Precision at Scale: How Mastercard Strengthened AML Compliance

Situation

Modernizing Compliance for a Global Payments Leader

Mastercard Transaction Services EU, a central player in the global payments ecosystem, continues to invest in innovation and compliance to maintain its leadership position. As part of its commitment to operational integrity and regulatory excellence, Mastercard partnered with Eastnets to upgrade from SafeWatch Filtering 4.0 to SafeWatch Screening 5.0 — the next-generation compliance screening solution.

This strategic move enhanced real-time transaction monitoring, detection precision, and system scalability, allowing Mastercard to manage increasing transaction volumes while maintaining the highest standards of AML and financial crime compliance.

Task

A Seamless Shift to Real-Time, High-Accuracy Compliance

For Mastercard, ensuring compliance at scale requires balancing speed, accuracy, and regulatory alignment. The organization needed a risk-free migration to SafeWatch Screening 5.0 that would:

• Support real-time, high-volume transaction screening across global systems

• Integrate seamlessly within Mastercard’s complex infrastructure

• Reduce false positives without compromising match accuracy

• Maintain full regulatory compliance under stringent AML rules

• Deliver robust user training and validation for compliance teams

• Preserve business continuity throughout the migration

Given Mastercard’s operational scale and the criticality of uninterrupted payments, the migration required a phased, meticulous, and globally coordinated approach.