Wishes

What Wishes does

Wishes Inc. is a fintech payments platform founded in 2022 by Chase Harmer, a payments entrepreneur with 26+ years of experience building card processing, virtual card, and gateway technology. The company operates a full-stack payment gateway targeting both low-risk and high-risk merchants, with high-risk verticals (nutraceuticals, CBD, firearms, subscriptions, travel, adult) explicitly courted after traditional processors decline them. Core technology includes AI-powered multi-MID routing, an 11-layer fraud suite, automated merchant underwriting, and a dual-ledger transparency system that tracks donations from contribution through virtual card spend.

The business model spans multiple revenue streams: interchange-plus processing spreads (cost + 0.05% markup, reportedly 20-40% cheaper than flat-rate competitors), tiered subscriptions (Starter through Custom at 2.9% to 2.1% plus per-transaction fees), platform/ISV revenue share via Shopline white-label embedding, and affiliate commissions from the Club 11:11 network of 76,000+ retailers. The go-to-market combines product-led growth (5-minute self-serve application, 30-day trial, savings calculator with spin-to-win mechanic) with direct enterprise sales and channel partnerships. Distribution spans self-serve SMB onboarding, field sales to high-risk merchants and platforms, and drop-in plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Shopline.

The platform serves 10 vertical segments (retail/ecommerce, nonprofits, education, hospitality, healthcare, digital media, utilities, plus restaurant groups and SaaS/ISVs), with the Impact Division channeling charitable contributions through the affiliated Founder Sass Society 501(c)(3) into traceable virtual Mastercard distributions. The company is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant, partners with sponsor banks BMO and Pathward, and operates sub-brands including Wishes Pay, Wishes Fund, Wishes Shopping, Club 11:11, and Shopline. No funding rounds, revenue figures, or external investors are disclosed in the available data.

Name

Wishes

Legal name

Wishes Inc.

Website

https://wishes.inc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wishes Inc. is a fintech payments platform providing interchange-plus payment processing, gateway services, and embedded checkout for low-risk and high-risk merchants, with an integrated cause-based loyalty layer powered by the Founder Sass Society 501(c)(3).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant-of-Record (MoR) & Payment Facilitation (PayFac) Infrastructure (FSAGABAE), Risk, Fraud & 3DS Orchestration for Payments (FSAGABAL)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• High-risk merchant underwriting
• Payment gateway platform
• Interchange-plus pricing
• Cause-based loyalty programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Encinitas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing Fees: Interchange-plus pricing model where merchants pay cost plus a small markup (0.05% above cost). Revenue generated from the spread between wholesale interchange rates and merchant pricing.
2. Subscription Plans: Tiered subscription pricing (Starter, Essential, Premium, Custom) with per-transaction fees decreasing at higher tiers. Monthly platform fees vary by volume tier.
3. Platform/ISV Revenue Share: Platforms embedding Wishes checkout and boarding sub-merchants earn revenue share on every transaction processed through their network.
4. Affiliate Commerce: Commission revenue from 76,000+ connected retailers in the Wishes Shopping Club, with cashback issued as points that fuel the giving ecosystem.
5. Wishes Points Redemption: Points redeemable like cash at Wishes Shopping portal for branded merchandise (hoodies, hats, water bottles, letterman jackets).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wishes operates a full-stack payment gateway that processes card-present, online, ACH, virtual terminal, Text2Pay, invoicing, and recurring billing transactions on interchange-plus pricing for low-risk and high-risk merchants. The platform adds AI-powered multi-MID routing, an 11-layer fraud suite, and dedicated underwriting that approves merchants in 24 hours, including verticals (nutra, CBD, firearms, subscription, travel, adult) that flat-rate processors decline. An optional impact layer issues virtual Mastercards to route donations to verified 501(c)(3) nonprofits with dual-ledger transparency, while a white-label gateway (Shopline) lets platforms and ISVs embed checkout and earn revenue share on sub-merchant transactions.

Product overview

Wishes.inc is a modern fintech platform offering a unified payments infrastructure with an optional cause-based loyalty layer. The core product is the Wishes Gateway (payment processing with interchange-plus pricing, multi-MID routing, fraud suite, and sub-merchant boarding), complemented by payment tools including Tap-to-Pay, Text2Pay, Virtual Terminal, Invoicing, and ACH. The Wishes Points ecosystem provides rewards currency redeemable across Club 11:11 (76,000+ retailers) and the Wishes Shopping store. The Impact Division, powered by Founder Sass Society 501(c)(3), adds transparent donation tracking with dual-ledger virtual card technology. Shopline enables white-label gateway services for platforms and ISVs. The platform serves diverse sectors including retail/e-commerce, hospitality, healthcare, education, nonprofit/social impact, digital media/vending, and utilities/energy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wishes Gateway
• Wishes Pay
• Wishes Points
• Wishes Ambassador Program
• Shopline
• Wishes Fund
• Club 11:11
• Corporate Shopping
• Wishes Shopping
• Founder Sass Society
• Live Impact Tracker
• Giving Teams

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% merchant approval rate
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration18 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ShoplinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommerce-grade payments infrastructure partnership. Drop Wishes into Shopline or any storefront for unified checkout, gateway, fraud screening, and optional cause-based loyalty. Engineered for both low- and high-risk merchants.
• Titanium PaymentscoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary payment processor for Wishes platform. Processes donations and delivers funds to nonprofits through virtual credit cards.
• PayPalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor partnered with Wishes for processing donations made through the platform.
• CRBcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor partner operating in conjunction with Wishes. Donations go directly from donor to Founder Sass Society (501c3) then to nonprofit accounts through virtual credit cards.
• MarqetacoreTechnology or IntegrationModern card issuing platform partner enabling virtual card issuance integrated with Apple and Google wallets.
• GalileocoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing and card services partner for the Wishes platform.
• Founder Sass SocietyflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner501(c)(3) public charity that receives and directs charitable funds. Core to Wishes' impact layer - channels contributions to vetted causes and carries out charitable work. Issues traceable digital Mastercards to beneficiaries.
• Club 11:11 Retail PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor76,000+ connected retailers in the Wishes Shopping Club including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Nike, Starbucks, Home Depot, Best Buy, Costco, Macy's, Nordstrom, Sephora, and more. Every purchase generates points and donations automatically.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PaymentCloud: PaymentCloud specializes in high-risk merchant accounts for verticals including CBD, adult, firearms, and nutraceuticals. Direct peer in the niche Wishes targets with multi-MID routing and dedicated underwriting.
• Authorize.net: Authorize.net is a long-standing payment gateway used by platforms and SMBs. Wishes positions its REST API as a drop-in migration from Authorize.net, plus sub-merchant boarding for platforms.
• Host Merchant Services: Host Merchant Services is an interchange-plus payment processor for SMBs and high-risk merchants. Direct peer on pricing model, target verticals, and self-serve merchant onboarding.
• Shopify Payments: Shopify Payments is the native gateway inside the Shopify commerce platform. Wishes offers drop-in Shopify plugins and competes on interchange-plus pricing vs Shopify's standard processing fees.
• Square (Block): Square provides payment processing, gateway, and POS solutions for SMBs with flat-rate pricing. Wishes competes head-on with Square in interchange-plus pricing, 24-hour onboarding, and broad merchant tooling, but targets high-risk verticals Square declines.
• Stax Payments (formerly Fattmerchant): Stax pioneered interchange-plus subscription pricing for SMB payment processing. Closest direct peer on pricing model and SMB merchant focus; both target savings versus flat-rate incumbents.
• Stripe: Stripe is a leading payment gateway and processing platform for online and platform-based businesses. Wishes offers interchange-plus pricing and drop-in gateway migration versus Stripe's flat-rate model, plus dedicated high-risk underwriting Stripe typically avoids.
• Toast: Toast provides integrated payments and POS for restaurants, including round-up donation workflows. Closely comparable to Wishes' restaurant case study (9-location group saving $74K vs Square) and embedded giving.

Broad incumbents

• PayPal: PayPal operates a global payments and donations platform. PayPal is both a competitor and a technology partner of Wishes for donation processing, with broader consumer wallet reach but less high-risk focus.
• Fiserv (Clover): Fiserv is a major incumbent in merchant acquiring and payment processing, with Clover as an SMB-focused POS/gateway. Comparable in end-market but at substantially greater scale with a broader product portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Wishesgives

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries7 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 Wishes