Clerq
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
Clerq firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clerq
- Legal name
- Clerq Inc.
- Website
- https://clerq.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clerq industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Platform
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) Enablement (BNPL, wallets, local methods) (FSAMACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO)
Keywords
Where Clerq is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clerq business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Fees: Transaction-based revenue model charging merchants fees for processing account-to-account payments. Merchants save up to 75%+ compared to card processing fees while avoiding chargeback and check guarantee service costs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing based on processing volume |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Clerq product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clerq operates an account-to-account payment processing platform that enables merchants to accept low-cost, guaranteed payments directly from customers' bank accounts. The platform supports 5,000+ banks with a user experience similar to Zelle or Venmo, replacing legacy payment methods such as cash, checks, and wires for high-ticket transactions. It offers a configurable white-label account verification widget, branded invoicing via SMS/email, real-time payment tracking, direct API/SDK integration, and pre-built platform integrations with DMS and commerce systems.
Product overview
Clerq is a single unified payments platform for high-ticket transactions. The core Clerq Payments Platform serves automotive dealerships, powersports dealers, and digital commerce retailers, enabling account-to-account bank payments with guaranteed payment processing, real-time payment tracking, and branded invoice capabilities. The platform integrates directly via API/SDK or through pre-built platform integrations with DMS and commerce systems, and includes a merchant dashboard for payment visibility and reconciliation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Clerq Payments Platform A next-generation account-to-account payment processing platform for high-ticket transactions that enables merchants, including automotive dealerships, powersports dealers, and enterprise retailers, to accept low-cost, guaranteed payments directly from customers' bank accounts. The platform replaces legacy payment methods such as cash, checks, and wires with modern bank rails and supports 5,000+ banks. It includes a white-label account verification widget, branded invoicing via SMS/email, a real-time payment tracking dashboard, direct API/SDK integration, and pre-built platform integrations with DMS and commerce systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduce payment processing fees by 75%+
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Clerq
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clerq technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Clerq partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- First Internet Bank of IndianacoreBanking services partner providing FDIC member bank services for Clerq's payment platform. Clerq is a financial technology company and is not a bank. Banking services provided by First Internet Bank of Indiana, Member FDIC.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Clerq competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dwolla: Dwolla operates an account-to-account payment platform enabling businesses to send and receive bank payments via ACH and similar rails. It directly overlaps with Clerq's A2A value proposition for high-ticket merchants.
- Modern Treasury: Modern Treasury provides payment operations infrastructure including bank account linking, ACH, RTP, and FedNow rails for businesses. It targets enterprise payment teams with a similar A2A infrastructure thesis to Clerq.
- Plaid: Plaid powers bank account connectivity and payment initiation for thousands of apps, including A2A flows via Plaid Auth and Transfer. It competes in the bank-rail infrastructure layer that Clerq also relies on for its A2A payments.
- Finix: Finix provides payments infrastructure that lets businesses accept card and ACH payments with embedded payment experiences. It overlaps with Clerq's merchant payment processing and integration model.
- Tilled: Tilled is a payfac-as-a-service platform enabling ISVs and merchants to process card and ACH payments with embedded onboarding. It overlaps with Clerq's API-first payment processing for vertical software platforms.
- CheckAlt: CheckAlt provides electronic check processing and ACH payment acceptance with a focus on high-ticket verticals including automotive dealerships and property management. It solves many of the same legacy payment challenges that Clerq targets.
- MX: MX provides financial data connectivity, account verification, and money movement APIs. It is already a technology partner to Clerq for bank account linking and competes in adjacent layers of the A2A stack.
- Teller: Teller provides bank account verification and A2A payment initiation APIs for fintechs and platforms. It is already a payment partner of Clerq and competes in the same underlying payment rails category.
Broad incumbents
- Stripe: Stripe is a dominant global payment processor offering ACH Direct Debit, bank debits, and embedded financial services. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Clerq's online A2A payments capability but serves a far larger and more horizontal merchant base.
Emerging players
- Billtrust: Billtrust offers B2B order-to-cash and accounts receivable automation including electronic invoicing and integrated payments. It overlaps with Clerq's branded invoicing and A2A collection workflow for high-ticket B2B transactions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clerq compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Clerq financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clerq leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Clerq funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clerq M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clerq
What does Clerq do?
Clerq operates an account-to-account payment processing platform that enables merchants to accept low-cost, guaranteed payments directly from customers' bank accounts. The platform supports 5,000+ banks with a user experience similar to Zelle or Venmo, replacing legacy payment methods such as cash, checks, and wires for high-ticket transactions. It offers a configurable white-label account verification widget, branded invoicing via SMS/email, real-time payment tracking, direct API/SDK integration, and pre-built platform integrations with DMS and commerce systems.
Is Clerq a public or private company?
Clerq is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Clerq founded?
Clerq was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Clerq based?
Clerq is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clerq make money?
One revenue line is on record: payment Processing Fees.
Who are Clerq's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dwolla, Modern Treasury, Plaid, Finix, Tilled, CheckAlt, MX and Teller. Stripe is listed as a broad incumbent. Billtrust is listed as an emerging player.
Does Clerq have an API?
Yes. Clerq offers an API and SDK for direct integration, allowing merchants to build custom integrations with just a few lines of code. The company provides a developer sandbox environment for testing at sandbox.clerq.io. No specific API type (REST/GraphQL), authentication method, rate limits, or versioning details are explicitly stated in available source material. Developer documentation is at sandbox.clerq.io/login/?next=/docs.
What industry is Clerq in?
Clerq's product category is Payment Processing Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMACAE, Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) Enablement (BNPL, wallets, local methods), with a secondary code of FSAGABAO, POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6199.