Openbucks
Openbucks is a U.S. payment gateway that lets online merchants accept retail gift cards (CVS, Dollar General) and its own Obucks prepaid card as an alternative to credit cards, primarily serving underbanked consumers in gaming, digital goods, mobile top-ups, and ecommerce; the company was acquired by Paysafe Group in September 2022.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersSunnyvale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Openbucks does
Openbucks is a U.S.-headquartered payment gateway founded in 2011 (Marc Rochman and Hillel Krajzman) that enables online merchants to accept retail gift cards — issued by CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, and its own Obucks closed-loop prepaid card — as an alternative to credit cards, primarily targeting underbanked and unbanked consumers in gaming, digital goods, mobile top-ups, subscriptions, and ecommerce. The platform is built on REST APIs with TLS 1.2 / X.509 authentication, Pin-on-Demand card delivery, SSL 256-bit encryption, and is integrated through PaysafeCard and Skrill Quick Checkout APIs; because transactions are closed-loop gift-card payments, the platform sits outside PCI DSS scope while maintaining KYC, AML, and OFAC controls and a license under U.S. Patent No. 6,876,979.
The product surface consists of two core offerings: a Payment Platform (hosted checkout via API or plugin) and the Obucks gaming card (denominations $1–$150, redeemable at 1,000+ online games). Openbucks monetizes via transaction-based fees paid by merchants, with pricing varying by industry vertical and volume; integration is free, there are no consumer fees, and merchants receive a 100% no-chargeback guarantee. Distribution is API-first (direct merchant integration) augmented by channel partnerships with PSPs and gaming monetization platforms including Xsolla, Paymentwall, Tebex, Razer Gold, Plarium, and FlowPlay, plus physical retail touchpoints at CVS (10,000+), Dollar General (17,000+), and via PaysafeCard's 40,000+ international locations.
In September 2022, Openbucks was acquired by Paysafe Group for an undisclosed sum and integrated into Paysafe's global eCash division (led by Udo Mueller); all new integrations now run on PaysafeCard and Skrill rails, while the Openbucks legal entity (Openbucks Corp., Sunnyvale) and brand continue to operate. The combined footprint reaches 67,000+ U.S. payment locations and 2,000+ integrated merchants and PSPs, positioning Openbucks as the U.S. eCash/closed-loop prepaid leg of a larger specialized payments platform.
Openbucks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Openbucks
- Legal name
- Openbucks Corp.
- Website
- https://openbucks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Openbucks is a U.S. payment gateway that lets online merchants accept retail gift cards (CVS, Dollar General) and its own Obucks prepaid card as an alternative to credit cards, primarily serving underbanked consumers in gaming, digital goods, mobile top-ups, and ecommerce; the company was acquired by Paysafe Group in September 2022.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Openbucks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alternative Payment Processing
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Prepaid, Gift Cards & Voucher-Based Payments (MPAEALAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Closed-Loop Gift Cards (Single-Merchant) (FSAMANAB)
Keywords
Where Openbucks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sunnyvale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Openbucks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction-based fees from merchants: Merchants pay transaction fees for processing gift card payments. Integration is free. Pricing is dependent on the industry and volume of the merchant's business. The company generates revenue through a percentage-based fee on each successful transaction processed through its platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Variable merchant pricing based on industry and volume |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Openbucks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Openbucks operates a payment gateway that enables online merchants to accept retail gift cards (CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General) and prepaid options such as PaysafeCard as alternatives to credit cards and bank accounts, with a 100% no-chargeback guarantee to merchants. The company also issues the Obucks closed-loop digital prepaid gaming card, redeemable at 1,000+ online games, and supports a reseller program with PIN-on-demand API delivery for $1.00–$150.00 USD card denominations.
Product overview
Openbucks is an alternative payment platform consisting of two core products: the Payment Platform and the Obucks Card. The Payment Platform enables online merchants to accept prepaid and cash payment methods (retail gift cards from CVS, Dollar General, and PaysafeCard) as alternatives to credit cards, with zero chargebacks to merchants. The Obucks Card is a closed-loop digital prepaid gaming card redeemable at 1,000+ online games and gaming merchants. The platform is now integrated into the Paysafe Group following its acquisition in 2020 and operates via PaysafeCard and Skrill API infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Payment Platform A payment gateway that enables online merchants to accept retail gift cards (CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General) and prepaid payment options including PaysafeCard and Obucks cards as alternatives to credit cards, with a 100% no-chargeback guarantee to merchants and zero fees to consumers. Integrates via PaysafeCard or Skrill Quick Checkout APIs and serves gaming, digital goods, mobile top-ups, subscriptions, and ecommerce merchants.
- Obucks Card A closed-loop digital prepaid gaming card issued by Openbucks and redeemable at 1,000+ online games and gaming merchants. Card denominations range from $1.00 to $150.00 USD, and the card is available through authorized online resellers (OffGamers, SEAGM, EZPin, Chile Premium, Egypt Game Store) with PIN-on-demand API delivery.
Quantifiable outcome
- Merchants typically see 2-5% sales lift when prepaid payment methods are added to checkout
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Openbucks
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Openbucks technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature5 records
Openbucks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CVS PharmacycoreCVS Pharmacy is a major national retailer partner operating the US's largest pharmacy chain. Physical CVS Pharmacy gift cards are accepted on the Openbucks platform, enabling consumers to purchase gift cards at 10,000+ CVS locations for redemption at participating online merchants.
- Dollar GeneralcoreDollar General is a popular convenience store operating in 46 states. Physical Dollar General gift cards are accepted on the Openbucks platform, providing consumers access to over 17,000 brick-and-mortar locations to purchase gift cards for online redemption.
- XsollacoreXsolla is a gaming monetization platform integrated with Openbucks gift card payments. The partnership enables thousands of Xsolla's merchant customers to accept gift cards as an alternative payment method.
- PaymentwallcorePaymentwall is a global payments platform for digital goods. The integration allows Paymentwall merchants to accept Openbucks gift card payments at checkout.
- PaysafeCardcoreFollowing Openbucks acquisition by Paysafe, all new integrations are via PaysafeCard API. Openbucks payment panel merged with PaysafeCard and distribution of Obucks cards moved to PaysafeCard rails. 650,000+ payment locations available globally through PaysafeCard.
- SkrillcoreSkrill Quick Checkout API is one of two methods for Openbucks integration. Skrill USA Inc. provides alternative payment processing capabilities for merchants integrating gift card payments.
- Razer GoldcoreRazer Gold is a gaming monetization platform accepting Openbucks gift cards at checkout. Part of the extensive gaming merchant network supporting alternative payment methods.
- TebexcoreTebex is a gaming store platform accepting Openbucks gift cards. Enables game servers and communities to offer gift card payment options to their users.
- PlariumcorePlarium Games is a game studio accepting Openbucks gift cards. Part of the entertainment space merchant network.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Openbucks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Xsolla: Gaming commerce company and current Openbucks partner/monetization platform integrating Openbucks gift card payments for game studio clients. Comparable ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor — overlaps in serving gaming merchant payment needs.
- Paymentwall: Global payments platform for digital goods and gaming merchants and current Openbucks integration partner. Comparable in serving digital goods merchants with alternative payment methods including prepaid, though operating primarily as a PSP rather than a closed-loop prepaid issuer.
Direct peers
- InComm Payments: Major prepaid payment technology company providing gift card distribution and closed-loop payment processing solutions. Comparable in providing payment infrastructure for retail gift cards accepted online, particularly through retail partnerships.
- PayNearMe: Cash-to-digital payment platform enabling consumers to pay online merchants using cash at physical retail locations. Closely comparable in solving the underbanked consumer payment problem through retail cash payment networks serving ecommerce merchants.
- Blackhawk Network: Leading global gift card payment network and prepaid payment services provider operating the GiftCardMall and supporting retail gift card distribution at scale. Directly comparable in enabling closed-loop gift card payment acceptance at online merchants.
- Skrill: Sister company under Paysafe Group providing alternative online payment methods including the Quick Checkout API that Openbucks merchants integrate through. Comparable in alternative payment processing for digital goods, gaming, and ecommerce merchants.
- PaysafeCard: Sister company under Paysafe Group operating a near-identical voucher-based prepaid payment network globally with 650,000+ payment locations. Most directly comparable peer given shared parent, shared customer base (online merchants, gaming), and overlapping closed-loop prepaid product.
- Neosurf: Prepaid voucher payment solution for online purchases, primarily serving gaming and digital goods merchants across Europe. Comparable in offering closed-loop prepaid voucher payment acceptance for online merchants with strong gaming customer overlap.
- EcoPayz: Alternative online payment account and prepaid card solution operated by PSI-Pay, serving ecommerce and gaming merchants globally. Comparable in offering alternative payment methods for online merchants targeting consumers without traditional banking access.
- Flexepin: Prepaid voucher payment solution for online merchants, with strong adoption in gaming and digital goods sectors across multiple geographies. Directly comparable in closed-loop prepaid payment model serving gaming and ecommerce merchants.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Openbucks social profiles
Digital presenceOpenbucks compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Openbucks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Openbucks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Openbucks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Openbucks 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 Openbucks
What does Openbucks do?
Openbucks operates a payment gateway that enables online merchants to accept retail gift cards (CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General) and prepaid options such as PaysafeCard as alternatives to credit cards and bank accounts, with a 100% no-chargeback guarantee to merchants. The company also issues the Obucks closed-loop digital prepaid gaming card, redeemable at 1,000+ online games, and supports a reseller program with PIN-on-demand API delivery for $1.00–$150.00 USD card denominations.
Is Openbucks a public or private company?
Openbucks is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Openbucks founded?
Openbucks was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Openbucks based?
Openbucks is headquartered in Sunnyvale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Openbucks make money?
One revenue line is on record: transaction-based fees from merchants.
Who are Openbucks's main competitors?
Others on record are Xsolla and Paymentwall. Direct peers are InComm Payments, PayNearMe, Blackhawk Network, Skrill, PaysafeCard, Neosurf, EcoPayz and Flexepin.
Does Openbucks have an API?
Yes. Openbucks offers a Pin-on-Demand REST API (now integrated with PaysafeCard rails) that enables business partners to purchase and deliver Obucks card PINs in real-time. The API supports execute order, cancel order, retrieve order, and cancel card operations. Authentication uses API keys via HTTP Basic Authentication with base64 encoding. Communication is secured via TLS 1.2 with X.509 certificates. Test environment endpoint: https://distributor.test.paysafecard.com/v1/; Production endpoint: https://distributor.paysafecard.com/v1/. Additionally, merchants can integrate via the PaysafeCard API and Skrill Quick Checkout API for accepting gift card payments. Developer documentation is at www.openbucks.com/documentation/obucks-api.
What industry is Openbucks in?
Openbucks's product category is Alternative Payment Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAEALAE, Prepaid, Gift Cards & Voucher-Based Payments, with a secondary code of FSAMANAB, Closed-Loop Gift Cards (Single-Merchant). Its SIC code is 6199.