Opayo
Opayo, the UK/EU brand of Elavon (a U.S. Bank subsidiary), provides payment processing infrastructure to over 2 million merchants across 36 countries, handling 6.6 billion transactions annually in 100+ currencies across retail, hospitality, transport, and other verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Opayo does
Opayo is the UK and EU-facing brand of the payment processing business operated by Elavon Financial Services DAC, which is itself part of U.S. Bank Europe DAC — the European subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, one of the largest bank holding companies in the United States. The platform provides payment acceptance and processing infrastructure to more than 2 million merchants across 36 countries, handling approximately 6.6 billion transactions annually in over 100 currencies. It serves a broad vertical mix that includes retail, restaurants, hospitality, food and beverage, professional services, airlines, education, stadiums, and transport, with both SMB and enterprise customers. The UK office is located in Hammersmith, London; the operating entity is registered in Ireland; and Spanish operations are referenced via a Madrid presence.
The product suite comprises an Online Payment Gateway, in-store card machines and POS solutions, a Virtual Terminal for remote/MOTO payments, the Smartlink integrated payment offering, a Transaction Risk Analysis fraud and risk layer, multi-currency processing, and a Business Finance offering that extends into merchant capital. The platform is supported by a Developer Portal and a Partner Program that enable ISV and reseller integrations. The business is regulated as a payment institution by the Central Bank of Ireland (since 1991) and is supervised in the UK by the PRA and FCA.
Revenue mechanics are transaction-based: merchants pay processing fees per transaction, with quote-based pricing depending on volume, segment, and vertical. Distribution is direct and indirect, combining in-house sales with the partner/reseller channel and developer-led integrations. The parent company relationship with U.S. Bank provides balance-sheet support, global treasury infrastructure, and access to institutional customers, while Elavon's operational entity structure concentrates the European processing activity within a regulated, centralized platform.
Opayo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Opayo
- Legal name
- U.S. Bank Europe DAC
- Website
- https://opayo.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Opayo, the UK/EU brand of Elavon (a U.S. Bank subsidiary), provides payment processing infrastructure to over 2 million merchants across 36 countries, handling 6.6 billion transactions annually in 100+ currencies across retail, hospitality, transport, and other verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Opayo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer) (FSAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- POS Payment Software & Middleware (Terminal OS, Apps, Device Management) (FSAMADAC), EMV Chip, Magstripe & PIN Debit Acceptance (FSAMADAG)
Keywords
Where Opayo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Opayo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction Processing Fees: Fees charged per transaction processed through card machines, online gateway, or phone payments. Revenue scales with transaction volume.
- Card Machine Hardware Sales: Sale or rental of card reading hardware and point-of-sale terminals for in-store payments
- Payment Gateway Services: Online payment gateway services for e-commerce merchants, with charges for processing online transactions
- Business Finance Services: Business financing solutions offered to merchants, potentially generating revenue through lending interest or fees
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Quote-based pricing tailored to business size and transaction profile |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Opayo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Opayo (the European payment solutions brand of Elavon / U.S. Bank Europe DAC) sells card payment processing and merchant services to businesses across in-store, online, and over-the-phone channels. Its core products are an Online Payment Gateway for e-commerce, Card Machines and electronic Point of Sale systems for face-to-face retail, and a Virtual Terminal for phone-based payments. These are supported by multi-currency processing, fraud/risk tools, integrated POS connectivity, and merchant finance solutions.
Product overview
Opayo is a payment gateway and merchant services platform (brand under Elavon/U.S. Bank Europe DAC) offering a unified portfolio of payment solutions. The core products include an Online Payment Gateway for e-commerce, Card Machines and Point of Sale for in-store transactions, and a Virtual Terminal for phone-based payments. These are complemented by add-on modules including Smartlink (integrated POS-card machine connectivity), Transaction Risk Analysis for fraud prevention, Currency Solutions for multi-currency processing, and Business Finance for merchant financing. The platform supports over 100 currencies across 36 countries with 6.6 billion annual transactions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Online Payment Gateway A secure payments gateway that enables merchants to accept online e-commerce transactions while protecting customer data and merchant reputation. Designed for businesses selling online who need safe, reliable payment acceptance.
- Card Machines Card readers for face-to-face payments at shop counters or on the go, enabling convenient and secure in-store card transactions for retail and hospitality merchants.
- Point of Sale (POS) Electronic point-of-sale system for contactless payments at retail locations, integrated with inventory control and linked to reporting structures for back-office reconciliation.
- Virtual Terminal Allows merchants to take secure payments over the phone even when clients are not in the office, enabling remote payment processing at times that suit customers. Targeted at professional services and other merchants taking phone orders.
- Smartlink Integrated payments system where card machines are fully connected to the point-of-sale system, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring automatic reconciliation between in-store payments and back-office records.
- Transaction Risk Analysis Security feature that analyses transactions to identify and mitigate fraudulent activity and payment risks, leveraging data from billions of processed payments to screen merchants' transactions.
- Currency Solutions Multi-currency support enabling merchants to accept and process payments in over 100 currencies across 36 countries, supporting international sales and cross-border commerce.
- Business Finance Financial services supporting merchant growth through payments, providing access to working capital and financing options for Opayo/Elavon merchants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2 million+ merchants trust Opayo/Elavon for payment processing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Opayo
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Opayo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Opayo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Opayo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SumUp: European-focused SMB card reader and payment processing provider with transparent per-transaction pricing. Competes directly with Opayo's SMB-facing card machines and online payment gateway in the UK and European markets.
- Dojo: UK-based SMB payment processor and card reader provider offering transparent pricing to small merchants. Strong direct competitor to Opayo in the UK SMB card-present market.
- Adyen: Unified global payment processor with multi-currency and omnichannel capabilities across in-store and online. Comparable to Opayo in multi-currency support (though larger geographic footprint) and a direct competitor in enterprise and cross-border commerce.
- Square (Block): Integrated POS, card reader, and payment processing provider for SMBs and mid-market merchants. Direct competitor to Opayo's Card Machines, POS, and integrated Smartlink offerings in the SMB segment.
- Stripe: API-first online payment processor serving SMBs through enterprises globally. Competes directly with Opayo's Online Payment Gateway and developer portal offerings, with stronger brand in digital-native and mid-market segments.
- Worldpay: One of the largest global payment processors and merchant acquirers, serving SMBs through enterprises across multiple geographies. Direct competitor to Elavon/Opayo in card-present, e-commerce, and omnichannel payment acceptance.
- Checkout.com: Global PSP with strong enterprise and digital-merchant focus, providing online payment processing, multi-currency, and fraud tools. Comparable to Opayo's Online Payment Gateway and Currency Solutions for larger merchants.
Regional players
- Mollie: European payment processor serving SMBs and mid-market merchants with developer-friendly APIs and transparent pricing. Comparable to Opayo in European geographic focus and SMB/mid-market positioning, though more concentrated in continental Europe.
Broad incumbents
- Fiserv: Diversified financial services technology provider offering merchant acquiring (Clover) and processing solutions. Direct overlap with Opayo's integrated POS and merchant services portfolio, particularly through Clover SMB hardware+software.
- Global Payments: Large diversified payments company offering merchant acquiring, issuing, and processing services worldwide. Competes broadly with Opayo across SMB and enterprise acquiring, with overlapping integrated POS offerings.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Opayo social profiles
Digital presenceOpayo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Opayo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Opayo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Opayo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Opayo
What does Opayo do?
Opayo (the European payment solutions brand of Elavon / U.S. Bank Europe DAC) sells card payment processing and merchant services to businesses across in-store, online, and over-the-phone channels. Its core products are an Online Payment Gateway for e-commerce, Card Machines and electronic Point of Sale systems for face-to-face retail, and a Virtual Terminal for phone-based payments. These are supported by multi-currency processing, fraud/risk tools, integrated POS connectivity, and merchant finance solutions.
Is Opayo a public or private company?
Opayo is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Opayo founded?
Opayo was founded in 1991. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Opayo based?
Opayo is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Opayo make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Transaction Processing Fees are the primary driver. The others are card Machine Hardware Sales, payment Gateway Services and business Finance Services.
Who are Opayo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SumUp, Dojo, Adyen, Square (Block), Stripe, Worldpay and Checkout.com. Mollie is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Fiserv and Global Payments.
Does Opayo have an API?
Yes. Opayo exposes a public API. Developer documentation is at developer.elavon.com.
What industry is Opayo in?
Opayo's product category is Payment Processing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAA, Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer), with a secondary code of FSAMADAC, POS Payment Software & Middleware (Terminal OS, Apps, Device Management).