Aplauz
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersBaar, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Aplauz firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Aplauz
- Legal name
- Aplauz Financial Services Ltd.
- Website
- https://aplauz.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Aplauz industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Prepaid Digital Payments
- NAICS
- Credit Card Issuing (52221)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate & Incentive / Reward Prepaid Programs (FSAMANAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mobile Wallets (NFC Tap-to-Pay / HCE) (FSAMAEAB), Youth / Family Wallets & Allowance Payments (FSAMAEAK)
Keywords
Where Aplauz is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Baar
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Aplauz business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- E-money Issuance: Aplauz issues e-money (prepaid digital credit) when users purchase vouchers. The company earns revenue from the spread between the face value of vouchers and their operational costs.
- Maintenance Fees: Monthly administrative fees charged for unused vouchers: 3.00 CHF for Swiss vouchers not used for 12+ months, and EUR 2.50 monthly for EU vouchers unused for 6+ months.
- Redemption Fees: Refund/redemption fees charged when users request to cash out remaining funds: 4.00 EUR for EU vouchers, 4.50 EUR for Aplauz App.
- Inactivity Fees: Monthly 4.50 EUR inactivity fee for Aplauz App users who have no transactions for 6 months.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Voucher - Variable denomination |
| Usage-based | Monthly | Switzerland Maintenance Fee |
| Usage-based | Monthly | EU Maintenance Fee |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | EU Voucher Redemption |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Aplauz App Redemption/Inactivity |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Aplauz product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Aplauz sells prepaid digital credit in the form of 16-digit vouchers that consumers buy online (via Recharge.com and Offerz.ch) or at retail stores, then redeem at participating online merchants. Its companion Aplauz App acts as a digital wallet, storing vouchers, enabling biometric-verified payments, and offering add-on features such as Kid's Voucher (parental controls) and Direct Load (cashier barcode top-ups). The platform is operated as a licensed e-money institution, enabling online payments without sharing personal financial data.
Product overview
Aplauz is a prepaid digital credit platform offering physical and digital vouchers along with a mobile wallet application. The core product is the Aplauz Voucher—a prepaid digital credit that customers purchase online or at retail stores. Users load a chosen denomination (e.g., CHF 17 or EUR 17) onto a voucher, then enter a 16-digit code at checkout to pay online. The Aplauz App serves as a companion digital wallet, enabling users to store multiple vouchers digitally, check balances, track transaction history, and make payments with biometric verification. The app also includes Kid's Voucher (parental controls for children's online spending) and Direct Load (cashier barcode top-up feature). The platform is designed for conscious spending—users can only spend what they've pre-loaded, eliminating overspending risk.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Aplauz App: Digital wallet mobile application enabling users to store and manage prepaid vouchers digitally, make payments, and track transactions with biometric security features.
Products and services
- Aplauz Voucher Prepaid digital credit voucher carrying a chosen monetary value (1–150 EUR or fixed 10/25/50/75/100/150 EUR denominations). Purchased online (via Recharge.com, Offerz.ch) or at ~1,000 retail stores in Switzerland, then entered as a 16-digit code at checkout on participating online merchants to make payments without sharing personal or financial information. Targeted at consumers without credit cards or bank accounts and at privacy/fraud-conscious online shoppers.
- Aplauz App Digital wallet mobile application (iOS and Android) that lets users store and manage multiple Aplauz vouchers, check balances, view transaction history, and pay online with biometric payment verification. Designed for consumers who want a single smartphone-based interface for their prepaid digital credit.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% conversion rate for merchants accepting Aplauz payment
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Aplauz
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Aplauz technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Aplauz partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Recharge.comcoreRecharge.com is the primary online distribution partner for Aplauz vouchers. Through this partnership, Aplauz vouchers are available for purchase online in over 20 European countries including Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Customers receive their 16-digit voucher code digitally.
- Offerz.chminorSwiss online partner for Aplauz voucher sales. Provides digital voucher distribution to Swiss consumers through offerz.ch platform.
- Pressepartner (PB)coreSwiss retail distribution partner with widespread store presence across Switzerland. Part of the 1,000-store retail network where Aplauz vouchers are sold.
- Own.SolutionsflagshipParent company and founding entity of Aplauz. Own.Solutions has experience in online and in-store payment collection as well as digital credit activation solutions. Founded Aplauz in early 2020. Provides distribution network for retail partner expansion across Europe.
- VQF SROcoreSwiss self-regulatory organization for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing. Aplauz CH GmbH has been a member since August 18, 2020, demonstrating regulatory compliance in Switzerland.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Aplauz competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- PayPal: Global digital wallet with buyer protection and broad merchant acceptance. Competes for the same online checkout decisions but addresses a much broader and credit-card-centric user base.
- Skrill (Paysafe Group): Digital wallet under Paysafe serving online merchants including gaming/iGaming verticals. Overlaps with Aplauz's wallet-and-gaming focus but operates at significantly larger scale.
- Cash App (Block): US-leading mobile-first P2P and stored-value wallet. Comparable digital wallet model (stored balance in app, biometric auth), though primarily US-focused and serves a different geography from Aplauz.
- Neteller (Paysafe Group): Established digital wallet in the Paysafe portfolio serving online merchants and gaming. Comparable e-money authorisation, mobile wallet app, and gaming/iGaming merchant integrations.
Emerging players
- Recharge.com: Major European online resale platform for prepaid vouchers and mobile top-ups. Currently a distribution channel partner for Aplauz but also a partial competitor in selling third-party prepaid products to similar customers.
Direct peers
- Neosurf: France-headquartered prepaid voucher service sold at retail for online payment with no bank card required. Closely comparable product (purchase 16-digit code, spend at merchants) and overlapping European retail distribution strategy.
- Transcash: French prepaid Mastercard with retail-distributed vouchers that can be spent online and in-store. Comparable distribution-led prepaid model targeting unbanked/underbanked consumers in Europe.
- Paysafecard (Paysafe Group): European prepaid voucher leader for online payments, holding FCA e-money licence and accepted across thousands of merchants. Direct competitor to Aplauz's prepaid voucher/online spend model, with far larger distribution and brand recognition.
- PCS (Prepaid Card Services): UK-regulated e-money institution offering prepaid cards and voucher programmes across Europe. Overlapping regulatory category (e-money licence), B2C prepaid issuance, and merchant network.
- ecoPayz (PSI-Pay): Multi-currency e-wallet issued under FCA e-money licence serving online merchants including gaming. Comparable digital wallet + e-money institution profile and target verticals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights10 records
Customer concentration
Aplauz social profiles
Digital presenceAplauz compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Aplauz financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Aplauz leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Aplauz subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Aplauz funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Aplauz 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 Aplauz
What does Aplauz do?
Aplauz sells prepaid digital credit in the form of 16-digit vouchers that consumers buy online (via Recharge.com and Offerz.ch) or at retail stores, then redeem at participating online merchants. Its companion Aplauz App acts as a digital wallet, storing vouchers, enabling biometric-verified payments, and offering add-on features such as Kid's Voucher (parental controls) and Direct Load (cashier barcode top-ups). The platform is operated as a licensed e-money institution, enabling online payments without sharing personal financial data.
Is Aplauz a public or private company?
Aplauz is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Aplauz founded?
Aplauz was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Aplauz based?
Aplauz is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does Aplauz make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. E-money Issuance is the primary driver. The others are maintenance Fees, redemption Fees and inactivity Fees.
Who are Aplauz's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are PayPal, Skrill (Paysafe Group), Cash App (Block) and Neteller (Paysafe Group). Recharge.com is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Neosurf, Transcash, Paysafecard (Paysafe Group), PCS (Prepaid Card Services) and ecoPayz (PSI-Pay).
Does Aplauz have an API?
No public API is recorded for Aplauz.
What industry is Aplauz in?
Aplauz's product category is Prepaid Digital Payments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMANAD, Corporate & Incentive / Reward Prepaid Programs, with a secondary code of FSAMAEAB, Mobile Wallets (NFC Tap-to-Pay / HCE). Its NAICS code is 52221 and its SIC code is 6141.