The Fintech Index
183 companies rated 5 sectors 38 reports Last updated Nov 13, 2026
PAY

Top-rated payments and acquiring companies, 2026

All 35 payments and acquiring companies we rate, by our rating out of 100. Ties share a rank and appear in A-Z order.

35 companiesLast updated Nov 10, 2026How we rateSector page

Rating80 and up75 to 7970 to 74under 70
Criteria85+80s75 to 7970 to 7465 to 69under 65
  1. 1

    Plaid

    PaymentsFor businesses
    82/100
    8688848686787276

    Built for: US and Canadian apps, lenders, and banks that need bank account linking, identity checks, and bank payments through one API.

  2. 2

    Basis Theory

    PaymentsFor businesses
    80/100
    7090927882767870

    Built for: Software platforms and merchants with engineers that want an independent PCI vault and freedom to use any payment provider.

  3. 3

    Lithic

    PaymentsCard issuerFor businesses
    79/100
    8086847680787074

    Built for: US fintechs and software companies that want to launch virtual or physical card programs through APIs.

  4. 3

    Spreedly

    PaymentsFor businesses
    79/100
    8686848684727066

    Built for: Online merchants and platforms on several payment gateways that want one card vault and smarter routing.

  5. 5

    Finix

    PaymentsFor businesses
    78/100
    8684788084765874

    Built for: Platforms and merchants that want North American payment processing, payouts, and PayFac tooling together.

  6. 5

    Rainforest

    PaymentsFor businesses
    78/100
    8284788086766078

    Built for: Software platforms that want embedded merchant payments without registering as a payment facilitator.

  7. 7

    Highnote

    For businessesCard issuerPayments
    77/100
    8284787480766872

    Built for: US platforms, fintechs, and brands that want issuing, acquiring, and credit on one ledger.

  8. 7

    Modulr

    PaymentsHolds client moneyFor businesses
    77/100
    7878808076728272

    Built for: UK and European businesses, payroll providers and platforms that automate pay-ins and pay-outs from accounts they control.

  9. 7

    Moov

    PaymentsFor businesses
    77/100
    8486807882765874

    Built for: Software companies that want embedded acceptance, wallets, payouts, and cards in one payments stack.

  10. 7

    Payabli

    PaymentsFor businesses
    77/100
    8482788086745872

    Built for: Vertical software companies that want embedded acceptance, payouts, and payment ops without full PayFac registration.

  11. 11

    ClearBank

    PaymentsFor banksFor businessesHolds client money
    76/100
    8480888684705266

    Built for: Fintechs, payments firms, and banks that need UK or EU accounts, payment scheme access, and protected deposits from a licensed bank.

  12. 11

    Form3

    PaymentsFor banksFor businesses
    76/100
    9086888288724658

    Built for: Banks and regulated fintechs that need real-time account-to-account payment infrastructure through one cloud API.

  13. 11

    Paymentology

    For businessesFor banksCard issuerPayments
    76/100
    8074787978766674

    Built for: Digital banks, fintechs, and banks running card programs across many countries.

  14. 11

    SoFi Technology Solutions

    PaymentsFor banksCard issuer
    76/100
    8480827880746268

    Built for: Fintechs, banks, and brands that want card issuing, account processing, and a banking core from one long-standing processor.

  15. 11

    Volante Technologies

    PaymentsFor banks
    76/100
    8482848484724866

    Built for: Banks that want wire, real-time, and cross-border payments modernized on ISO 20022 as a cloud service.

  16. 16

    i2c

    For businessesFor banksCard issuerPayments
    75/100
    8072797677746674

    Built for: Banks, credit unions, and large fintechs that want credit, debit, and prepaid on one processor.

  17. 16

    Pomelo

    For businessesFor banksCard issuerPayments
    75/100
    7876757479766874

    Built for: Fintechs and banks that want to issue cards across Latin America from one platform.

  18. 18

    Enfuce

    For businessesCard issuerPayments
    74/100
    7774797275746873

    Built for: European fintechs and brands that want issuing, processing, and a license from one partner.

  19. 18

    Marqeta

    PaymentsFor businessesPublic company
    74/100
    8484808082685264

    Built for: Card programs with real volume, mainly in the US, that want fine control over how each payment is approved and funded.

  20. 18

    Paystand

    PaymentsFor businesses
    74/100
    7470748478727072

    Built for: Mid-market finance teams that want to move B2B receivables off checks and card fees.

  21. 18

    Thredd

    PaymentsFor banksFor businesses
    74/100
    8476808076705868

    Built for: Fintechs, banks and programme managers that issue cards at scale in the UK, Europe or Asia-Pacific.

  22. 18

    Tilled

    PaymentsFor businesses
    74/100
    8076767476785872

    Built for: Vertical software platforms that want white-label payments revenue without their own PayFac registration.

  23. 18

    Token.io

    PaymentsFor banksFor businesses
    74/100
    8078788076706068

    Built for: Payment providers, banks and large merchants adding pay-by-bank under their own brand.

  24. 18

    TrueLayer

    PaymentsFor businesses
    74/100
    8280808280705564

    Built for: Merchants and platforms with many UK or European customers that want to cut card costs with pay-by-bank checkout and fast payouts.

  25. 18

    Yapily

    PaymentsFor businessesFor banks
    74/100
    8583878183684856

    Built for: PSPs, lenders, or software vendors that need payments initiation and account data through one open-banking provider.

  26. 18

    Zeta

    For banksCard issuerPayments
    74/100
    8073767478736672

    Built for: Banks replacing mainframe card processing with a cloud-native platform.

  27. 27

    Episode Six

    For businessesFor banksCard issuerPayments
    73/100
    7674767375736673

    Built for: Banks and large brands running card, wallet, and ledger programs in many countries.

  28. 27

    NymCard

    For businessesFor banksCard issuerPayments
    73/100
    7672757074736873

    Built for: Banks and fintechs in the Gulf, Egypt, and Pakistan that want cards and lending from a local processor.

  29. 27

    Vitesse

    PaymentsHolds client moneyFor businesses
    73/100
    7876827878725666

    Built for: Insurers, MGAs and claims administrators paying claims across several countries.

  30. 27

    Volt

    PaymentsFor businesses
    73/100
    8076807678705866

    Built for: Merchants and payment companies that want pay-by-bank checkout and payouts in several regions through one connection.

  31. 27

    Wallester

    For businessesCard issuerPayments
    73/100
    7474757075757074

    Built for: European fintechs and companies that want branded Visa cards or expense cards with a ready-made app.

  32. 32

    Paynetics

    For businessesCard issuerPayments
    71/100
    7268737171726873

    Built for: European fintechs and program managers that want accounts, cards, and BIN sponsorship from one licensed issuer.

  33. 32

    Tribe Payments

    PaymentsCard issuerFor banksFor businesses
    71/100
    8478827680684454

    Built for: Banks, fintechs, and acquirers that want modular issuer or acquirer processing on a cloud platform.

  34. 34

    PCI-PAL

    PaymentsFor businessesPublic company
    70/100
    7371878577674658

    Built for: Organizations that take card payments by phone or in digital messaging.

  35. 35

    Change Financial

    PaymentsCard issuerFor banksPublic company
    67/100
    7873777574634455

    Built for: Australian and New Zealand banks and fintechs that need card issuing and program management.

Each cell is one criterion scored out of 100: first the four criteria for this sector, then product depth, onboarding and support, pricing transparency, and contract terms. Hover or tap a cell for its name; the review page explains every score. The sector has 35 companies.