What pay360 does

Pay360 is a UK-based payment services provider founded in 1998, currently operating under Access PaySuite following its acquisition by The Access Group in December 2022. The company provides a cloud-based, multi-channel payment processing platform serving over 6,000 organisations across the UK — including local authorities, NHS trusts, housing associations, financial services firms, insurers, telecoms operators, retailers, utilities, gyms, lottery operators, and not-for-profit organisations. Pay360 is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority as a Payment Institution (FRN: 730815) and operates as a BACS Approved Bureau with Faster Payments connectivity, giving it standing to collect direct debits and process regulated payment flows at scale. The sub-brands Pay360 Education Payments, Pay360 Evolve, Pay360 Optimize, and Pay360 Capita have been folded into the unified Access PaySuite portfolio.

The platform unifies multiple payment rails — Direct Debit (BACS and SEPA), online card payments, Open Banking/Pay by Bank, phone (IVR and agent-assisted), face-to-face, multi-channel, and on-demand payments — within a single cloud-based stack. Add-on modules extend the platform into Fraud and Risk Management, Identification and Verification, Income Management, and Merchant Cash Advance, allowing the company to capture a wider share of customer payment economics beyond pure acceptance fees. The business earns revenue primarily through per-transaction fees starting at 4p with no setup fees, supplemented by quote-based, tailored pricing for high-volume merchants, public-sector contracts, and enterprise customers. Distribution combines direct sales, a self-serve merchant portal (portal.pay360.com), software integrations with Xero and Zapier, and the cross-sell reach of parent The Access Group's broader UK business-software installed base.

Name

pay360

Legal name

Access PaySuite

Website

https://pay360.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pay360 is a UK FCA-regulated payment services provider (FRN 730815) serving 6,000+ organisations — including local authorities, NHS trusts, and housing associations — with a cloud-based multi-channel payment platform, operating as Access PaySuite following its December 2022 acquisition by The Access Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Software

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bank-to-Bank Transfers & Pay-by-Bank (Consumer & Merchant) (FSAMAFAC), Biller Direct EBPP Platforms (FSAMAJAA), Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)

Keywords

• Payment processing platform
• Direct debit services
• Open banking payments
• Card processing solutions
• Merchant payment software

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees: Pay360/Access PaySuite charges transaction fees per payment processed. Transaction fees start from as low as 4p per transaction. No setup fees. Pricing is simple and transparent, with tailored pricing for high-volume merchants, unique business models, and public sector organisations.
2. Subscription / Pricing Plans: Offers pricing plans for direct debit and online payments. Supports tailored pricing for higher-volume or unique business models.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pay360 is a cloud-based payment processing platform (now operating under Access PaySuite) that enables UK organisations to accept and manage payments across multiple channels including direct debit, online card payments, phone, face-to-face, open banking, and SEPA. The platform serves local authorities, NHS trusts, housing associations, finance, insurance, retail, telecoms, utilities, and education sectors with BACS/FPS bureau services, a payment gateway, fraud and risk management, and merchant cash advance solutions.

Product overview

Pay360 is a payment processing platform under Access PaySuite (a division of The Access Group) offering a comprehensive suite of payment solutions. The portfolio includes Pay360 Education Payments, Pay360 Evolve, Pay360 Optimize, and Pay360 Capita as sub-brands, alongside core payment products including Direct Debit (with BACS Bureau accreditation), SEPA Direct Debit, Online Payments, Open Banking/Pay by Bank, Payment Gateway, Card Processing, Phone Payments, Face to Face Payments, Multi-Channel Payments, and On-demand Pay. Revenue-maximizing add-on modules include Fraud and Risk Management, Identification and Verification, Income Management, and Merchant Cash Advance. The platform serves diverse sectors including Finance, Housing, Insurance, Local Authorities, NHS Trusts, Retail, Telecoms, Utilities, Education, and Not for Profit organizations. Pay360 was acquired by The Access Group in December 2022 and is now fully integrated into Access PaySuite, offering cloud-based payments with transaction fees starting from 4p and no setup fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pay360 Education Payments: Payment solutions for the education sector
• Pay360 Evolve
• Pay360 Optimize
• Pay360 Capita

Products and services

• Direct Debit A core payment solution enabling UK organisations to collect recurring payments directly from customer bank accounts, with BACS Approved Bureau accreditation and FPS infrastructure support. Designed for businesses and public sector organisations needing reliable recurring collections.
• SEPA Direct Debit Enables collection of Euro-denominated direct debit payments across SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) countries. For organisations collecting cross-border Euro payments via direct debit.
• Online Payments Cloud-based online payment processing solution accepting card payments and digital wallets via a secure payment gateway. For merchants and organisations needing online checkout capabilities.
• Open Banking Payments Payment solution enabling Pay by Bank functionality using Open Banking rails for secure bank-to-bank transfers. For organisations wanting account-to-account payments with lower fees.
• Payment Gateway A secure online payment gateway that processes card transactions and connects merchants with payment networks. For e-commerce and online merchants needing card acceptance.
• Card Processing Card payment processing services enabling merchants to accept Visa, Mastercard, and other card scheme payments. For retail, e-commerce, and any organisation accepting card payments.
• Phone Payments Payment solution enabling organisations to accept secure payments over the phone through IVR or agent-assisted processing. For call centres and organisations taking payments by phone.
• Face to Face Payments In-person payment processing solution for collecting payments at physical locations or point-of-sale. For retail, councils, and organisations collecting payments in person.
• Multi-Channel Payments Unified payment platform accepting payments across multiple channels including online, phone, and face-to-face from a single provider. For organisations wanting a single vendor across all payment channels.
• On-demand Pay Flexible payment solution enabling organisations to request and collect payments on-demand rather than on fixed schedules. For organisations needing ad-hoc payment collection beyond standard recurring schedules.
• Pay360 Education Payments A payment solution tailored for the education sector, enabling schools and educational institutions to accept and manage payments securely. For schools and educational institutions.
• Pay360 Evolve A payment product under the Pay360 brand offering advanced payment processing capabilities for organisations. For organisations needing evolved payment workflows.
• Pay360 Optimize A payment product under the Pay360 brand focused on optimising payment workflows and maximising revenue collection. For organisations seeking to maximise payment-related revenue.
• Pay360 Capita A legacy Pay360 product integrated into Access PaySuite following The Access Group's December 2022 acquisition. For existing customers on legacy Pay360/Capita contracts.
• Pay360 Merchant Information Portal Merchant portal providing access to transaction data, reporting, and payment management dashboards for Pay360 merchants. For existing Pay360 customers to manage their account.

Quantifiable outcome

• Blackpool Council saved £280k over 5 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Access GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Access Group acquired Pay360 in December 2022 and integrated it into Access PaySuite, its payments division. The Access Group is a leading UK provider of business management software with over 30 years of experience, providing Pay360/Access PaySuite with deep distribution reach across SMBs, enterprises, NHS, and local authorities.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationXero is integrated with Access PaySuite, allowing customers to sync payment data with their Xero accounting software for automated reconciliation and financial reporting.
• PayPointminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPayPoint is referenced as a customer and partner of Access PaySuite, providing additional payment processing capabilities and service coverage.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Adyen: Global enterprise payment platform offering unified online, in-person, and platform payment processing. Competes with Pay360 for larger UK and European merchants wanting a single multi-channel processor, particularly in retail and marketplaces.
• Worldpay (FIS): One of the largest global payment processors, with strong UK presence. Competes with Pay360 in card processing, gateway services, and omnichannel payments for enterprise and mid-market merchants, including UK public sector.
• Stripe: Global payment processing platform serving online businesses of all sizes. Competes with Pay360 in card processing, payment gateway, and increasingly in open banking (Stripe Financial Connections) and subscription billing — directly addressing Pay360's core markets.
• Checkout.com: Global payment processor with a strong UK base, serving enterprise merchants and platforms. Competes with Pay360 on card processing, gateway, and increasingly on alternative payment methods in the UK and EU.
• Braintree (a PayPal service): PayPal-owned payment gateway and processing platform supporting cards, digital wallets, and alternative payments. Competes with Pay360 in online payment gateway and recurring billing for UK merchants.

Direct peers

• Trust Payments: UK-headquartered payment service provider offering card acquiring, gateway, and alternative payments including open banking. Direct competitor to Pay360 in the UK mid-market and public sector.
• EaziPay: Another sibling brand under Access PaySuite, focused on direct debit and payment services for UK organisations. Direct overlap with Pay360 in BACS direct debit and recurring payments.
• GoCardless: UK-headquartered direct debit and recurring payments specialist. Directly competes with Pay360 on BACS-based direct debit collection, particularly for SMBs, SaaS, and subscription businesses, and has expanded into open banking / Instant Bank Pay.
• Smart Debit: A sibling brand under Access PaySuite (The Access Group) focused on direct debit collection. Overlaps directly with Pay360's direct debit offering for UK organisations and shares regulatory and distribution infrastructure.

Regional players

• PayPoint: UK payment network and bill payment services company. Listed by Pay360 as both a customer and partner; competes in the UK bill payment and cash network space, particularly for utilities and local authority payments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Pay360byCapita
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pay360-by-access

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 pay360