Flex Payment Solutions

What Flex Payment Solutions does

FLEX Payment Solutions is a family-owned, registered Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of North American Banking Company, founded in 2015 and headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, following its principals' own experience being denied payment processing for a "high-risk" business. The company operates a proprietary payment gateway supporting ACH processing, credit/debit card acceptance, eCheck (Remotely Created Checks), IRTP (Instant Real-Time Payments), Pay-by-Bank, Insta-Pay instant debit funding, mobile wallet integrations (Apple Pay/Google Pay/Samsung Pay via VRAY), SMS/voice payment acceptance, a Cash Discount Program, and a biometric checkout solution branded F.A.C.E. Its go-to-market is sales-led via dedicated Payments Advisors, supplemented by conference participation across verticals such as MJ BizCon, Hemp Beverage Expo, and Tribal Lending Summits, with association memberships providing lead flow into underserviced industries.

The company's strategic positioning is built around serving high-risk and "hard-to-bank" verticals — cannabis, CBD/hemp, tribal and Native-owned businesses, consumer finance lenders, managed-risk merchants, credit unions, and banks — where traditional processors systematically decline underwriting. FLEX monetizes through transaction-based fees across card, ACH, eCheck, and instant-funding rails, offering flat-rate or interchange pricing with custom enterprise quotes after statement review. Multiple sponsor-bank and gateway relationships (Authorize.net, NMI, USAePay, Fluidpay) provide redundant merchant accounts, and a broad loan-management-software integration ecosystem (LoanPro.io, QFund, Epicloansystems, Vergent LMS) embeds FLEX rails inside consumer-lender workflows.

In 2025 the company processed over $2.6 billion in payment volume across roughly 250+ active merchant accounts, including $200M+ monthly volume in the cannabis ACH vertical since 2019. The firm employs a named team of roughly 20+ specialists including a CTO, EVP of Sales and Operations, Director of Compliance (PBC Level II certified underwriting), Director of Sales, and Senior Payments Advisors. Six consecutive years on the Inc. 5000 list, including the 5X Honor Roll designation, and an Inc. Power Partner Award (2025) provide third-party credibility. Ownership sits with the Zeitler family, with the company operating as part of PH Financial Services.

Name

Flex Payment Solutions

Legal name

FLEX Payment Solutions LLC

Website

https://flexpaymentsolutions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FLEX Payment Solutions is a family-owned payment processor and registered ISO serving high-risk and "hard-to-bank" verticals — cannabis, CBD, tribal enterprises, consumer finance lenders, and credit unions — via a proprietary gateway supporting ACH, card, eCheck, and instant-funding rails.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Services

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure (FSAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB), A2A Payment Initiation Service Providers (PISPs) (FSAMAFAB), Risk, Compliance & Controls for Embedded Finance (KYB/KYC/AML, Fraud, Disputes) (FSAGALAK)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• ACH processing solutions
• Credit card processing
• High-risk merchant services
• Cannabis payment processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Fenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing Fees: Transaction-based fees charged to merchants for processing credit/debit card, ACH, eCheck, and other payment methods. The company offers both flat-rate and interchange pricing options to give merchants control over costs.
2. ACH and eCheck Processing: Fees for electronic check and ACH network transactions, including same-day ACH options and remote created check items.
3. Gateway and Integration Services: API access, virtual terminal usage, and integration with third-party gateways and ERP systems may generate additional service fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FLEX Payment Solutions provides a full suite of payment processing services including ACH, credit/debit card, eCheck, Pay-by-Bank, Insta-Pay instant funding, IRTP, mobile wallet, voice/text, and cash discount programs, delivered through a proprietary gateway with API integrations. The company specializes in serving high-risk, hard-to-bank, and niche industries such as cannabis, CBD, tribal/native-owned businesses, consumer finance lenders, credit unions, and managed-risk merchants that traditional processors typically reject or under-serve. It operates as a registered ISO of North American Banking Company with redundant merchant accounts and an in-house compliance team.

Product overview

FLEX Payment Solutions offers a full fintech suite of payment processing solutions as a unified platform serving both traditional and niche/high-risk industries. The core product portfolio includes ACH Processing, Credit/Debit Card Processing, eCheck (RCC), Insta-Pay (instant debit funding), Pay-by-Bank, and Direct Bank Transfers (IRTP). Additional modules include the Cash Discount Program for zero-cost processing, Payments by Voice or Text for SMS/IVR payments, Universal Mobile Wallet (VRAY) supporting Apple Pay/Google Pay/Samsung Pay, and F.A.C.E. (FLEX Automated Checkout Experience) with biometric verification. The FLEX API provides Open API/Swagger integration capabilities connecting with payment gateways and software platforms. The company specializes in serving high-risk and underserved industries including cannabis, CBD, tribal businesses, consumer finance, and credit unions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• F.A.C.E. FLEX Automated Checkout Experience - biometric payment solution using facial recognition for secure digital payments

Products and services

• ACH Processing Electronic money transfers through the ACH network enabling credits and debits with customizable reporting options, same-day ACH, pre-notes, late-night/Sunday processing, API/batch/web-portal payment initiation, and RCK (Re-Presented Check Entry) processing for merchants.
• Credit/Debit Card Processing Direct payment processing for credit and debit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and major networks with virtual terminals, API integrations, chargeback management, and fraud detection.
• eCheck (Remotely Created Checks) Electronic check processing alternative to ACH that complies with Reg CC and Reg J standards, allowing payments to be processed through the check network with customizable transaction details.
• Insta-Pay Instant debit card funding solution that sends funds directly to eligible debit cards in seconds, including nights, weekends, and holidays, with coverage for over 95% of debit cards across major networks.
• Pay-by-Bank Bank-to-bank payment solution allowing businesses to accept secure payments directly from customer bank accounts using online banking credentials, eliminating cards and reducing processing costs; features QR code scanning, secure SMS payment links, digital wallet repeat payments, and real-time visibility.
• Direct Bank Transfers (IRTP) Instant Real-Time Payments (IRTP) enabling direct fund transfers to client bank accounts in near real-time, available 24/7/365 without traditional banking or batch processing delays.
• Cash Discount Program Zero-cost credit card processing solution that offsets up to 100% of processing fees by applying automated cash discounts to card transactions, fully compliant with major credit card brand rules.
• Payments by Voice or Text SMS and voice payment solutions enabling customers to authorize payments via text message or voice command, with automated payment reminders, real-time receipt confirmations, and 'text PAY' capability when payment information is on file.
• Universal Mobile Wallet (VRAY) Cross-platform mobile wallet integration supporting Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay from any browser or device, with no card data shared during transactions and built-in fraud reduction through biometric authentication.
• FLEX API & Integrations Open API with Swagger definition and validated source code projects enabling integration with point-of-sale systems, eCommerce platforms, payment gateways (Authorize.net, NMI, USAePay, Fluidpay), loan management systems (LoanPro.io, QFund, EpicLoanSystems, VergentLMS), and ERPs (QuickBooks).
• F.A.C.E. (FLEX Automated Checkout Experience) Secure digital payment checkout experience with biometric facial recognition verification for compliant and seamless transactions, supporting cashless solutions replacing cash-only models in restricted verticals.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.6+ billion in payment volumes processed in 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Authorize.netcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership providing secure payment gateway services. FLEX customers can choose Authorize.net as their payment gateway option for seamless transaction processing and PCI compliance.
• NMI (Network Merchants Inc.)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership providing payment gateway connectivity. NMI platform enables merchants to connect to FLEX processing services with advanced features and reporting.
• USAePaycoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership offering another gateway option for merchants. USAePay provides secure payment processing with easy integration capabilities.
• QuickBookssupportingTechnology or IntegrationERP integration allowing merchants to automate and optimize financial processes by syncing payment data with QuickBooks accounting software.
• LoanPro.iocoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership for consumer lending businesses. LoanPro.io loan management software connects with FLEX payment processing for seamless borrower payment collection.
• FluidpaysupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership providing Fluidpay's payment gateway as an option for FLEX merchants seeking alternative gateway solutions.
• Business WarriorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership offering Business Warrior's payment and business management solutions to FLEX merchant base.
• Chirp IntegrationssupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership providing Chirp's digital payment solutions connected to FLEX processing infrastructure.
• EpicloansystemscoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership for epicloansystems loan management platform, enabling seamless payment processing for lending businesses.
• Infinity SoftwaresupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership offering Infinity Software's payment solutions integrated with FLEX processing capabilities.
• QFundcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership for QFund's lending and financial services software, enabling payment processing for QFund customers.
• Vergent LMSsupportingTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partnership providing Vergent LMS loan management system connectivity to FLEX payment processing.
• North American Banking CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor bank relationship enabling FLEX to operate as a registered ISO. North American Banking Company provides BIN sponsorship to card brands, depository functionality, and insurance requirements for FLEX and its customers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maverick Payments: Maverick Payments is a registered ISO/payment processor specializing in high-risk merchant accounts across CBD, firearms, adult, and nutraceutical verticals. It is one of the most direct competitors to FLEX in the high-risk merchant acquiring space with similar sponsor-bank model and vertical specialization.
• Paysafe: Paysafe is a publicly traded specialized payments platform serving online gaming, gambling, and high-risk verticals with card processing, eCash, and digital wallets. It is a larger comparable focused on regulated/specialty industries overlapping FLEX's cannabis-adjacent expertise.
• Host Merchant Services: Host Merchant Services is an ISO providing credit card processing and high-risk merchant services with interchange-plus pricing. Directly comparable to FLEX in SMB and high-risk merchant acquisition.
• High Risk Pay: High Risk Pay is a payment processor focused exclusively on high-risk and hard-to-place merchants. Direct overlap with FLEX in target verticals and customer profile of merchants struggling to obtain traditional processing.
• Durango Merchant Services: Durango is a high-risk merchant account specialist focused on industries including CBD, vape, firearms, and adult. It competes head-to-head with FLEX for the same hard-to-bank verticals with comparable ISO/acquiring-bank structure and pricing models.
• Electronic Payment Providers (EPP): EPP is a high-risk merchant services provider offering credit card and ACH processing to similar verticals as FLEX, including CBD, online gaming, and consumer finance. It is a comparable niche specialist with similar go-to-market approach.

Others

• NMI (Network Merchants Inc.): NMI is a payment gateway provider that is both a FLEX integration partner and a comparable infrastructure player. While NMI provides gateway technology rather than merchant acquiring, the platforms compete indirectly for ISO/channel partner relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Stripe is a global payments infrastructure incumbent serving online businesses and platforms. Its aggressive expansion into embedded finance and developer-first APIs competes with FLEX's gateway and API strategy for mainstream-acceptable merchants.
• Square (Block): Block operates Square, a broad payment processing platform for SMBs including retail and e-commerce. While not a high-risk specialist, Square is a relevant incumbent competing for the same SMB merchant base when those merchants' risk profiles permit.

Emerging players

• Finix: Finix is a payments infrastructure provider enabling businesses to become payment facilitators with sponsor-bank partnerships and developer-first APIs. Comparable to FLEX's embedded payments and PayFac trajectory, though targeting larger enterprise software platforms rather than niche verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flex-payment-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Flex Payment Solutions