Cards and issuing
Card schemes, issuing platforms, interchange and chargebacks.
24 pages
Guide · Cards3D Secure explained: EMV 3DS 2, SCA and exemptionsHow EMV 3-D Secure works: the data flow, frictionless vs challenge, the SCA rules behind it and the EU exemptions, explained in plain English.Updated 3 November 2026 · 10 min read
Company profile · GatewaysAdyen review: products, pricing and markets (2026)Adyen's Dutch banking licence, regional authorisations, Interchange++ pricing and 2026 results, checked against company sources.Updated 3 November 2026 · 6 min read
Comparison · GatewaysAdyen vs Stripe: products, pricing and markets (2026)Adyen vs Stripe compared: licences with register links, published card fees, volumes and which merchant profiles each tends to suit. Checked 3 Nov 2026.Updated 3 November 2026 · 9 min read
AirwallexCompany profile · Cross-borderAirwallex review: products, pricing and markets (2026)Airwallex in 2026: multi-currency business accounts, card acceptance and Visa cards, licences in the UK, EU, Singapore, Australia and more, plus fees.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
Alternatives · APMsBest PayPal alternatives for online checkout (2026)PayPal alternatives for online checkout compared: Adyen, Checkout.com, Klarna, Mollie, Stripe and Trustly, with licences and published UK fees.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
Alternatives · GatewaysBest Stripe alternatives for online merchants (2026)Six Stripe alternatives for online merchants compared on licences, focus and pricing model: Adyen, Airwallex, Checkout.com, Mollie, Nuvei and PayPal.Updated 3 November 2026 · 10 min read
Guide · CardsHow card payments work: authorisation to settlementWho does what in a card payment: issuer, acquirer and scheme, plus authorisation, clearing, settlement, interchange caps and chargebacks.Updated 3 November 2026 · 9 min read
Company profile · APMsKlarna review: products, pricing and markets (2026)Klarna profile: how its pay later and checkout products work, merchant pricing model, markets and regulation, from Klarna's own disclosures.Updated 3 November 2026 · 6 min read
MarqetaCompany profile · CardsMarqeta review: products, technology and pricing (2026)How Marqeta's card issuing platform works: Core API, Just-in-Time Funding, real-time risk controls, stablecoin-backed cards and 2026 launches.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
Company profile · CardsMastercard review: products, technology and pricing (2026)How Mastercard's network works: MDES tokenisation, Click to Pay, open finance Pay by Bank, Mastercard Move, developer APIs and 2026 launches.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
Guide · CardsNetwork tokenisation explained: VTS, MDES, cryptogramsHow network tokens replace card numbers, how they differ from PSP tokens, how Visa Token Service and Mastercard MDES work, and what the schemes publish.Updated 3 November 2026 · 10 min read
Guide · GatewaysPayment gateway vs PSP vs acquirer: who does whatA gateway moves payment data, an acquirer contracts with the merchant and settles funds, and PSP is the umbrella legal term. How the roles differ.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
Guide · GatewaysPayment orchestration explained: routing, failover, vaultsHow payment orchestration routes card payments across several processors, retries failures, stores cards in a neutral vault and keeps tokens portable.Updated 3 November 2026 · 9 min read
Company profile · Cross-borderPayoneer review: products, technology and pricing (2026)Payoneer profile: multi-currency accounts, marketplace payouts, B2B payments, Checkout and APIs, with published fees, 2026 figures and the Nuvei deal.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
PrimerCompany profile · GatewaysPrimer review: products, technology and pricing (2026)Primer profile: an orchestration layer that connects PSPs, routes with no-code Workflows, vaults cards and adds fallbacks and Global Accounts.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
Company profile · EMIsRevolut review: products, pricing and markets (2026)Revolut's licences, UK bank status, plan prices and 2025 results, checked against the FCA, Bank of Lithuania and Revolut's own disclosures.Updated 3 November 2026 · 6 min read
Company profile · GatewaysStripe review: products, pricing and markets (2026)Stripe's Irish, UK and US licences, published UK and US card fees, 2025 volume and product range, checked against company and regulator sources.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
Checkout.comComparison · GatewaysStripe vs Checkout.com: products, pricing and markets (2026)Stripe vs Checkout.com compared: licences by entity, published vs quote-based pricing, 2025 volumes and the merchants each tends to suit.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read- Guide · AcquiringTap to Pay and SoftPOS explained: iPhone, Android, MPoCHow SoftPOS turns a phone into a card terminal: Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, device rules, PIN entry, the PCI MPoC standard and who offers it.Updated 3 November 2026 · 8 min read
- Company profile · CardsVisa review: products, technology and pricing (2026)How Visa's technology works: VisaNet processing, Visa Token Service, Visa Direct, developer APIs, stablecoin settlement and 2026 agentic commerce launches.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
- Comparison · CardsVisa vs Mastercard: networks, tokens and APIs (2026)Visa vs Mastercard compared on network technology, tokenisation, developer platforms and products for merchants and issuers. Checked 3 Nov 2026.Updated 3 November 2026 · 10 min read
Company profile · Cross-borderWise review: products, pricing and markets (2026)Wise's products, payment infrastructure, UK and US fees, FY2026 results and regulation, checked against company and regulator sources.Updated 3 November 2026 · 6 min read
Comparison · EMIsWise vs Revolut for business: accounts, FX, APIs (2026)Wise Business vs Revolut Business compared: accounts, FX pricing model, cards, APIs, acceptance and plan fees, with UK figures. Checked 3 Nov 2026.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read
WorldpayComparison · AcquiringWorldpay vs Adyen: products, pricing and markets (2026)Worldpay vs Adyen compared: licences by entity, published UK and Interchange++ fees, ownership after the Global Payments deal, and who each tends to suit.Updated 3 November 2026 · 7 min read