United Kingdom

Regulator sites

• FCAFinancial Conduct Authority (UK)
• PRAPrudential Regulation Authority, Bank of England (UK)

• Authorised Payment InstitutionAPIThe full FCA payment licence — no turnover ceiling, with safeguarding and own-funds requirements.

  Permitted activities

  Payment services listed in the Payment Services Regulations (execution, remittance, acquiring, PIS, etc.).

  Typical holders

  UK PSPs that have outgrown the small-PI turnover cap, or that want to passport historically-granted permissions.

  Capital / bonds

  Own-funds requirements apply under the PSR; the exact method depends on the services provided. No public single-number substitute.

  Application path

  Authorisation by the FCA under the Payment Services Regulations.

  Key limits

  Client funds must be safeguarded. This is not a banking licence and does not permit deposit-taking.

  Payment institution / PSPOfficial source
• Small Payment InstitutionSPIA lighter registration for small payment firms, capped on turnover and payment volumes.Payment institution / PSPOfficial source
• Electronic Money InstitutionEMIFCA authorisation to issue e-money and provide payment services in the UK.E-money & stored valueOfficial source
• Registered Account Information Service ProviderRAISPRegistration for account information services only — no payment initiation.Payment institution / PSPOfficial source
• Bank authorisationBankPRA authorisation with FCA conduct regulation; a mobilisation phase is available for new banks.Banking & deposit-takingOfficial source
• Cryptoasset business registrationMLR registrationRegistration under the Money Laundering Regulations to run a UK cryptoasset business.Crypto-asset & VASPOfficial source

A hand-picked sample for orientation — not the full register.

• AdyenHolds a Dutch banking licence, so it settles as a bank in Europe and licenses locally elsewhere.BankingMTLEMIAFSLMPISVFIPLicensed inEuropean Union / EEAUnited StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaSingaporeHong Kong, ChinaBrazilUnited Arab Emirates
• AirwallexCross-border accounts, cards and acquiring with one of the widest licence footprints in APAC.AFSLAPIEMISVFMPIMSBLicensed inAustraliaUnited KingdomHong Kong, ChinaSingaporeUnited StatesMalaysiaNew ZealandChina (mainland)
• Block (Square)Merchant acquiring and Cash App, licensed state by state and in each international market.MTLMSBEMIAFSLLicensed inUnited StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustraliaJapanEuropean Union / EEA
• Checkout.comEnterprise acquiring with local acquiring licences across four regions.APIEMIMTLMPISVFLicensed inUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEAUnited StatesUnited Arab EmiratesSingaporeHong Kong, ChinaAustraliaJapan
• ClearBankA clearing bank for fintechs — the licensed layer under other brands.BankingEMILicensed inUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEA
• CoinbaseCrypto exchange and custody with licences across the US, EU and Asia-Pacific.MSBMTLEMICASPMPILicensed inUnited StatesEuropean Union / EEAUnited KingdomDESingaporeAustralia
• FiservMerchant acquiring and issuer processing at scale.MTLEMILicensed inUnited StatesUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEA
• FlutterwaveAfrican payments infrastructure with licences across the continent and in the UK/US.PSSPMMOPSPEMIMSBLicensed inNigeriaKenyaGhanaSouth AfricaEgyptUnited KingdomUnited StatesCanada
• GoCardlessBank payments and open banking with licences in Europe, Australia and the US.EMIAPIAFSLMTLLicensed inUnited KingdomAustraliaUnited StatesEuropean Union / EEA
• KlarnaBuy-now-pay-later backed by a Swedish banking licence.BankingEMILicensed inEuropean Union / EEAUnited KingdomUnited StatesAustralia
• MarqetaModern card issuing platform — licensed where it issues and settles.MTLEMILicensed inUnited StatesUnited KingdomAustraliaSingapore
• ModulrEmbedded payments and accounts on a UK e-money licence with EU passporting.EMIAPILicensed inUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEA
• MollieEuropean PSP holding Dutch payment and e-money licences with EEA passporting.PIEMILicensed inEuropean Union / EEAUnited Kingdom
• NiumReal-time cross-border payments and card issuance for banks and businesses.MPIEMIAPIMTLAFSLLicensed inSingaporeUnited KingdomUnited StatesAustraliaHong Kong, ChinaIndiaMalaysia
• NuveiPayment technology and acquiring with local licences across its footprint.MSBMTLEMIMPIAFSLLicensed inCanadaUnited StatesUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEASingaporeAustralia
• PayoneerCross-border payouts and receivables for marketplaces and SMBs.MSBMTLEMIAPISVFAFSLLicensed inUnited StatesUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEAHong Kong, ChinaAustraliaSingaporeIndia
• PayPalRuns a Luxembourg banking licence alongside US state money transmitter licences.BankingMTLEMIAFSLLicensed inUnited StatesEuropean Union / EEAUnited KingdomAustraliaSingapore
• PaysafeWallets and processing under UK and EU e-money licences plus US registrations.EMIAPIMTLMSBLicensed inUnited KingdomUnited StatesCanadaEuropean Union / EEA
• PPROLocal payment methods platform for PSPs and merchants.EMIMTLMPILicensed inUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEAUnited StatesSingaporeBrazilMexico
• RapydFintech-as-a-service with licensed entities across Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific.EMIAPIMTLMPILicensed inUnited KingdomIsraelUnited StatesSingaporeMexicoBrazil
• RemitlyDigital remittance with money transmitter licences in its send markets.MSBMTLAPIEMIAFSLLicensed inUnited StatesCanadaUnited KingdomAustralia
• RevolutEMI plus a banking licence in Lithuania; separate licences in each expansion market.BankingEMIAPIMTLMPIAFSLLicensed inEuropean Union / EEAUnited KingdomUnited StatesSingaporeAustraliaJapanMexicoBrazilIndia
• RippleCross-border settlement infrastructure with money transmitter and e-money authorisations.MSBMTLEMIMPILicensed inUnited StatesEuropean Union / EEAUnited KingdomSingapore
• StripeGlobal acquiring, payouts and issuing; licensed separately in each market it settles in.MSBMTLEMIAPIMPIAFSLLicensed inUnited StatesEuropean Union / EEAUnited KingdomSingaporeAustraliaJapan
• ThunesCross-border payout network connecting wallets, banks and mobile money.MPIAPIMTLLicensed inSingaporeUnited KingdomUnited States
• TrueLayerOpen-banking payments and data across the UK, EU and Australia.AISP / PISPEMILicensed inUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEAAustralia
• WiseCross-border accounts and transfers, licensed market by market.EMIMTLMPIAFSLLicensed inUnited KingdomEuropean Union / EEAUnited StatesSingaporeAustraliaJapanMalaysia
• WorldlineEuropean payment and acquiring group with licensed entities in several markets.PIBankingAFSLLicensed inEuropean Union / EEAUnited KingdomAustralia

Region

• European Union / EEA
• Switzerland
• Gibraltar
• Liechtenstein