Payzone

What Payzone does

Payzone is a UK bill-payment and top-up network operated as a trading division of Post Office Limited, providing cash and card payment services through 24,000+ independent convenience stores and Post Office branches across the United Kingdom. Founded in 1994, the company processes 500 million+ bill payment transactions annually on behalf of major utilities (British Gas, ScottishPower, E.ON Next, EDF, Utilita, OVO, Thames Water, Bulb), mobile network operators (EE, Vodafone, O2), transport providers, gaming platforms and emerging digital services (Amazon Top-Up). Following Post Office's acquisition of Payzone Bill Payments Limited, the service sits within the UK government-owned Post Office group, giving it a national brand association unmatched by privately owned bill-payment peers.

The core product is the Payzone Plus device, an all-in-one touchscreen terminal combining bill payment processing, card acceptance (contactless, chip & PIN, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), and an integrated gas-card/electricity-key reader for utility top-ups. The device embeds third-party integrations including Jisp Scan & Save loyalty and Cashplus business banking as value-adds for retailers. Retailers pay a base rental of 99p per week for the standard terminal and £8.55 per week for Payzone Plus card acceptance, with pricing reported as approximately 95% lower than the main bill-payment competitor.

Payzone's revenue model combines weekly terminal rental fees, per-transaction commission on the volumes routed through the network, and card-acquiring processing fees. Distribution is via a channel-partner model in which retailers sign on as agents, with the sales team recruiting over the phone (0800 0566 015) and via web enquiry forms. End customers are split between general consumers needing local cash bill payment and a meaningful vulnerable/financially excluded segment that relies on cash budgeting and face-to-face service. The combination of a national Post Office branch estate, Post Office brand trust, ISO 27001/22301/9001/14001 certifications, and exclusive long-term utility supplier contracts (notably the post-2019 British Gas exclusivity) constitutes the company's central commercial moat.

Name

Payzone

Legal name

Post Office Limited T/A Payzone

Website

https://payzone.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Payzone, a Post Office Limited subsidiary, operates the UK's largest alternative bill-payment network across 24,000+ retailers and Post Office branches, processing 500M+ transactions annually for major utilities, mobile operators, transport providers and digital services via its Payzone Plus terminal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bill Payment & Top-Up Services

akta.pro primary industry

Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Carrier Billing & Telco Mobile Money (FSAMAEAD)

Keywords

• Bill payment services
• Prepayment meter top-ups
• Card acceptance terminals
• Convenience store payments
• Utility payment network

Headquarters

HQ city

Northwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retailer Commission: Payzone earns commission on every transaction processed through the Payzone terminal in retailer stores. Retailers also earn commission with every transaction, creating a mutual revenue share model.
2. Terminal Rental Fees: Retailers pay weekly rental fees for the Payzone terminal device. Standard pricing starts at 99p per week plus VAT, significantly lower than competitors who charge around £10 per week.
3. Card Payment Processing: Card acceptance services offered through Payzone Plus generate transaction fees. Card acceptance available for £8.55 per week, with competitive transaction rates for retailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Payzone operates a UK bill payment and top-up network of 24,000+ convenience stores and Post Office branches, letting consumers pay utility, water, rent and council tax bills, top up prepayment energy meters and mobile phones, and buy travel/gift cards. It supplies retailers with the Payzone Plus terminal that combines bill payment processing and card acceptance, earning commission and rental fees on transactions.

Product overview

Payzone is a bill payment and top-up services network operated by Post Office Limited, providing payment solutions across a network of over 24,000 convenience stores and Post Office branches in the UK. The core offering is the Payzone Bill Payments platform, which enables customers to pay utility bills, top up prepayment energy meters, make mobile phone top-ups, purchase SIM cards, pay rent and council tax, reload travel cards, collect parcels, and purchase gift cards. The flagship Payzone Plus device combines both bill payments and card acceptance in a single handheld terminal, with exclusive features including Jisp Scan & Save loyalty technology and Cashplus Business Banking. The network integrates with major UK energy providers (British Gas, E.ON Next, EDF, ScottishPower, OVO, Utilita, Bulb), mobile networks (O2, Vodafone, EE, Three, giffgaff, Lebara, Lyca, Tesco Mobile), water companies (Thames Water, United Utilities), gaming platforms (The Health Lottery, Lotto Social, PokerStars), transport operators (National Express, Transport for West Midlands, Strathclyde Partnership for Transport), and other services including Amazon Top Up, Post Office Payout, and Post Office EasyID identity verification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Payzone Plus: All-in-one device combining bill payments and card acceptance functionality for retailers
• Post Office Payout
• Post Office EasyID

Products and services

• Payzone Bill Payments Core bill payment network enabling consumers to pay utility, water, rent and council tax bills, top up prepayment energy meters and mobile phones, buy SIM cards, reload travel cards, collect parcels and purchase gift cards at participating convenience stores and Post Office branches. Retailers earn commission on each transaction.
• Payzone Plus Device All-in-one handheld terminal combining bill payment processing and card acceptance in a single device, with integrated gas card and electricity key reader, touchscreen interface, faster transaction processing and improved Wi-Fi connectivity. For retailers wanting a unified payments solution.
• Card Acceptance Card payment processing built into the Payzone Plus device or offered separately via partner takepayments, supporting contactless, chip & PIN, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay with next-day settlement and short contracts. For retailers who need card payment capability.
• Post Office Payout Service enabling businesses and government organisations to make cash and energy top-up payments via single or batch vouchers redeemable at any Post Office branch; Payout NOW enables immediate voucher delivery via email or SMS. For refunds, settlements and discretionary awards.
• Post Office EasyID Digital identity verification app built on Yoti technology, accepted at Payzone retailers to let customers prove age and identity in-store or online via biometric authentication, reusable digital ID and QR code sharing. For age-restricted product purchases.
• Amazon Top Up Service allowing customers to add funds to their Amazon account with cash, debit card or cheque at any Payzone store, generating a PIN code receipt for online redemption. For consumers topping up Amazon balances in cash.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500 million+ bill payment transactions processed annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• AmazoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2022Amazon top-up service allowing customers to add funds to their Amazon account with cash, debit card or cheque at Payzone stores. Generates receipt with PIN code for online redemption.
• UtilitacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Long-term contract for Utilita bill payment solutions serving 800,000+ PAYG smart energy customers. Allows customers with smart meter cards, Talexus keys or Quantum cards to top up over the counter.
• JispstrategicTechnology or Integration · 28 July 2022Exclusive loyalty technology partnership for Payzone Plus retailers. Jisp's Scan and Save technology enables retailers to create custom store promotions. Initially trialed in 100 stores before wider rollout to 2,000 Payzone Plus retailers.
• ScottishPowercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2022Long-term contract for bill payments and smart meter top-ups. Serves 500,000+ prepayment customers who can pay bills at any Payzone store or Post Office branch using barcoded bills, prepayment keys or cards.
• E.ON NextcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2022Long-term partnership for E.ON Next prepayment smart meter top-ups at Payzone stores and Post Office branches.
• Thames WatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 March 2021Brand new long-term partnership allowing Thames Water customers to pay water bills at Payzone stores. Thames Water serves 15 million people across London and Thames Valley.
• British GascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2019Exclusive contract for British Gas bill payments and top-ups at Payzone and Post Office locations. Serves 1.8 million British Gas customers nationwide who were previously using PayPoint.
• Post OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPayzone is a subsidiary of Post Office Limited. The partnership combines Payzone's retailer network and bill payment technology with Post Office's national branch network and brand trust. Together they provide bill payment and card acceptance services across 24,000+ locations.
• OVO EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for electricity keys, gas cards and smart meter top-ups. OVO has over 4 million customers and was the first mainstream supplier to remove coal and nuclear from the fuel mix.
• takepaymentsstrategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCard acceptance partner for retailers who need standalone card payment services without bill payments. Offers portable, countertop and mobile card machines with over 55,000 businesses using their services.
• BulbminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnergy supplier partnership for bill payment services.
• Utilita Energy HubsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysical energy advice hubs providing face-to-face customer support. Payzone services available within these hubs for bill payments and top-ups.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• takepayments: takepayments is Payzone's card acceptance partner (55,000+ UK businesses) and a direct competitor in the UK SMB card acceptance market via countertop, portable, and mobile terminals. While takepayments does not offer bill payment, it competes for the same retailer's payment stack wallet share.
• PayPoint: PayPoint is Payzone's primary UK competitor, operating an analogous retail bill payment, top-up, and parcel network across convenience stores. The two compete head-to-head for energy supplier contracts (PayPoint previously held the British Gas contract, which Payzone won in 2019) and retailer relationships.
• Jisp: Jisp is Payzone Plus's exclusive loyalty technology partner (Scan & Save), serving the same UK independent retailer base with digital promotions, click & collect, and home delivery services. It is a co-dependent platform that could in principle expand into adjacent retailer services competing with Payzone.
• Cashplus: Cashplus provides business banking and prepaid card services to UK SMBs and is integrated into Payzone Plus as an exclusive banking partner. As a fintech serving similar small business customers, it represents both an embedded partner and a potential standalone competitor in retailer financial services.
• epay (Euronet Worldwide): Euronet's epay division is a global prepaid and bill payment processor serving retailers with mobile top-up, gift cards, and utility payments. It competes with Payzone in mobile top-up and prepaid services across the UK and Europe with comparable retailer-channel economics.

Emerging players

• SumUp: SumUp is a European SMB card acceptance and point-of-sale provider competing for Payzone's retailer customers on the card acceptance side. It does not offer bill payment but provides an alternative merchant services stack to independent retailers in the UK.
• OnePay: OnePay is a fintech offering cash-based digital payment services at retail points, including bill payment and e-commerce top-up (similar to Payzone's Amazon top-up service). It is a newer, narrower-scope competitor focused on the unbanked/cash-preferring consumer segment Payzone targets.
• Zilch: Zilch is a UK fintech offering buy-now-pay-later and consumer payment products. While not a direct bill-payment peer, it competes for the same UK consumer wallet share and could in time offer bill payment or top-up services adjacent to Payzone's consumer-facing proposition.

Broad incumbents

• Worldpay (FIS): Worldpay is a global payments processor with significant UK SMB merchant acquiring presence. It competes with Payzone's card acceptance offering (delivered via takepayments) and serves overlapping retailers, though it does not offer bill payment or retail top-up services.
• Post Office Limited: Post Office is Payzone's parent company and also a direct service provider offering bill payments and cash services through its branch network. Its branches augment Payzone's retail footprint, but it operates much more broadly across postal, banking, and government services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/payzone_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/payzoneuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/payzone-uk

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Payzone