City Network

What City Network does

City Network Ltd is a UK-based private limited company (Company No. 12734305) operating as an FCA-regulated Independent Sales Organization (ISO) for merchant services and payment processing. The company serves over 14,000 customers across retail, hospitality, e-commerce, mail-order/telephone-order, and high-risk sectors (adult, crypto, pharma, CBD), processing £1bn+ in annual transaction volume across 25 million transactions. Its offering spans physical card terminals (countertop, portable, mobile from Ingenico, Pax, Verifone, Castles, Sunmi), online payment gateways, virtual terminals for MOTO and pay-by-link, EPOS systems for retail and hospitality, and a proprietary digital payment suite (eGateway, eToken, eBank2Bank, eCrypto, eSMS). Supporting services include business banking with offshore IBAN facilities, PCI DSS compliance certification, merchant cash advances, and a wealth management investment fund offering up to 16% annual returns backed by the company's own MCA lending portfolio (exceeding £100M under management).

The business model is multi-stream. Recurring revenue comes from tiered monthly subscription packages (£35 to £1,700+VAT based on turnover) bundling terminal rental, PCI compliance, and 24/7 support; transaction processing fees on interchange; short-term terminal hire (£50+VAT/week at 1.25%); hardware sales; banking service and FX fees; professional services for PCI certification; and lending-related revenue from the MCA book. Go-to-market combines a UK direct sales team, 24/7 self-serve online application (Zoho), an affiliate/BDM partner program with a training academy at 7 Bell Yard, London, and lead generation via String Trading covering retail, hospitality, and high-risk segments. The company holds ICO registration (ZB672391), is GDPR-compliant, and operates from two London offices (7 Bell Yard WC2A 2JR headquarters and 20–22 Wenlock Road N1 7GU demo site) with 51–100 employees.

The strategic positioning is that of a vertically integrated, capital-cycling SMB payments platform: the MCA lending book generates capital and yield, which in turn underwrites guaranteed wealth management returns and competitive bundled pricing, while the affiliate channel and high-risk merchant focus extend reach beyond what a pure-play ISO of this headcount would typically achieve. Constraints include no disclosed audited financials, no disclosed founders or ownership structure, reliance on FCA-regulated partner institutions for acquiring and banking rails, and an unusually broad product surface (payments, banking, lending, wealth) relative to firm size that increases execution and regulatory complexity.

Name

City Network

Legal name

City Network Ltd

Website

https://city-networks.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

City Network Ltd is a UK-based FCA-regulated merchant services ISO offering card payment processing, EPOS, business banking, merchant cash advances, and wealth management to 14,000+ businesses across retail, hospitality, e-commerce, and high-risk sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Merchant Services & Payment Processing

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Acquiring & Processing Platforms (BPAMAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), In-Store Contactless & NFC Acceptance (Tap-to-Pay, EMV Contactless) (FSAMADAF), Crypto Merchant Acquirers & PSPs (Payment Service Providers) (FSADAIAB), A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF), Merchant & Commercial Acquiring (POS/eCommerce acquiring for corporates) (FSABAIAH)

Keywords

• Merchant services
• Card payment processing
• Payment gateway solutions
• EPOS systems
• Merchant cash advance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction Processing Fees: Percentage-based fees calculated on the value of each transaction processed through card terminals, payment gateways, or virtual terminals. Fee percentage depends on industry sector and transaction volume.
2. Monthly Set Price Packages: Fixed monthly subscription charges based on merchant turnover range. Includes terminal rental, all transactions, free PCI compliance, zero authorization fees, and 24/7 support bundled into single monthly direct debit payment.
3. Short Term Terminal Hire: Weekly rental fees for temporary card machine hire at £50+VAT per week with 1.25% transaction rate on all card types. Includes refundable £250 holding deposit with free next day delivery and collection.
4. Merchant Cash Advance (MCA): Unsecured cash-flow loans to businesses repaid through card terminal transactions as percentage of sales. MCA loans yield returns of over 200% yearly. Current MCA book value exceeds £100 million under management.
5. Wealth Management Investment: Investment fund offerings with returns of 16% yearly interest, 1.75% monthly payments, or 2% compounded monthly on 12-month fixed terms. Target audience is affluent individuals and businesses seeking higher returns than traditional banking products.
6. Card Payment Terminal Sales/Rental: Physical card machine hardware provided through various models including countertop, portable, and mobile options from brands such as Ingenico, Pax, Verifone, Castles, and Sunmi. Available through purchase, rental, or bundled with monthly packages.
7. Business Banking Services: Business bank account provision with corporate debit card, UK account number and sort code, IBAN for offshore facilities, Faster Payments and SEPA support. Revenue from banking service fees and international transaction charges.
8. PCI DSS Compliance Services: Complete PCI compliance certification services including phone validation support and full security assessor completion of compliance requirements through to certification and attestation filing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

City Network provides UK and international businesses with multi-channel card payment acceptance infrastructure, including physical card machines (PDQ terminals), online payment gateways with eCommerce integration, virtual terminals for MOTO and pay-by-link transactions, and integrated EPOS systems for retail and hospitality. Complementing this core, the company offers business and offshore banking accounts, merchant cash advances, wealth management investment products, PCI DSS compliance services, short-term terminal hire, and direct debit collection, operating as an FCA-regulated Independent Sales Organization serving 14,000+ customers processing £1bn+ annually.

Product overview

City Network is a UK-based merchant services and payment processing company offering a comprehensive suite of payment acceptance solutions across retail, online, and telephone channels. The core product portfolio includes card machines/PDQ terminals (countertop, portable, and mobile options), online payment gateways with eCommerce integration, and virtual terminal/MOTO solutions for phone payments. These are supported by tiered monthly pricing packages starting at £35, short-term terminal hire, EPOS systems for retail and hospitality, and business banking solutions including offshore accounts. Additional services include merchant cash advances, wealth management investment products, PCI DSS compliance assistance, next-day settlements, contract cancellation support, and 24/7 UK-based maintenance. The company also operates affiliate partnership and lead generation programs, positioning itself as a full-service payment facilitator serving over 14,000 customers and processing £1bn+ annually across 25 million transactions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• City Networks Global Group: Affiliate and partnership program for merchant services and banking offerings
• City Networks Wealth Management

Products and services

• Card Machines / PDQ Terminals Physical card payment terminals including countertop, portable and mobile options with contactless capability and integrated sales reporting, available for purchase, rental or bundled with monthly subscription packages.
• Online Payments / Payment Gateway (eCommerce) Online payment gateway allowing businesses to accept secure card payments 24/7, compatible with all major shopping carts including eBay checkout and other eCommerce platforms.
• Virtual Terminal / MOTO / Pay-by-link Virtual terminal solution for taking secure card payments over the phone (MOTO) and Pay-by-link for requesting payments via text and email, attachable to invoices for remote card-not-present transactions.
• EPOS Solutions (Retail and Hospitality) Point of sale systems for retail and hospitality sectors including web integration, barcoding, stock management, online ordering, table management, split bills, customer loyalty, and booking system functionality.
• Business Banking / Offshore Banking Business banking and offshore banking solutions providing corporate debit cards, UK account numbers and sort codes, IBAN credentials, Faster Payments (SEPA), and Quick Pay-by-link integration with next day settlements.
• Merchant Cash Advance (MCA) Unsecured cash flow and borrowing solution for businesses, repaid through card terminals as a percentage of sales, with MCA book exceeding £100 million under management and over £50 million funded by the City Networks portfolio.
• Wealth Management Investment Products Secured wealth management investment product offering 16% yearly interest, 1.75% monthly interest, and 2% compounded monthly returns on principle holdings over 12-month fixed terms, backed by the City Networks MCA portfolio.
• PCI DSS Compliance Service Complete PCI DSS compliance assistance including certification, phone validation, assessment form completion, and full attestation filing for merchants accepting card payments.
• Short Term PDQ Terminal Hire Short-term mobile card terminal hire service with simple pricing at 1.25% per transaction and £50+VAT per week per machine, with refundable holding deposit and free next day delivery and collection.
• High-Risk Sector Payment Acceptance Specialist payment acceptance solutions for high-risk industries including adult entertainment, cryptocurrency, pharmaceutical, and CBD sectors, offering guaranteed acceptance where mainstream providers decline merchants.
• eGateway Proprietary Payment Platform Proprietary electronic payment gateway solution for online and digital transactions, integrated across City Network's merchant services portfolio.
• eCrypto Proprietary Cryptocurrency Payment Acceptance Proprietary cryptocurrency payment acceptance and processing solution enabling merchants to accept crypto payments.
• Direct Debit Collection Service Direct debit payment collection services for recurring billing, integrated via GoCardless.
• Switching Providers / Contract Cancellation Service Contract cancellation assistance for businesses locked into existing merchant services and lease agreements, including legal support and rate matching for businesses switching to City Network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14000+ customers served globally
• +5 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• String TradingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLead generation partnership with String Trading, specialists in B2B appointment setting for merchant services and banking. String Trading provides volume-qualified leads filtered by annual card turnover, switching intent leads, and coverage across retail, hospitality, and high-risk sectors. Also provides leads for ePOS upgrades, business accounts, working capital, and FX services.
• Panel of Card AcquirerscoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with carefully selected panel of card acquirers who process credit and debit card payments on behalf of merchants and deposit funds in business bank accounts. Acquirer selection tailored to merchant industry and transaction profile.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Worldpay (FIS): One of the largest global merchant acquirers offering card processing, gateways, EPOS, and acquiring services to UK SMBs. Directly comparable to City Networks on payment terminals, online gateways, and MOTO, but at vastly greater scale and breadth.
• Stripe: Global payment gateway and merchant acquiring platform powering online and omnichannel commerce. Comparable to City Networks' eGateway, eCommerce, and virtual terminal offering but competing primarily for digital-first merchants.
• Barclaycard Payments: Major UK bank-affiliated card acquirer offering card machines, online payments, and merchant services to businesses of all sizes. Significant overlap with City Networks' core processing and PCI compliance offerings.

Direct peers

• takepayments: UK card payment and merchant services provider selling PDQ terminals, EPOS and online payments to SMBs with bundled support. Most direct head-to-head competitor on pricing tiers, retail/hospitality verticals, and FCA-regulated ISO positioning.
• Trust Payments: UK-headquartered payment services provider offering acquiring, gateways, MOTO, and high-risk merchant accounts (adult, CBD, crypto-adjacent). Closest like-for-like competitor including on the high-risk vertical positioning.
• SumUp: European mPOS and merchant services provider offering card readers, online payments, and banking-adjacent services to micro-merchants. Overlaps directly with City Networks' countertop, portable, and mobile terminals plus short-term hire model.
• Dojo: UK-based payment service provider focused on card machines and merchant services for SMBs in retail and hospitality. Closest direct competitor to City Networks, matching the bundling, transparent tiered pricing, and SMB hospitality/retail focus.
• Zettle by PayPal: Mobile and countertop card reader plus integrated POS/payments platform targeting small businesses across Europe. Directly comparable on hardware-led payment acceptance and omnichannel expansion for SMB merchants.
• Paymentsense: UK card machine and payment service provider serving tens of thousands of SMBs across retail, hospitality and leisure. Closely mirrors City Networks' customer count, vertical focus, and bundled pricing approach.

Emerging players

• myPOS: European all-in-one payment solution combining card terminals, business banking accounts, and merchant services targeting SMBs. Comparable to City Networks on bundled terminal-plus-banking proposition for smaller merchants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-networks-payments

Compliance3 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 City Network