to secure financing of up to AED150,000 through a fully digital process.

The move reflects a broader shift towards integrating financial services within non-banking sectors, particularly healthcare, where upfront costs often determine access to treatment.

For patients, the new solution is designed to reduce the financial friction associated with higher-value medical and cosmetic procedures.

What you need to know 

Unlike traditional buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) options, which are typically capped at lower amounts, the offering allows for larger financing limits, making it applicable to a wider range of treatments.

By embedding credit directly into the care journey, patients can initiate and complete financing at the point of service, eliminating the need for separate loan applications or external approvals.

Under the partnership, clinics initiate financing requests through Toothpick’s platform. Mashreq then authenticates the customer and provides a secure link to complete the application.

Once approved, funds are disbursed directly to the clinic, streamlining the payment process for both patients and healthcare providers.

The integration aims to deliver a seamless experience, reducing administrative complexity while ensuring that clinics receive payment without delay.

Expanding Banking-as-a-Service in healthcare

The agreement marks a significant step in Mashreq’s broader Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) strategy, as the bank seeks to embed its lending products within third-party platforms.

“Our collaboration with Toothpick reflects Mashreq’s commitment to delivering innovative and accessible financial solutions that meet real customer needs,” said Ghazal Al Sakaal, Global Head of Ecosystems and Platform Banking, Mashreq.

“By embedding high-value financing solutions directly into the healthcare journey, we are enabling patients to make important treatment decisions with greater ease while supporting clinics with a seamless, trusted payment experience.”

For Mashreq, the partnership also represents an opportunity to expand its footprint within the healthcare ecosystem while aligning with the UAE’s rapid adoption of digital banking services.

A growing market for healthcare financing

Healthcare financing is emerging as a key growth area globally, as rising treatment costs and increased demand for elective procedures drive the need for flexible payment options.

Toothpick, which connects patients to a wide network of clinics, sees the partnership as a way to address affordability challenges while enhancing access to care.

“Our partnership with Mashreq introduces a new standard for healthcare financing in the UAE. We thank Mashreq for their trust in the Toothpick ecosystem, and we look forward to innovating together by combining Toothpick’s strong clinic network with Mashreq’s digital lending capabilities,” said Sary Azakir, Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer, Toothpick.

Looking beyond dental and aesthetic care

The partnership will initially focus on dental and aesthetic treatments, two segments where out-of-pocket payments are common and costs can be significant.

However, both companies indicated plans to explore expansion into additional healthcare verticals in the coming months, potentially extending financing to a broader range of medical services.

As embedded finance continues to reshape how consumers access both financial services and healthcare, initiatives like this could play a pivotal role in improving affordability, while opening new revenue streams for providers and financial institutions alike.

Talking Points

It is notable that Mashreq’s partnership with Toothpick brings embedded finance directly into the healthcare journey, addressing one of the biggest barriers to access, the upfront cost of treatment.

By enabling patients to access financing of up to AED150,000 at the point of care, the solution goes beyond traditional BNPL offerings, which are often limited to lower-value transactions.

At Techparley, we see this as a strong example of how financial services are increasingly being integrated into everyday experiences, making access to credit more seamless and context-driven.

The fully digital process is also significant. Allowing clinics to initiate financing and receive funds directly simplifies operations while improving the overall patient experience.

For healthcare providers, this model could help drive higher treatment uptake, particularly for elective and high-cost procedures that patients might otherwise delay or forgo.

With the right execution, this model has the potential to improve healthcare access while opening new growth avenues for both financial institutions and providers.

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