a55
a55 is a São Paulo-based payment orchestration platform providing cross-border payment infrastructure for Latin America, serving ecommerce merchants, marketplaces, and gaming operators with direct Visa/Mastercard connectivity, an AI-powered Decision Engine routing across 26+ providers, and sub-acquiring capabilities across 40+ markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSão Paulo, Brazil
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What a55 does
a55 is a São Paulo-based cross-border payment infrastructure and orchestration company founded in 2017. Originally launched in 2018 as a revenue-based financing platform that disbursed over R$300 million in loans to 500+ Brazilian companies, the company pivoted and expanded into a payment orchestration platform serving merchants operating in or selling into Latin America. Its core technology is a payment orchestration stack with direct card network connectivity (Visa, Mastercard), local acquiring relationships across 40+ markets, and an AI-powered Decision Engine that evaluates 94 signals per transaction to route payments across 26+ integrated providers for maximum approval rates.
The product portfolio includes Checkout OS (a conversion-optimized checkout with local methods like PIX and boleto), the Decision Engine (smart routing with intelligent retries), the Merchant Platform (operational workspace for routing controls and observability), Sub-acquiring & Cross-border (PayFac operations across 40+ markets with multi-currency settlement), Connect (marketplace payments with sub-merchant onboarding and split payouts), Fraud Protection, Invoicing, and ACH processing. The a55 Activate startup program extends the offering to early-stage commerce founders with $10K in credits. Integration methods span host-to-host APIs, web/mobile SDKs, and hosted checkout pages, supported by production test keys and developer-first documentation at docs.a55.tech.
a55 generates revenue primarily through transaction-based pricing: a flat $0.30 per transaction plus processing, 0.1% on Checkout OS, 0.79% on total fraud protection, 3-6% on Connect marketplace volume, volume-tiered ACH (0.5%-0.8%), and tiered invoice pricing. Go-to-market combines product-led self-serve signup with enterprise field sales, targeting ecommerce merchants, marketplaces, gaming operators, and regulated verticals. The company holds subcredenciadora licensing under Banco Central do Brasil Resolution 522/2025, PCI DSS 4.0.1 Level 1 compliance, and LGPD privacy compliance. Notable customers include Love.com, Revolve, Lucky Brand, 1win, Monnet, HempVegan, and Linha Canábica. The company raised a $16.3M Series B led by Movile in 2022 (following a $35M round led by Accial Capital in 2021), and in March 2026 Pagsmile acquired a 49% stake with intent to fully acquire the company pending Brazilian Central Bank approval.
a55 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- a55
- Legal name
- A55 PAYMENTS LTDA
- Website
- https://a55.tech
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- a55 is a São Paulo-based payment orchestration platform providing cross-border payment infrastructure for Latin America, serving ecommerce merchants, marketplaces, and gaming operators with direct Visa/Mastercard connectivity, an AI-powered Decision Engine routing across 26+ providers, and sub-acquiring capabilities across 40+ markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
a55 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Orchestration
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Payment Gateways & Orchestration (BPAMAFAA), Cross-Border Payment Orchestration & Routing (FSAGAKAJ), Alternative Payment Methods (APM) Enablement (Wallets, A2A, Local Rails) (FSAGABAJ)
Keywords
Where a55 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- São Paulo
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
a55 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Transaction Processing Fees: Flat rate of $0.30 per transaction plus processing fees. Takes a percentage of each transaction processed through the platform. Primary revenue stream from payment orchestration services.
- Checkout OS: 0.1% per transaction for Checkout OS product. Includes subscriptions free, Decision Engine at 0.2%, Checkout Everywhere free. Chargebacks at $5 each.
- Fraud Protection: 0.79% per transaction for total fraud protection including basic protection included and assisted fraud scoring at $0.30/transaction.
- Connect - Marketplace Payments: 3% per transaction for low-risk sub-merchants with $3.50/month per active merchant. 6% for high-risk sub-merchants with $4.50/month per active merchant. Zero payout fees.
- ACH Pricing: Volume-based ACH pricing from 0.5% to 0.8% depending on monthly volume ($1M to $10M+ thresholds) plus per-transaction fee of $0.21-$0.23.
- Invoicing: Tiered invoicing from $0.20/invoice for up to 5K/month down to $0.05/invoice above 100K/month.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Flat Rate - $0.30 per transaction plus processing |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Checkout OS - 0.1% per transaction |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Fraud Protection - 0.79% per transaction |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Connect - Low-Risk Sub-Merchants 3% per transaction |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Connect - High-Risk Sub-Merchants 6% per transaction |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | ACH Pricing - 0.5%-0.8% based on volume |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Invoicing - $0.05-$0.20 per invoice |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise - Contact sales |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
a55 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
a55 is a payment orchestration platform purpose-built for cross-border commerce into Latin America. It provides merchants, marketplaces, and platforms with a unified checkout, an AI-powered Decision Engine that smart-routes transactions across 26+ providers, and direct card-network connectivity with local acquiring and settlement across 40+ markets, plus PayFac/sub-acquiring capabilities and supporting modules for fraud, invoicing, ACH, and recurring billing.
Product overview
a55 is a cross-border payment infrastructure company for Latin America, operating as a payment orchestration platform with a modular architecture. The core offering consists of Checkout OS (high-converting checkout with smart routing), the Decision Engine (AI-powered routing across 26+ providers), the Merchant Platform (operations workspace), and Sub-acquiring/Cross-border solutions (enabling PayFac models across 40+ markets). Supporting modules include Fraud Protection, Connect (marketplace payments), Invoicing, and ACH pricing. Financial tools include Cash Flow projection, Receivables Anticipation, Break-Even Points, and Absorption Cost calculators. The a55 Activate startup program provides $10K credits and infrastructure access. Integration methods include Host-to-Host, Web/Mobile SDKs, and Hosted Checkout. The company operates with direct network connectivity (Visa, Mastercard) and local acquiring across 40+ markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Checkout OS A high-conversion checkout product designed for merchants selling cross-border into Latin America. Uses fewer form fields, supports local payment methods (cards, PIX, boleto), tokenized cards for repeat purchases, and routes every transaction through the Decision Engine across 26+ integrated providers to maximize approval rates.
- Decision Engine AI-powered transaction routing engine that evaluates 94 signals per transaction (BIN, MCC, merchant history, amount, risk, payment method) and routes each payment to the provider most likely to approve it. Includes configurable rules and intelligent retries on provider decline, powered by a55 AI.
- Merchant Platform A unified operations workspace that gives merchant payment teams control over routing, trust policies, approval visibility, settlement rules, payment links, and recurring workflows. Includes transaction investigation, webhook monitoring, and observability tools for mission-critical flows with a 99.95% uptime target.
- Sub-acquiring & Cross-border Global sub-acquiring product enabling marketplaces, platforms, and PayFac models to operate across 40+ markets. Provides sub-merchant onboarding, automated split payouts, multi-currency settlement, and jurisdiction-aware compliance, with 20+ currencies supported.
- Fraud Protection Fraud protection offering with multiple tiers: basic protection included, assisted fraud scoring at $0.30 per transaction, and total fraud protection at 0.79% per transaction. Designed to reduce false declines without adding friction for legitimate shoppers.
- Connect (Marketplace Payments) Embedded marketplace payments product enabling platform operators to onboard sub-merchants, run KYC/KYB compliance, automate revenue splits and marketplace fees, and distribute seller earnings via automated payouts. Tiered pricing: 3% per transaction for low-risk sub-merchants ($3.50/month per active merchant), 6% for high-risk ($4.50/month per active merchant).
- Invoicing Invoice creation and management tool with tiered volume-based pricing: $0.20/invoice up to 5K per month, scaling down to $0.05/invoice above 100K per month.
- ACH Processing ACH payment processing with volume-based pricing tiers: 0.8% up to $1M/month, 0.7% up to $5M/month, 0.6% up to $10M/month, 0.5% over $10M/month, plus $0.21-$0.23 per transaction.
- a55 Activate Startup program offering $10K in a55 credits, cross-border payment infrastructure across 7 countries, and access to a private Founder Network community. Targets founders building commerce startups from stealth through Series B+.
- Cash Flow Tool Free financial calculator for projecting and exporting company cash flow, with inputs for growth and depreciation rates.
- Receivables Anticipation Tool Free simulation tool that calculates how different factoring rates on receivables impact company cash flow.
- Break-Even Points Tool Free calculator for determining accounting, financial, and economic break-even points based on fixed costs, financial expenses, and desired profit.
- Absorption Cost Tool Free calculator for determining the absorption cost of a product or service based on rejection rate, profit margin, and price.
Quantifiable outcome
- Recovers ~50% of cross-border payment attempts that fail due to poor routing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use a55
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
a55 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability2 records
Feature11 records
a55 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- PaysecurecoreStrategic partnership for LATAM expansion into Brazil and Mexico. Paysecure investing in a55 and offering new financial services and payment methods. a55Pay acts as payment facilitator in Brazil. Over R$ 25 million in transactions processed since January 2024.
- CielocoreCielo is a major Brazilian payment acquirer integrated into a55's network for local acquiring and settlement. Part of 26+ integrated provider routes for smart routing.
- PagSegurocorePagSeguro is a Brazilian payment processor integrated for local acquiring coverage. Supports PIX, boleto, and card payment methods.
- Microsoft AzurecorePrimary infrastructure provider for card data environment (CDE): database, cache, applications, and key vault. PCI DSS Level 1 certified. East US region.
- Amazon Web ServicescoreAuthentication federated via SSO for establishments and secrets vault. PCI DSS Level 1. us-east-1 region.
- CyberSource (Visa)coreNetwork tokenization of PAN and antifraud services. PCI DSS Level 1. Part of tokenization infrastructure.
- Braspag (Cielo)core3-D Secure authentication provider. PCI DSS Level 1. Enables per-market 3DS controls and risk-based authentication.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
a55 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EBANX: Brazilian-founded cross-border payments specialist focused on LATAM. Directly comparable to a55 in target customer (global merchants selling into LATAM), APM enablement (PIX, boleto, local cards), and cross-border routing focus.
- dLocal: Public LATAM-focused payment processor with cross-border merchant acquiring across emerging markets. Directly comparable in product offering (local payment methods, multi-currency settlement) and target customer (global merchants expanding into LATAM).
Broad incumbents
- Pagsmile: Brazilian paytech and 49% shareholder of a55 pursuing full acquisition. Comparable as a regional LATAM payments incumbent with overlapping acquiring and processing capabilities.
- PagSeguro: Major Brazilian payment processor and acquirer that is both a partner and customer of a55. Comparable as a domestic incumbent offering acquiring and processing services that overlap with a55's routing stack.
- Cielo: Largest Brazilian payment acquirer, integrated into a55's smart routing network. Comparable as a domestic incumbent in the acquiring and merchant services category that a55 routes transactions through.
- Adyen: Global payment orchestration and acquiring platform with growing LATAM presence. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering multi-market payment orchestration and direct scheme connectivity.
- Stripe: Global payment infrastructure platform with expanding LATAM capabilities (PIX, boleto). Comparable as a broad incumbent in payment orchestration and gateway services for cross-border merchants.
Emerging players
- Pomelo: LATAM fintech-as-a-service infrastructure provider offering card issuing and processing. Comparable as an emerging player in LATAM payment infrastructure with overlapping API-first and embedded finance approach.
- Akua: LATAM-focused payment orchestration and acquiring platform. Comparable as an emerging player in the LATAM payment orchestration niche with similar cross-border merchant focus.
Regional players
- Braspag: Brazilian payment gateway owned by Cielo, providing 3DS and processing services to a55. Comparable as a regional gateway and processor operating in the same Brazilian market with overlapping APM coverage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
a55 social profiles
Digital presencea55 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
a55 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
a55 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
a55 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
a55 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 a55
What does a55 do?
a55 is a payment orchestration platform purpose-built for cross-border commerce into Latin America. It provides merchants, marketplaces, and platforms with a unified checkout, an AI-powered Decision Engine that smart-routes transactions across 26+ providers, and direct card-network connectivity with local acquiring and settlement across 40+ markets, plus PayFac/sub-acquiring capabilities and supporting modules for fraud, invoicing, ACH, and recurring billing.
Is a55 a public or private company?
a55 is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was a55 founded?
a55 was founded in 2017. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is a55 based?
a55 is headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does a55 make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Transaction Processing Fees are the primary driver. The others are checkout OS, fraud Protection, connect - Marketplace Payments, ACH Pricing and invoicing.
Who are a55's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EBANX and dLocal. Broad incumbents are Pagsmile, PagSeguro, Cielo, Adyen and Stripe. Emerging players are Pomelo and Akua. Braspag is listed as a regional player.
Does a55 have an API?
Yes. a55 offers developer-first APIs and SDKs supporting host-to-host, web SDK, mobile SDK, and hosted checkout integration paths. The platform provides live production test keys for testing on the same infrastructure as production. Features include 3DS and AF orchestration, tokenization and vaulting, zero-auth verification, and recurring readiness. SDKs come with routing and trust signals built in. Documentation and onboarding are available through docs.a55.tech. Developer documentation is at docs.a55.tech.
What industry is a55 in?
a55's product category is Payment Orchestration. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMACAA, Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout), with a secondary code of BPAMAFAA, Payment Gateways & Orchestration. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 7370.