Due to the outbreak of coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19), Innovative Payment Solutions, Inc. (the “Company”)
is filing this Current Report on Form 8-K to avail itself of an extension to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period
ended December 31, 2019 (the “Annual Report”), originally due on March 30, 2020, relying on an order issued by the
Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on March 25, 2020 (which extended
and superseded a prior order issued on March 4, 2020) pursuant to Section 36 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (Release No. 34-88318) (the “Order”), regarding exemptions granted to certain public companies.
The Company’s operations and business
have experienced disruption due to the unprecedented conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic spreading throughout the United
States, Mexico and the world and thus the Company’s business operations have been disrupted and it is unable to timely review
and prepare the Company’s financial statements for the 2019 fiscal year.
In December 2019, a novel strain of
coronavirus was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China, which has spread throughout other parts of the world, including the
United States and Mexico. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus
disease a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization
characterized the outbreak as a “pandemic.” The Company provides an integrated
network of kiosks, terminals and payment channels that enable consumers to deposit cash, convert it into a digital form and remit
the funds to any merchant in our network quickly and securely. Until recently, the Company’s operations were primarily conducted
in Mexico and information for its audit for the year ended December 31, 2019 is required from its prior Mexican operations. Governments
in affected regions have imposed certain measures in which businesses have been suspended due to quarantines intended to contain
this outbreak and many people have been forced to work from home in those areas. As a result,
deployment of kiosks, terminals and payment channels in the United States have been delayed, which has had an adverse impact
on the Company’s business and financial condition and has hampered the Company’s ability to generate revenue and access
usual sources of liquidity on reasonable terms.
The Company has been following the recommendations
of local health authorities to minimize exposure risk for its employees for the past several weeks, including the temporary closures
of its offices and having employees work remotely to the extent possible, which has to an extent adversely affected their efficiency.
As a result, the Company’s books and records were not easily accessible, resulting in delays in preparation and completion
of its financial statements. Further, the various governmental mandatory closures of businesses in these locations have precluded
the Company’s personnel, particularly its senior accounting staff, from obtaining access to its subsidiaries’ books
and records necessary to prepare the Company’s financial statements that, once audited, comprise the essence of the Annual
Report.
As such, the Company will be relying
upon the 45-day grace period provided by the SEC’s Order to delay filing of its Annual Report. The Company will file its
Annual Report by no later than May 14, 2020, 45 days after the original due date of its Annual Report.
The Company is supplementing its risk
factors previously disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and its subsequent
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q with the following risk factors:
We face business disruption and
related risks resulting from the recent outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019 (“COVID-19”), which could have a material
adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our business has been disrupted and
materially adversely affected by the recent outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. As a result of measures imposed by the governments
in affected regions, businesses have been suspended due to quarantines intended to contain this outbreak and many people have been
forced to work from home in those areas. As a result, installation of our network of kiosks,
terminals and payment channels in Southern California has been delayed, which has had an adverse impact on our business
and financial condition and has hampered our ability to generate revenue and access usual sources of liquidity on reasonable terms.
The spread of COVID-19 from China to
other countries, including the United States and Mexico, has resulted in the Director General of the World Health Organization
declaring the outbreak of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), based on the advice of the Emergency
Committee under the International Health Regulations (2005). While the COVID-19 outbreak is still ongoing, the current slow-down
in the economies of the United States and Mexico is largely attributed to the effects of COVID-19.
We are still assessing our business
operations and system supports and the impact COVID-19 may have on our results and financial condition, but there can be no assurance
that this analysis will enable us to avoid part or all of any impact from the spread of COVID-19 or its consequences, including
downturns in business sentiment generally or in our sectors in particular.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain
information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K may be deemed to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. This information includes, without limitation, statements concerning the
Company’s future business and financial position and results of operations, cash flow, business strategy and other plans
for future operations, customer retention, future demand for our services, industry conditions, and the volatility of the U.S.
and Mexican economies. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable,
it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. We undertake no obligation to publicly update
or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Generally, the words
“anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may” and similar expressions,
identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Actual results could differ materially from
the results described in the forward-looking statements due to the risks and uncertainties set forth in this Current Report on
Form 8-K, and those described from time to time in our future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.