International Bank Services

What International Bank Services does

International Bank Services (IBS) is a London-headquartered, UK-domiciled (Paysphere Limited) international payment processing solutions provider founded in 2011, specializing in serving merchants that mainstream UK and European banks decline. Its core customers are SMB and mid-market operators in restricted or high-risk verticals — online gaming, casinos, forex, adult and dating, cryptocurrency, CBD, medical marijuana, tobacco, credit repair, MOTO, and ecommerce retail — plus offshore and European bank-account introducion services for non-resident corporates and individuals. The company combines merchant account origination, multi-currency card acquiring, dedicated payment gateways, virtual terminal, ACH processing, and alternative payment methods (bank transfers, mobile, e-wallets, prepaid/post-pay) into a single offering routed through a network of offshore acquiring banks and payment processors.

On the technology side, IBS does not appear to own a proprietary processing stack; instead it leverages PCI-DSS compliant partner gateways for transaction authorization, settlement, fraud protection, and chargeback alerting, layered with its own vertical-specific onboarding, underwriting, and relationship management. This is a distribution-and-relationship business, not a payments infrastructure business, and its principal assets are the offshore banking and processor relationships that produce the marketed 95%+ approval ratio for high-risk placements and the partner program that distributes those placements through resellers on a 50% net-margin split, including portfolio acquisitions from partners.

Commercially, IBS earns through recurring monthly fees on merchant accounts, transaction-based discount rates that vary by risk category and volume, professional services fees tied to offshore bank account introductions, and transaction fees on alternative payment methods. Its go-to-market is sales-led via direct website application flows, supplemented by a channel partner program and content marketing through an SEO-oriented blog targeting high-risk merchant search intent. No public revenue, funding, valuation, or growth metrics are disclosed, and no customer logos, leadership bios, or regulatory actions are identified in the source material, which materially limits external visibility into the company's scale, unit economics, and forward trajectory.

Name

International Bank Services

Legal name

Paysphere Limited

Website

https://internationalbankservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

International Bank Services (IBS), founded in 2011 and operated as a brand of UK-based Paysphere Limited, provides merchant accounts, payment gateways, and offshore banking introductions primarily to high-risk merchants across the UK and Europe. It serves verticals including gaming, adult, forex, CBD, MMJ, crypto, tobacco, and credit repair via a network of offshore acquiring banks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Services

NAICS

Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Multi-Currency Accounts, Wallets & IBAN Services (FSAMAIAG), Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)

Keywords

• High-risk merchant accounts
• Payment processing services
• Offshore merchant accounts
• Credit card processing
• Alternative payment solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Merchant Account Services: Monthly/ongoing fees for merchant accounts enabling businesses to accept credit card and debit card payments. Services provided to both regular and high-risk merchants.
2. Payment Processing/Transaction Fees: Transaction-based fees charged on each payment processed through their gateway. Fees vary by merchant risk category.
3. Offshore Banking Services: Assistance with opening offshore bank accounts for corporates and individuals, offering personal and corporate accounts with online banking services
4. Alternative Payment Solutions: Supporting various alternative payment methods including bank transfers, mobile payments, e-wallets, prepaid/post-pay options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

International Bank Services (IBS) is a payment processing solution provider specializing in merchant accounts and payment gateway services for both low- and high-risk businesses, with an over 95% merchant placement approval ratio. The company also introduces clients to offshore banks for bank account opening worldwide (corporate and personal) and offers offshore payment cards and e-commerce payment solutions through its banking partners. Its portfolio spans credit card processing, secure and international payment gateways, virtual terminals, ACH processing, alternative payment methods, and vertical-specific merchant accounts for industries such as gaming, forex, adult, cryptocurrency, CBD, MMJ, tobacco, dating, and credit repair.

Product overview

International Bank Services (IBS) is a payment processing solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of merchant account services and payment gateway solutions. The core offering centers on merchant accounts (enabling credit/debit card acceptance) and credit card processing, supplemented by specialized payment gateways (International Payment Gateway, Secure Payment Gateway, High Risk Payment Gateway), virtual terminal for phone/mail orders, ACH payment processing, and alternative payment solutions (bank transfers, mobile payments, e-wallets). IBS specializes in high-risk business verticals including adult entertainment, dating, forex, casino, gaming, medical marijuana, CBD, tobacco, cryptocurrency, and credit repair industries. Additional services include offshore merchant accounts, European bank accounts, retail merchant accounts, MOTO accounts, and a partner program. The company was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in London, UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Merchant Account Core financial service enabling businesses to accept credit cards, debit cards, and electronic payments through POS systems and online payment gateways.
• Credit Card Processing Electronic credit and debit card transaction processing services including authorization, settlement, and fund transfers to merchant bank accounts.
• High Risk Merchant Account Specialized merchant account services for businesses classified as high-risk due to industry type, chargeback history, or credit issues, with claimed approval ratios over 95%.
• E-Commerce Merchant Account Online merchant account designed for internet businesses, enabling real-time credit card processing through integrated shopping cart and payment gateway systems.
• International Payment Gateway Global payment processing gateway enabling merchants to accept payments from multiple countries in various currencies with fraud protection and shopping cart integration.
• Secure Payment Gateway Online payment gateway providing encrypted transaction processing, fraud protection, check guarantee, verification, and real-time transaction status tracking.
• High Risk Payment Gateway PCI-DSS compliant secure payment gateway tailored for high-risk businesses, featuring fraud identification and chargeback alerts.
• Virtual Terminal for Mail Orders Web-based payment terminal enabling merchants to accept card payments over phone and mail orders, with multi-currency processing and recurring payment capabilities.
• ACH Payment Processing Electronic funds transfer service allowing merchants to charge client checking accounts, converting paper checks to electronic ACH transfers.
• Alternative Payment Solutions Diverse payment methods including bank transfers, mobile payments, e-wallets, prepaid cards, and post-pay options for global market expansion.
• Offshore Merchant Account Merchant account available for online businesses in non-resident countries, offering multi-currency transactions, lower taxes, and expanded global customer reach.
• Europe Bank Account Euro bank account services enabling merchants and individuals to make transactions in Euros with zero-fee transfers within the Euro zone.
• Adult Merchant Account Specialized merchant account for adult entertainment businesses including adult sites, adult toy shops, dating sites, strip clubs, and webcam services.
• Dating Merchant Account Merchant account services for online dating websites and apps, classified as high-risk due to chargeback rates and legal complexities.
• Forex Merchant Account Specialized merchant account for foreign exchange firms and brokers enabling secure credit card processing with multi-currency support.
• Casino Merchant Account Merchant account for online gambling businesses including casino and poker sites, featuring multi-currency transactions and offshore processing options.
• Gaming Merchant Account Merchant account for online gaming, gambling, sports books, and virtual credit purchases including chargeback protection and real-time reporting.
• MMJ (Medical Marijuana) Merchant Account Merchant account for medical marijuana dispensaries and online cannabis stores, addressing banking challenges and enabling credit card processing.
• CBD Merchant Account Merchant account services for CBD and cannabis-related businesses with chargeback protection, fraud prevention, and PCI-DSS compliance tools.
• Tobacco Merchant Account Merchant account for tobacco retailers, smoke bars, and online tobacco shops, designed to overcome industry restrictions and high chargeback rates.
• Retail Merchant Account In-person merchant account for businesses swiping at least 80% of transactions through credit card terminals, qualifying for lowest processing rates.
• Bitcoin Merchant Account Cryptocurrency merchant account enabling businesses to accept Bitcoin payments with low transaction fees and no chargeback threats.
• Cryptocurrency Merchant Account Digital currency payment processing for Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash, and Monero with secure payment gateway and POS terminal options.
• Credit Repair Merchant Account Merchant account for credit repair and restoration businesses, addressing high-risk classification due to fraud and chargeback concerns.
• MOTO Merchant Account Mail Order/Telephone Order merchant account for card-not-present transactions, enabling manual entry of card details via virtual terminal.
• Partner Program Partnership program offering 50% split on net margins, dedicated relationship managers, and merchant portfolio acquisition opportunities for referral partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% merchant placement approval rate for high-risk businesses
• +2 more outcomes

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Payment ProcessorscoreTechnology or IntegrationRelationships with various payment processors to facilitate credit card processing, ACH payments, and alternative payment solutions for merchants.
• PCI-DSS Compliant Payment Gateway PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnerships with PCI-DSS compliant secure payment gateway providers for processing transactions securely across all merchant types.
• Channel Partners (Resellers)strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners who refer merchants to IBS in exchange for 50% split on net margins. Partners receive technical support, training, materials and dedicated relationship managers. IBS also acquires merchant portfolios from partners.
• Card Networks (Visa, MasterCard)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with major card networks enabling acceptance of Visa, MasterCard, and other credit/debit cards across all merchant accounts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• PaymentCloud: High-risk merchant services provider for e-commerce, retail and CNP/transactions including CBD, firearms and adult verticals — closely aligned business model and target segments.
• Easy Pay Direct: High-risk merchant account provider offering international, offshore merchant accounts and chargeback management — comparable high-risk-specialist positioning with similar offshore processing infrastructure.
• ECS Payments: High-risk merchant account specialist offering offshore processing and tailored underwriting for adult, CBD, gaming and similar sectors — direct peer to IBS in the high-risk acquiring space.
• High Risk Pay: Direct high-risk credit card processing competitor serving e-commerce, CBD, adult, firearms and online gaming with offshore acquiring solutions, overlapping nearly all of IBS's core verticals.
• Soar Payments: High-risk merchant account and credit card processing specialist focused on nutraceuticals, supplements and other challenged verticals — same niche as IBS and competing for the same merchant pool.
• Maverick Payments: US-based high-risk merchant services provider serving adult, firearms, CBD and nutraceutical verticals with offshore bank partnerships, structurally identical to IBS's specialization.
• Host Merchant Services: Merchant account provider with high-risk underwriting capabilities for CBD, supplements and adult verticals — comparable product breadth and merchant onboarding model.
• Durvalent Payments: High-risk merchant account specialist offering credit card processing and offshore acquiring for verticals including CBD, adult, gaming and nutraceuticals — directly mirroring IBS's product range and target customers.

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Global payment processor with growing risk-merchant capabilities; competes with IBS for online merchants and increasingly serves 'restricted' verticals IBS historically dominated.
• Block (Square): Broadly-operating payments and merchant services incumbent whose merchant acquiring business addresses retailer and e-commerce needs, providing the lower-risk alternative for merchants IBS might otherwise serve.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/solutions_ibs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 International Bank Services