iGaming Payment Solutions
emerchantpay ReviewIs It the Right Payment Solution for Your iGaming Business?
Strong
Founder-led London PSP since 2002. FCA AEMI license, PCI DSS Level 1, Visa and Mastercard Principal Member with in-house acquiring. About 358 employees across 19 offices on 6 continents. Genesis Gateway covers 80+ payment methods on the Web Payment Form and 50+ on direct integration, with crypto as one of 60+ APMs rather than a native on/off-ramp. Trustpilot sits at 4.2/5 from 136 reviews — high for an enterprise PSP. Two flags worth knowing: auditor resigned in May 2023 citing governance concerns, and there is no native iOS/Android SDK. Recent gaming win: Pinnacle's Ontario launch.
Quick Info
iGaming Score
Our iGaming Score: 7.0/10
Weighted scoring across six criteria
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| iGaming Fit Dedicated gaming vertical team. Pinnacle (Ontario) public win. Operators across 40+ countries. No pre-built iGaming platform connectors. | 25% | 6.0 | Adequate |
| Geographic Coverage 80+ countries. Strongest in UK/EU. Local acquiring added in Brazil and Mexico 2024-2025. Asia-Pacific and Africa thin. | 20% | 10.0 | Best-in-class |
| Security & Compliance FCA AEMI, PCI DSS Level 1, Visa/MC Principal Member. Rule-based risk engine, 3DS2, manual KYB. No ML-vendor disclosure. | 20% | 5.5 | Adequate |
| Fees & Pricing Custom IC++ or blended. Card rates 1.8-3.5% for gaming. 5-10% rolling reserve for 6 months. FX 1-2%. | 15% | 6.0 | Adequate |
| Tech & Integration Genesis API (XML/JSON). PHP/Ruby/Java SDKs. WooCommerce, Magento, PrestaShop plugins. No native mobile SDK. | 10% | 6.5 | Adequate |
| User Trust 4.2/5 Trustpilot from 136 reviews — among the highest in the PSP segment, but small sample. | 10% | 8.4 | Strong |
| Overall | 100% | 7.0 | Strong |
We score each provider on six criteria using a 1 to 10 scale. iGaming Fit carries the most weight at 25% because that is what matters most for gambling operators. Geographic Coverage gets 20%. Security and Compliance, Fees and Pricing, and Tech and Integration each get 15%. User Trust rounds it out at 10%. The final score is a weighted average of all six.
Score Explanation
Security pulls the highest score thanks to the FCA AEMI license and Visa/Mastercard Principal Member status — emerchantpay does in-house acquiring rather than reselling another bank's BIN. That is a meaningful structural advantage for chargeback negotiation and rate composition, and it is rare among mid-market PSPs. iGaming Fit is solid but not best-in-class: there is a named gaming team and public wins like Pinnacle's Ontario expansion, but no pre-built connector for SoftSwiss, EveryMatrix or Slotegrator. Tech is the soft spot. The Genesis API is functional but mobile developers find the lack of a native iOS/Android SDK a real friction. Trust is high on rating (4.2/5) but small on sample size (136 reviews) — and the May 2023 auditor resignation over governance concerns is the one item operators should ask about during onboarding.
Who Is emerchantpay Best For?
Weighted scoring across six criteria
Recommended For
UK & EU gaming operators. UK and EU gaming operators who want their PSP regulated under the FCA. emerchantpay's AEMI status under the UK Financial Conduct Authority gives operators a regulated EMI counterparty inside the UK regulatory perimeter. That matters for UKGC-licensed sportsbooks and casinos where regulator-to-regulator dialogue is part of the operating reality.
Mid-market high-risk merchants. Mid-market merchants in high-risk verticals like gaming, forex and crypto. emerchantpay has underwritten high-risk for 20+ years and runs a dedicated risk and fraud management team. The minimum volume is softer than Nuvei's $500k floor — operators around $100k-$300k/month who do not qualify for Nuvei or Adyen find emerchantpay accessible.
In-house acquiring needs. Operators who want a Principal Member Visa/MC acquirer rather than a gateway-only PSP. Many self-styled 'PSPs' route to a third-party acquiring bank — that adds a layer of fees and removes negotiation leverage. emerchantpay acquires directly, which means card rates can be negotiated against the actual interchange-plus structure (IC++).
IC++ pricing seekers. Merchants who prefer transparent IC++ pricing over blended rates. emerchantpay is one of the few PSPs in this size class that openly supports IC++ pricing. Larger merchants who understand interchange economics get the most value. Smaller merchants typically end up on blended, which is closer to standard card processing rates plus a markup.
Not Recommended For
Crypto-first operators. Operators where crypto is the headline product. emerchantpay treats crypto as one of 60+ APMs, not a native on/off-ramp. There is no dedicated crypto vault, no published support for stablecoin settlement, and no MiCAR CASP license like Nuvei now holds. Crypto-first operators belong on NOWPayments, CoinsPaid or BitPay.
Mobile-native apps. Mobile-app-first operators needing a polished native SDK. emerchantpay has no published iOS or Android SDK. Mobile integrations either embed the Web Payment Form in a WebView or call the REST API directly. Both work, but the developer experience trails Nuvei (iOS/Android/React Native), Stripe, and Adyen by a generation.
Sub-$100k startups. Startups processing under $100k/month. The pricing tier and onboarding overhead are calibrated for established merchants. NOWPayments has no minimum. AstroPay starts at $100k. Brite has no published floor. Smaller operators get better economics elsewhere.
Transparent-pricing teams. Procurement teams that need a published rate card up front. emerchantpay does not publish gaming rates. Every deal is custom. If you cannot negotiate without benchmarks, Solidgate (published 0.3-0.8% + acquiring), CoinsPaid (flat crypto fees), and Brite (clear 0.5-1.5%) give you something to anchor against.
Geographic Coverage
Supported regions and market focus
Regions
Coverage Analysis
Available in 80+ countries with strongest in-house acquiring across UK and EU. North America via partner acquiring. Brazil and Mexico got dedicated local acquiring in 2024-2025 when emerchantpay expanded its LATAM footprint. Asia-Pacific and Africa coverage exists but runs lighter — partner acquirers rather than direct. Office footprint includes UK, Germany, Netherlands, Bulgaria, US, India, South Africa, Brazil, Dubai. Compared to Nuvei's 50+ local acquiring markets or Worldpay's near-universal card coverage, emerchantpay's geographic strength is concentrated rather than broad. For a UKGC-licensed or MGA-licensed operator selling primarily in Europe, that concentration is the right shape. For a multi-region operator with significant Asia-Pacific traffic, the gaps show up in approval rates.
Regional Breakdown
The European stack is where emerchantpay is strongest. Direct card acquiring in UK, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Nordics. SEPA Direct Debit, SOFORT, iDEAL, Trustly, Giropay, Bancontact, Multibanco — the local methods that European players actually use. FCA AEMI gives onshore UK regulatory standing. Latin America coverage was the company's main expansion story across 2024-2025: dedicated local acquiring connections in Brazil (Boleto, PIX, local cards) and Mexico (OXXO, SPEI, local cards) joined the platform. Approval rates and FX costs are now competitive in those two markets, though depth is still lighter than AstroPay (50+ LATAM methods) or PayRetailers (100+). North America is largely partner-acquired — operators wanting US state gambling regulator support should look at Nuvei instead. Asia-Pacific is thinner: presence in India, Japan, Singapore exists but local-method coverage and approval rates trail Solidgate (APAC focus) or local Asian PSPs. Africa is concentrated in South Africa with limited reach elsewhere. The honest framing: emerchantpay is a European specialist with credible LATAM growth, not a true global acquirer at the scale of Adyen or Nuvei.
Key Features for iGaming Operators
Products, payment methods, and verticals
Key Products
Gateway, Acquiring, Risk Management, Payouts, eZeeWallet
Genesis Gateway is the core: card and APM processing under one API. In-house acquiring is the second product line — emerchantpay holds Visa and Mastercard Principal Membership and acquires directly for EU and UK card volume, with LATAM local acquiring added in 2024-2025. Risk & Fraud Management Services bundle 3DS2, rule-based fraud screening, chargeback alerts and dispute handling. Payout API handles bank disbursements in Europe (SEPA) and Brazil (PIX) with instant or batch options. eZeeWallet is the in-house e-wallet for player accounts. Web Payment Form (WPF) is the hosted checkout option. The whole stack sits under one merchant contract.
Payment Methods
80+ local payment methods through the Web Payment Form (WPF) and Checkout, 50+ on the direct server-to-server integration. Cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Amex, JCB, Diners, Discover, UnionPay), e-wallets (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, eZeeWallet), bank transfers (SEPA, SOFORT, iDEAL, Trustly, Giropay, Bancontact, Multibanco), prepaid vouchers (paysafecard, Neosurf), open banking (in EU and UK), and direct debits. Crypto is supported as part of the APM mix but is not a native on/off-ramp. Compared to Nuvei (720+) and Worldpay (300+) the catalog is smaller, but the methods covered are the ones gaming operators actually use in UK and EU markets. The number that matters is how many of those 80 are domestic-acquired versus routed cross-border. emerchantpay's in-house acquiring covers EU and UK; LATAM card acquiring was added in 2024-2025 for Brazil and Mexico.
Verticals
Gaming is one of the headline verticals, alongside forex, crypto trading, digital goods, travel, and standard eCommerce. The gambling team under Deputy CEO Alexander Berrai is a publicly named function — not many PSPs that size dedicate commercial leadership to gaming. High-risk underwriting expertise is a 20+ year track record. The trade-off is that gaming sits alongside a broader merchant book, not as the sole focus the way it does at Solidgate or pure iGaming PSPs.
| Feature | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit Processing | 80+ local payment methods through Checkout/WPF; 50+ on direct integration payment methods, Instant | |
| Withdrawal / Payout | Real-time to T+1 | |
| Instant Withdrawals | Real-time to T+1 | |
| KYC / AML Built-in | Semi-auto | |
| Chargeback Protection | Merchant | |
| Multi-Currency | 150+ processing currencies, 25+ settlement currencies | |
| API Integration | REST/XML API + SDK | |
| Local Payment Methods | 80+ local payment methods through Checkout/WPF; 50+ on direct integration methods across multiple categories | |
| iGaming Specialization | FCA AEMI license, in-house Visa/MC principal acquiring, IC++ pricing option | |
| Geographic Coverage | 80 countries across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Africa |
Pricing & Fee Structure
Fee structure and pricing model
Pricing & Fee Structure
Hybrid % + fixed pricing model
Custom (IC++ or blended)
Custom
T+1 - T+3
80+ local payment methods through Checkout/WPF; 50+ on direct integration
5-10% for 6 months (high-risk)
1-2%
Custom / often waived
Custom / often $0
No
Pricing Details
Two pricing models. Interchange++ (IC++) splits costs into interchange (passed through), scheme fees (passed through) and emerchantpay's markup (negotiated). This is the structure large merchants prefer because the markup is the only negotiable line and the rest is auditable against published Visa/MC schedules. Blended pricing wraps everything into a single percentage — easier to budget against, more expensive in steady state. Gaming runs high-risk so card processing typically lands 1.8-3.5% all-in, plus 5-10% rolling reserve held for 6 months and FX markup of 1-2%. Setup fees are usually waived for credible operators. Without a published rate card, the practical benchmarks are: AstroPay charges 1-2.5% with a 3-month reserve in LATAM; Solidgate publishes 0.3-0.8% + acquiring; Nuvei runs 1.5-3.5% with 5-10% reserve for 6 months. emerchantpay sits between Solidgate and Nuvei on price for similar capability. On $500k/month gaming volume, expect $10,000-$17,000/month in total fees before reserve capital impact. May 2026.
Negotiation Tips
Push for IC++ if your team understands interchange. The blended option is a margin product — fine for smaller volume, expensive once you scale. Ask for a method-specific quote: card-not-present rates in Europe should land below 2.5% with the reserve attached, while LATAM cards and APMs will quote higher. Rolling reserve is negotiable: 5% with a 90-day hold is achievable for operators with clean chargeback history. Get the chargeback ratio threshold written into the contract — high-risk PSPs reserve the right to raise reserves if ratios drift, and you want defined trigger levels. Run the Solidgate (published rates) and Nuvei (broader capability) quotes in parallel so you have anchors. Ask directly about the May 2023 auditor situation during onboarding — a professional answer is fine, no answer is a flag.
Speed & Settlement
Transaction processing and settlement timelines
Instant
Player-initiatedReal-time to T+1
Operator payoutT+1 - T+3
To operator account25+ settlement currencies
Settlement optionsDeposits are instant. Withdrawals run real-time to T+1 for supported rails (instant SEPA, PIX, payouts via card). Settlement to the operator account is T+1 to T+3 — faster than Nuvei (T+2-T+7) and Worldpay (T+2-T+7), in line with Solidgate and Checkout.com. 25+ settlement currencies which is competitive for a UK/EU-focused PSP. Refunds run 5-10 business days, which is slower than the market — AstroPay does 1-3 days, Brite and Trustly are near-instant. The refund timing is the friction point: gaming operators running frequent promo bonuses will see this in support ticket volume. Updated Q1 2026.
Integration & Tech
Developer experience and technical capabilities
API Type
REST/XML API + SDK
Onboarding
2-6 weeks
Sandbox
Full sandbox environment with test cards and staging endpoints. Documented at docs.emerchantpay.com.
Mobile SDK
No
White-Label
Web Payment Form (WPF) is fully customizable. Hosted checkout with merchant branding.
Docs Quality
Good
1-3 weeks
Integration Assessment
Genesis Gateway REST/XML API is the primary integration path. Synchronous (except 3DS), HTTPS POST, XML or JSON request/response. Hosted Web Payment Form (WPF) for low-effort integration with full customization of branding. SDKs maintained under github.com/GenesisGateway: PHP, Ruby, Java with code samples and Maven/Composer/Gem distribution. E-commerce plugins for WooCommerce, Magento 2, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Spree, X-Cart, and Zencart. Sandbox is fully functional with documented test cards. Documentation at docs.emerchantpay.com is rated 'Good' — clear, complete, but less polished than Stripe or Adyen. Integration takes 1-3 weeks on direct server-to-server, faster via WPF. The friction point: no native iOS or Android SDK. Mobile apps either embed WPF in WebView or call the API server-side. Updated Q1 2026.
Risk & Compliance
Licensing, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance
Compliance Context
FCA AEMI authorisation and PCI DSS Level 1 are the two structural pieces. Principal Member status with Visa and Mastercard means emerchantpay holds its own BIN sponsorships — chargeback liability and interchange routing get negotiated directly rather than through a fronting bank. Risk and Fraud Management Services run on a rule-based engine with velocity checks, BIN analysis, IP and device fingerprinting. 3DS2 with browser-flow support is implemented end-to-end. The honest gap: no published ML-vendor or AI-fraud branding the way Nuvei (Azure AI integration Dec 2025) or Solidgate market their stack. Manual chargeback team is responsive but Visa Verifi/Ethoca pre-dispute alerting still has to be opted into.
About emerchantpay: Company Background
Company and product information
Company History
Founded in 2002 in Europe by Jonas Reynisson, who remains Founder, CEO and Chairman and the majority owner. The starting positioning was 'online, mobile and POS payment service provider' — broader than the high-risk-only niche the company later became known for. Early years built the merchant book in eCommerce and digital goods before gaming and forex became the named verticals.
The structural pivot was achieving Visa and Mastercard Principal Member status and FCA Authorised Electronic Money Institution (AEMI) registration. That moved emerchantpay from a gateway-and-reseller model to a true acquirer-PSP — competing in the same regulatory tier as Worldpay, Nuvei and Paysafe rather than the layer below. The PCI DSS Level 1 certification followed as a requirement of the acquiring role.
Recent years have brought both growth and turbulence. The company expanded to 19 offices across six continents and grew toward 400 employees. Public gaming wins like Pinnacle's Ontario launch added marquee references. The flags worth knowing: the company's external auditor resigned in May 2023 citing governance concerns (publicly reported), and Glassdoor reviews reference layoffs and benefit cuts in recent years. Founder-CEO continuity since 2002 is unusual and a strength for product direction; the 2023 audit episode is the offsetting concern. Latest LATAM expansion: dedicated local acquiring connections in Brazil and Mexico (2024-2025).
What Users Say: Trustpilot & Review Analysis
Our analysis of 136 reviews from Trustpilot and industry sources
Review Analysis
4.2/5 from 136 Trustpilot reviews — rated 'Great'. That sits at the higher end of the PSP segment: Worldpay 4.3/5 (10k reviews), AstroPay 4.3/5 (9.5k), Nuvei 3.8/5 (828), Paysafe 1.2/5. The themes in positive reviews are speed, reliability, and dedicated account managers — long-term clients describe 'lightning fast processing and on-time settlements' and the support team as '1st class'. Negative themes cluster around hidden fees and delayed settlements, mostly from smaller merchants where the relationship lacks dedicated coverage. The 136-review sample is modest — Worldpay's 10k+ is a more statistically defensible signal for an enterprise PSP review.
Context for Operators
B2B PSP Trustpilot ratings are less representative than consumer wallet ratings because the buyer population is small and the people leaving reviews are typically either very happy long-term clients or very unhappy churned ones. The 4.2/5 here is a positive signal but not the same kind of signal as DraftKings publicly running their volume through Nuvei. Glassdoor is the more material data point for emerchantpay: 3.7/5 from 55 employee reviews, 63% recommend, with mentions of layoffs and benefit cuts. Combined with the May 2023 auditor resignation over governance concerns, the operational picture is less polished than the marketing — worth raising in commercial conversations.
Notable Clients
Pinnacle
Pinnacle is the named public win — emerchantpay handled the payment infrastructure for Pinnacle's Ontario (Canada) regulated launch. Beyond that, the public client list is thin. The company services 'premier global online gaming brands across 40 countries' according to its own marketing, but most gaming clients are not publicly named — standard for high-risk PSPs. That makes external verification harder than for Nuvei (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM publicly disclosed) or Paysafe (888, PokerStars). Operators evaluating emerchantpay should request named references through the commercial team rather than relying on the public list.
Operational Details
Business terms, contracts, and support
Independent private PSP. Founder-led (Jonas Reynisson). Auditor resignation in May 2023 over governance concerns is a documented red flag. Strong gaming presence including Pinnacle's Ontario launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questions about emerchantpay
Structurally yes — FCA AEMI authorisation, PCI DSS Level 1, Visa and Mastercard Principal Member status, 20+ years operating, founder-CEO continuity since 2002. The flag worth knowing is the May 2023 external auditor resignation over governance concerns (publicly reported). That doesn't make the company unsafe, but it's the kind of item a corporate diligence team should raise during onboarding. Pinnacle chose emerchantpay for its Ontario regulated launch, which is the strongest recent vote of confidence.
Custom — no published rate card. Two pricing models: IC++ (interchange-plus-plus, transparent) or blended (single all-in percentage). Gaming card processing typically lands 1.8-3.5% with 5-10% rolling reserve held for 6 months and FX markup of 1-2%. On $500k/month volume, budget $10,000-$17,000/month in total fees. Solidgate publishes lower rates (0.3-0.8% + acquiring) for similar volume. Nuvei runs 1.5-3.5% with comparable reserve. emerchantpay sits in the middle of the segment on price.
Nuvei is larger (2,700+ employees vs ~358), has broader method coverage (720+ vs 80+), more local acquiring markets (50+ vs handful), six pre-built iGaming platform connectors (vs none at emerchantpay), and a public client list led by DraftKings and FanDuel. emerchantpay's wins: faster settlement (T+1-T+3 vs T+2-T+7), softer minimum volume ($100k vs $500k), FCA AEMI license, more attainable for mid-market operators. Choose Nuvei for scale and US-regulated sportsbook. Choose emerchantpay for UK/EU mid-market with in-house acquiring.
Yes, but not as smoothly as the leaders. There is no native iOS or Android SDK. Mobile integrations either embed the Web Payment Form (WPF) in a WebView or call the Genesis REST API server-side. That works, but it adds friction compared to Nuvei (iOS/Android/React Native SDKs), Stripe, or Adyen. Mobile-app-first operators should weigh this against the licensing advantages.
Available in 80+ countries with strongest in-house acquiring across UK and EU. Dedicated local card acquiring in Brazil and Mexico (added 2024-2025). North America via partner acquiring. Asia-Pacific (India, Japan, Singapore) and Africa (South Africa) covered but lighter. Offices in 19 countries. For US state-regulated gambling specifically, Nuvei is the better fit — emerchantpay does not hold US state gambling licenses.
1-3 weeks on direct server-to-server integration. Faster (days) using the hosted Web Payment Form. SDKs available in PHP, Ruby, Java. E-commerce plugins for WooCommerce, Magento 2, PrestaShop, OpenCart, Spree, X-Cart, Zencart. Full sandbox at docs.emerchantpay.com with test cards. Onboarding (KYB + compliance review) takes 2-6 weeks separately — faster for established operators with clean chargeback history.
Indirectly. Crypto is one of 60+ alternative payment methods supported through the Web Payment Form, not a native crypto on/off-ramp. There is no dedicated crypto vault, no published stablecoin settlement, and no MiCAR CASP license like Nuvei now holds (Dec 2025). Operators where crypto is core should pair emerchantpay with NOWPayments, CoinsPaid, or BitPay rather than rely on emerchantpay alone.
Interchange++ (IC++) is a transparent card pricing model. Total cost splits into three lines: interchange (the issuer's cut, set by Visa/Mastercard, passed through), scheme fees (Visa/MC's own charges, passed through), and the acquirer's markup (the only line that's negotiable). Blended pricing wraps all three into one number — simpler but typically 0.3-0.6% more expensive in steady state. emerchantpay offers IC++ for merchants who understand interchange, which is unusual at this size class — most mid-market PSPs only offer blended.
Not pre-built ones. emerchantpay does not have a published SoftSwiss, EveryMatrix, Slotegrator, Bragg, BetConstruct or Altenar connector the way Nuvei does (six platforms) or Paysafe (four). Operators running those platforms either build the integration themselves against the Genesis API or use emerchantpay through the platform's generic 'custom PSP' connector. If platform-native integration is a buying criterion, Nuvei or Paysafe win on that axis.
In May 2023 emerchantpay's external auditor resigned citing governance concerns (publicly reported by businessofpayments.com). The company did not provide a detailed public response. It is a documented red flag worth asking about during commercial onboarding — a professional, substantive answer from the CFO or compliance lead is fine, an evasive or non-answer is the flag. It has not stopped the company winning regulated business (Pinnacle Ontario, 2024), but operators doing third-party risk due diligence should raise it.
Our Verdict: Should You Use emerchantpay?
Final assessment for iGaming operators
Overall iGaming Score
Summary
A credible mid-market gaming PSP with structural advantages most competitors at this size class don't have: FCA AEMI license, Visa/Mastercard Principal Member status with in-house acquiring, IC++ pricing option, 20+ years of high-risk underwriting experience, founder-led since 2002. The trade-offs are equally specific: no pre-built iGaming platform connectors, no native mobile SDK, thin public client list, and a May 2023 governance event that operators should ask about. Best fit for UK and EU mid-market operators processing $100k-$1M/month who value licensing depth over capability breadth.
Strongest Point
FCA AEMI authorisation plus Visa and Mastercard Principal Member status. That combination means emerchantpay is a directly regulated EMI counterparty in the UK and an in-house card acquirer rather than a gateway reselling another bank's BIN. For a mid-market gaming operator that's a real structural advantage — interchange routing, chargeback liability and rate negotiation all sit on direct relationships, not on a reseller chain. Few PSPs of this size class have both.
Key Limitation
Capability breadth and developer experience trail the leaders. 80+ methods vs Nuvei's 720+. No pre-built iGaming platform connectors. No native iOS/Android SDK. Public client list is thin compared to Nuvei (DraftKings, FanDuel) or Paysafe (888, PokerStars). The May 2023 auditor resignation over governance concerns is a real-world data point that didn't apply when Pinnacle chose them in 2024 but still belongs on the due-diligence list.
Recommendation
Choose emerchantpay if you're a UK or EU mid-market gaming operator processing $100k-$1M/month and you value FCA regulatory standing and direct card acquiring over the broadest method coverage. Avoid emerchantpay if you're a mobile-app-first operator needing a native SDK, a crypto-first business, or a procurement team that requires published rate cards. For US state-regulated gambling, Nuvei is the correct choice. For LATAM-only operators, AstroPay or PayRetailers go deeper. May 2026.
Pros
- FCA Authorised Electronic Money Institution under the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Most PSPs at this size class either don't hold their own EMI license or operate under a third-party EMI. For UKGC-licensed gaming operators that means dealing with a regulated counterparty inside the same regulatory perimeter — not a small detail when audits and reporting need to align.
- Visa and Mastercard Principal Member with in-house acquiring. Card transactions are processed directly by emerchantpay's acquiring license, not routed to a third-party bank. That removes a layer of fees and gives the merchant direct negotiation on interchange markup. Few mid-market PSPs have this structural advantage — most are gateways with reseller acquiring relationships.
- IC++ pricing option for merchants who understand interchange. Transparent pricing that exposes interchange, scheme fees and acquirer markup as separate lines. Most mid-market PSPs only offer blended pricing, which is 0.3-0.6% more expensive in steady state. Larger merchants can audit and benchmark the markup line against published Visa/MC schedules.
- Founder-CEO since 2002. Jonas Reynisson founded emerchantpay and remains CEO and Chairman, majority owner. Long-term founder continuity is unusual in payments and correlates with consistent product direction. For an industry where many PSPs have been through three CEO changes since 2020, that stability is a real factor.
- Faster settlement than enterprise leaders. T+1 to T+3 is competitive — faster than Nuvei (T+2-T+7) and Worldpay (T+2-T+7), in line with Solidgate and Checkout.com. On $1M/month volume, the difference between T+3 and T+7 settlement is roughly $130k floating that you can deploy elsewhere.
- Trustpilot rating of 4.2/5 from 136 reviews. Among the highest in the PSP segment, with positive themes around speed, reliability and dedicated account management. Worldpay (4.3/5) and AstroPay (4.3/5) are roughly comparable; Nuvei (3.8/5) and Paysafe (1.2/5) trail significantly. Sample size is modest but the signal is consistent.
Cons
- No pre-built iGaming platform connectors. SoftSwiss, EveryMatrix, Slotegrator, Bragg, BetConstruct, Altenar — none have a published emerchantpay connector. Operators integrate either through the platform's generic custom-PSP route or by building against the Genesis API directly. Nuvei has six pre-built connectors, Paysafe has four. For operators where time-to-launch matters, that's weeks of extra integration work.
- No native iOS or Android SDK. Mobile-app integrations rely on embedding the Web Payment Form in a WebView or calling the Genesis REST API server-side. Both approaches work, but the developer experience trails Nuvei (iOS, Android, React Native SDKs), Stripe and Adyen by a clear generation. For mobile-app-first operators this becomes friction at scale.
- Public client list is thin. Pinnacle's Ontario launch is the named recent win. Beyond that, marketing references 'premier global online gaming brands across 40 countries' without naming them. For corporate diligence teams that want to call reference customers, you have to request the list privately. Nuvei's public list (DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM) and Paysafe's (888, PokerStars) make external benchmarking easier.
- May 2023 external auditor resignation over governance concerns, publicly reported. emerchantpay did not provide a detailed public response. It hasn't blocked the company winning regulated business since (Pinnacle Ontario in 2024) but it remains a documented item for due-diligence teams. Operators should ask about it during commercial onboarding.
- Crypto support is shallow. Crypto offered as one of 60+ APMs rather than as a native on/off-ramp. No dedicated crypto vault, no stablecoin settlement story, no MiCAR CASP license. Nuvei picked up an EU CASP license in December 2025. Operators where crypto is a real growth lever need to pair emerchantpay with NOWPayments or CoinsPaid.
- Pricing is opaque. No published rate card. Every deal is custom IC++ or blended. Procurement teams without parallel quotes from Solidgate or Nuvei can overpay on initial contracts. Solidgate publishes 0.3-0.8% + acquiring as a benchmark — having that anchor in the room changes the negotiation.
Ready to evaluate emerchantpay for your business?
emerchantpay vs. Alternatives: How It Compares
Similar payment processing solutions
Nuvei is the upmarket option if you need broader method coverage, US-regulated sportsbook capability, and a public client roster. Solidgate is the price-transparency option with published 0.3-0.8% + acquiring rates and built-in orchestration. Checkout.com matches emerchantpay on European card acquiring with a more polished developer story but weaker dedicated gaming team. Worldpay is the choice for high-volume European card-first operators wanting maximum scale. AstroPay handles LATAM more cheaply with faster settlement if Latin America is the primary market.
When to Choose an Alternative
NuveiChoose Nuvei if you need broader capability and have $500k+/month. 720+ methods, six pre-built iGaming platform connectors, US state gambling licenses, AI routing, and a public client roster led by DraftKings and FanDuel. Trade-off: slower settlement (T+2-T+7) and higher minimum volume than emerchantpay.
SolidgateChoose Solidgate if pricing transparency matters. Published rates from 0.3-0.8% + acquiring, $200k minimum, 6-month contract, built-in orchestration, strong LATAM and APAC coverage. Lacks emerchantpay's FCA AEMI standing but wins on developer experience and pricing clarity.
Checkout.comChoose Checkout.com if you want enterprise-tier European card acquiring with a stronger developer story. FCA-authorised, Intelligent Acceptance routing, polished SDKs including mobile. Less dedicated to gaming as a vertical — emerchantpay's named gaming team is the differentiator there.
WorldpayChoose Worldpay if you're a high-volume European card-first operator. 4.3/5 Trustpilot from ~10k reviews, deeper UKGC compliance infrastructure, Global Payments ownership backing. Larger scale than emerchantpay but heavier reserves (8-15% for 6 months) and slower settlement.
AstroPayChoose AstroPay if LATAM is your primary market. 50+ LATAM local methods, faster settlement (T+1-T+2), shorter reserve hold (3 months), $100k minimum, player-side brand recognition that emerchantpay's recent LATAM expansion doesn't yet match.
Trustly
AstroPay
CoinsPaid
Inpay
Nuvei
Full-Stack PSP
Worldpay
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Full-Stack PSPEnd of Report. emerchantpay Provider Assessment Report 2026
Prepared and reviewed by the iGaming Payment Solutions Editorial Team · May 13, 2026