Currency Clear

What Currency Clear does

Currency Clear Limited is an FCA-registered Small Payment Institution (Reference 928861) operating from Guildford, England, that provides regulated B2B payment infrastructure for fintechs, PSPs, payment facilitators, money transfer operators, marketplaces, SaaS platforms and banks. Its core technology is a BIAN-aligned core banking platform — a multi-currency general ledger with real-time posting, automated reconciliation and T+0 settlement — exposed via REST APIs with Node.js and Python SDKs, webhooks, idempotency keys and HMAC-signed payloads. On top of this ledger, the company bundles SWIFT/SEPA/ACH and local payment rails, named multi-currency IBAN accounts across 30+ currencies, card acquiring for Visa/Mastercard/Amex (delivered through authorised acquiring partners, including a specialist MCC 6012/4829 remittance capability), and a Plato KYX-powered compliance stack covering KYC/KYB, AML, PEP/sanctions, adverse media, UBO resolution, transaction monitoring, velocity checks, fraud scoring, web forensics, chargeback tracking and SAR filing.

The company monetises across three tiers — Startup (£2,500/month, up to £500k monthly processing), Growth (£7,500/month, £500k–£5m) and Enterprise (custom, £5m+ with interchange++ pricing and on-premise option) — plus per-transaction fees (SWIFT from £10, SEPA from £3, local GBP from £1, ACH from £5), card acquiring rates (0.80%–1.20% plus per-tx) and FX margin (0.3%–1.0% for G10, 0.5%–2.5% for emerging markets). Its go-to-market combines an API-first developer motion (developer portal, sandbox, OpenAPI 3.1 spec) with enterprise field sales evidenced by 'Talk to Sales' and custom-pricing CTAs. The connected ecosystem spans WireSettle (white-label remittance), eMerchantly (merchant acquiring), PaymentsEdge (compliance), Settle.Cloud (ISO 20022 settlement) and W3G8 (composable core banking), positioning Currency Clear against single-point solutions such as Stripe/Adyen (acquiring only), Modulr/Banking Circle (accounts only) and Marqeta/Thredd (issuing only). Founded in 2018 with a 1–10 person team, the firm operates with no disclosed funding, revenue or named enterprise customers.

Name

Currency Clear

Legal name

Currency Clear Limited

Website

https://currencyclear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Currency Clear is an FCA-registered UK Small Payment Institution offering BIAN-aligned payment infrastructure — SWIFT/SEPA/ACH rails, multi-currency accounts, card acquiring, KYC/AML and T+0 settlement — to fintechs, PSPs, MTOs, marketplaces, SaaS and banks via API and BaaS tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Infrastructure

NAICS

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

SIC

Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099)

akta.pro primary industry

A2A Cross-Border & FX via Open Banking (FSAMAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF), Payables & Disbursements (ACH/SEPA, wires, checks, virtual cards) (FSABAIAB)

Keywords

• Payment infrastructure
• BaaS platform
• Multi-currency accounts
• Cross-border payments
• Merchant acquiring

Headquarters

HQ city

Shaftesbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Payment Transfer Fees: Fees charged per transaction based on payment corridor, currency pair, and payment method. SWIFT transfers from £10.00, SEPA from £3.00, local GBP from £1.00, ACH from £5.00. Fee varies by amount, urgency and destination.
2. Foreign Exchange Margin: Margin applied to interbank exchange rate for currency conversions. G10 currency pairs typically 0.3%-1.0% margin, emerging market currencies 0.5%-2.5%. Margin included in offered rate with no separate FX fee.
3. BaaS Platform Subscription: Monthly subscription tiers for Banking-as-a-Service infrastructure. Startup tier at £2,500/month (up to £500k monthly processing), Growth tier at £7,500/month (£500k-£5m processing), Enterprise custom pricing for £5m+/month processors. Includes card acquiring, payouts, KYC checks and API access.
4. Card Acquiring Fees: Percentage plus per-transaction fee on card payments. Startup tier: 1.20% + £0.10. Growth tier rates vary by card type and currency (Visa/MC Debit GBP: 0.95% + £0.08, EUR: 0.80% + €0.08, USD: 1.20% + $0.12). Rolling reserve applies.
5. Additional Service Charges: Payment amendment or recall: £25.00. Enhanced due diligence for complex structures: quoted on request. Intermediary bank charges passed through at cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Currency Clear is an FCA-registered payment infrastructure provider that delivers a Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platform for fintechs, PSPs, money transfer operators, marketplaces, SaaS platforms, and banks. Its offering combines card acquiring (via authorised Visa, Mastercard, and Amex principals), SWIFT/SEPA/ACH/local payment rails, multi-currency accounts in 30+ currencies with T+0 settlement, automated merchant onboarding and KYC/KYB, BIAN-aligned core banking, and integrated AML/risk monitoring — all exposed through a single REST API replacing what would normally require three to five separate vendor integrations.

Product overview

Currency Clear is an FCA-registered Small Payment Institution (FCA Reference: 928861) providing a modular payment infrastructure platform. The offering combines regulated fiat payment rails (SWIFT, SEPA, ACH, FPS), multi-currency accounts (30+ currencies), settlement, merchant onboarding, and compliance automation into a unified solution, with card acquiring provided through authorised partners. The core platform is complemented by eight functional modules: Card Acquiring (Visa/Mastercard/Amex processing), Payment Rails (multi-rail payment infrastructure), FX & Multi-Currency (institutional FX with IBAN accounts), Merchant Onboarding (digital KYB/KYC workflow), KYX & Compliance (Plato KYX-powered AML/identity verification), Core Banking (BIAN-aligned multi-currency ledger with T+0 settlement), and Risk & Monitoring (fraud detection and compliance monitoring). The BaaS Platform extends this infrastructure as a purpose-built Banking-as-a-Service offering for EMIs, PSPs and remittance/FX platforms, providing API-first access to card acquiring, payout rails, KYC/AML engine and multi-currency ledger-as-a-service across three pricing tiers. The company operates as a connected ecosystem alongside sister companies WireSettle (white-label remittance), eMerchantly (global merchant acquiring), PaymentsEdge (compliance and risk platform), Settle.Cloud (real-time settlement) and W3G8 (composable core banking).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BaaS Platform Modular Banking-as-a-Service platform exposing core banking, payment rails, card acquiring, multi-currency accounts, KYC, and AML via a single REST API with tiered subscription packages (Startup, Growth, Enterprise) for fintechs, PSPs, and platforms.
• Card Acquiring Sponsored card acquiring service enabling PSPs, payment facilitators, marketplaces, and SaaS platforms to onboard merchants and process Visa, Mastercard, and American Express transactions under Currency Clear's authorised principal relationships.
• Payment Rails Multi-rail payment execution service supporting SWIFT, SEPA, ACH, and local payment rails with ISO 20022 compliance, real-time settlement, and competitive per-transaction pricing for cross-border and domestic flows.
• FX & Multi-Currency FX and multi-currency accounts service covering 30+ currencies with T+0 settlement and margin-based FX pricing (0.3%-1.0% on G10, 0.5%-2.5% on emerging markets) for PSPs, fintechs, and platforms with cross-border activity.
• Merchant Onboarding Automated merchant onboarding and underwriting workflow combining KYC, KYB, and UBO checks for acquirers, PSPs, and platforms wanting fast, compliant merchant activation.
• KYX & Compliance End-to-end KYC, KYB, and UBO compliance service powered by Plato KYX, with integrated AML, sanctions screening, and ongoing monitoring to support regulated onboarding and risk operations.
• Core Banking BIAN-aligned multi-currency core banking ledger with event-driven real-time posting, automated reconciliation, and T+0 settlement, exposing accounts, balances, and transaction primitives to clients via API.
• Risk & Monitoring Risk and transaction monitoring service providing AML, fraud detection, sanctions screening, and ongoing risk alerting for BaaS, acquiring, and payment-rails clients operating in regulated environments.
• Remittance Card Acquiring Dedicated card acquiring product for money transfer operators targeting the MCC 6012/4829 category, allowing remittance payouts to debit cards and wallets with sponsor-bank coverage, onboarding automation, and integrated compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Weeks to integrate vs months with multiple vendors
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and ecosystem.

• Plato KYXcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlato KYX provides the decision flows powering Currency Clear's automated KYC/KYB verification, risk scoring and compliance checks. Rules-based routing sends applications through appropriate verification paths based on risk tier, jurisdiction and business type. Also enables ongoing monitoring, document intelligence, and AML screening.
• WireSettleecosystemTechnology or IntegrationWhite-label remittance platform for licensed MTOs. Part of Currency Clear's connected ecosystem. Collect, route, and pay out across G10 corridors with enterprise-grade compliance. Currency Clear trades as WireSettle.
• eMerchantlyecosystemTechnology or IntegrationGlobal merchant acquiring and payment processing ecosystem partner. End-to-end onboarding, risk management and multi-currency settlement for international merchants.
• PaymentsEdgeecosystemTechnology or IntegrationCompliance, risk and underwriting platform. Part of ecosystem providing AML screening, merchant due diligence, and ongoing monitoring for regulated entities.
• Settle.CloudecosystemTechnology or IntegrationReal-time settlement platform with ISO 20022 compliance. Part of ecosystem providing streamlined financial transactions through standardised settlement protocols.
• W3G8ecosystemTechnology or IntegrationComposable core banking platform. Part of ecosystem providing payments, ledgers, settlement, FX and compliance across SWIFT, SEPA, ACH and local rails.
• Authorised Acquiring PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCard acquiring for Visa, Mastercard, and Amex is provided through authorised acquiring partners. Currency Clear provides the regulated payment and settlement component. Supports MCC 6012/4829 remittance transactions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Global payments infrastructure platform offering card acquiring, payment processing, and a growing suite of financial services APIs. Specifically named by Currency Clear as a competitor on the acquiring layer; materially larger in scale and licensing.
• Worldpay: Global payments processor and acquirer with a wide portfolio spanning merchant acquiring, payment processing, and enterprise gateways. Overlaps with Currency Clear on card acquiring (provided through partners), payment processing, and enterprise payment infrastructure.
• Thredd: Card issuing and processing platform serving fintechs and programme managers. Specifically named by Currency Clear as part of the fragmented landscape; comparable on the issuing/processing layer that Currency Clear is building alongside acquiring.
• Adyen: Global unified commerce platform providing direct acquiring, payment processing, and FX across multiple geographies and methods. Competes with Currency Clear in the broader payment infrastructure space, particularly on acquiring and multi-currency.

Direct peers

• ClearBank: UK clearing bank offering real-time payment infrastructure, multi-currency accounts, and BaaS APIs. Competes with Currency Clear on regulated payment rails, settlement, and BaaS positioning for fintechs and PSPs.
• Modulr: UK-based payments-as-a-service provider offering multi-currency accounts, payment rails, and BaaS infrastructure to fintechs and PSPs. Direct competitor in the regulated payment infrastructure and BaaS space Currency Clear targets, but with EMI authorisation and materially greater scale.
• Banking Circle: Licensed payments bank providing multi-currency accounts, payment rails (SEPA/SWIFT), and BaaS for financial institutions. Competes directly with Currency Clear on cross-border payment rails, multi-currency accounts, and PSP/MTO servicing.
• PPRO: Cross-border payments platform offering payment service provider aggregation, local payment methods, and FX for PSPs and marketplaces. Comparable to Currency Clear on cross-border payment infrastructure and PSP servicing.
• Equals Money: UK-listed (formerly FairFX) provider of multi-currency accounts, FX, international payments, and corporate cards for SMEs and enterprises. Direct competitor in the SME and enterprise FX and cross-border payment space Currency Clear targets.

Emerging players

• Remitly: Digital remittance company serving money transfer customers globally. Adjacent peer through the remittance vertical Currency Clear serves via MCC 6012/4829 card acquiring; uses rather than competes with Currency Clear's infrastructure layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/currencyclear

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Currency Clear