What Paynode does

Paynode is a specialized payment platform purpose-built for the air charter industry, enabling charter customers and operators to initiate, track, and secure payments tied to private flight bookings. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, the company operates as a unit within the broader Avinode Group ecosystem and serves as the payment intermediary between charter payors (individuals or entities booking flights) and service providers (brokers and air charter operators). The platform reaches users in more than 140 countries and handles both initial booking payments and post-booking incidental charges such as catering, ground transportation, de-icing, and late departure fees.

The core product is a secure checkout that supports credit cards (Visa and Mastercard) with mandatory 3D Secure authentication as well as international bank and wire transfers, with stored-card authorization flows that allow operators to capture additional incidental charges after the initial booking. Paynode does not operate its own payment rails; it integrates with a multi-jurisdictional partner stack including Stripe (US and Canada via Stripe, Inc.; rest of world via Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd.), The Currency Cloud Limited (FCA-authorized UK e-money institution under FRN 900199), CurrencyCloud B.V. (DNB-licensed EEA e-money institution, Relation Number R142701), and Visa Global Services Inc. (US licensed money transmitter, NMLS ID 181032). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the paynode.com website in a self-serve model; no public APIs, SDKs, or mobile applications are disclosed.

Revenue is generated via transaction fees on processed payments, consistent with a software-enabled payments facilitator model. The business operates through two legal entities: Paynode AB (Swedish private limited company, primary operating entity) and Paynode LLC (US affiliate handling North American flows). No public pricing schedules, revenue figures, or external funding rounds are disclosed, and the company appears to be internally funded by its Avinode Group parent.

Name

Paynode

Legal name

Paynode AB

Website

https://paynode.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paynode is a vertical payment platform for the air charter industry, enabling secure booking payments and post-booking incidental charges via credit cards and wire transfers across more than 140 countries, operating inside the Avinode Group ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Payment Processing

NAICS

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

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)

Keywords

• Air charter payments
• Aviation payment processing
• Charter flight payments
• Secure payment gateway
• Credit card processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Gothenburg

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing Fees: Paynode generates revenue through payment processing fees charged on transactions. Payments are made by customers (payors) to air charter service providers, with Paynode facilitating the transaction through its platform and processing partners.
2. Card Processing Services: Payment processing services provided via Stripe for credit card transactions and via CurrencyCloud/Visa for wire transfers and e-money services in various regions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Paynode is a secure payment processing platform built specifically for the air charter industry. It enables customers to pay for charter flight bookings and incidental charges through credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) or bank/wire transfers, with 3D Secure authentication applied to all card transactions. The platform operates as a payment intermediary between charter payors and air charter service providers, processing payments via regulated partners including Stripe and CurrencyCloud.

Product overview

Paynode is a single, unified payment solution designed specifically for the air charter industry. The product enables customers to pay for air charter services through credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) or bank/wire transfers via a seamless checkout process. All credit card payments are secured using 3D Secure authentication. Paynode functions as the payment intermediary between charter customers and service providers (brokers or air charter companies), facilitating payment processing through payment processor partners Stripe and CurrencyCloud.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paynode Paynode is a secure payment processing platform designed for the air charter industry. It enables customers to settle charter flight bookings and incidental charges (catering, ground transportation, de-icing, late fees) through credit cards (Visa, Mastercard) or bank/wire transfers. All credit card transactions are protected with 3D Secure authentication. The platform routes payments through licensed partners (Stripe for cards, CurrencyCloud and Visa Global Services Inc. for wires and e-money services), providing global coverage across 140+ countries.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Stripe, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationStripe, Inc. provides payment processing services for Paynode LLC, processing payments for Service Providers located in the United States or Canada. Stripe handles credit card transaction processing for the air charter payment platform.
• Stripe Payments Europe, Ltd.coreTechnology or IntegrationStripe Payments Europe, Ltd. provides payment processing services for Paynode AB, handling payments for Service Providers located outside the US and Canada (rest of the world).
• The Currency Cloud LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationFor clients based in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world, payment and e-money services are provided by The Currency Cloud Limited. Registered in England No. 06323311. Authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 for issuing electronic money (FRN: 900199).
• CurrencyCloud B.V.coreTechnology or IntegrationFor clients based in the European Economic Area, the issuance of e-money and related payment services are provided by CurrencyCloud B.V. Registered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Licensed and regulated by De Nederlandsche Bank as an Electronic Money Institution (Relation Number: R142701).
• Visa Global Services Inc. (VGSI)coreTechnology or IntegrationFor the United States, payment services are provided by Visa Global Services Inc. (VGSI), a licensed money transmitter (NMLS ID 181032). VGSI is licensed by the New York Department of Financial Services, registered as MSB with FinCEN, and registered Foreign MSB with FINTRAC.
• Avinode GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvinode Group is the parent organization of Paynode. Paynode operates as part of the Avinode Group ecosystem, with shared privacy policies, trust pages, and brand presence. The website footer references 'Our other sites: AvinodeGroup' and cookies are managed under Avinode Group's privacy policy.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Avinode: Avinode is the parent organization of Paynode and operates the leading online marketplace for on-demand air charter. Paynode is the embedded payment rail for Avinode's operator and broker ecosystem, making it the most directly comparable peer by both customer base and workflow integration.

Emerging players

• Stax (formerly Fattmerchant): Stax is a payment platform that sells integrated card-present and card-not-present processing with subscription-style pricing to specific verticals. It shares Paynode's playbook of vertical-focused payment infrastructure but addresses SMB merchants more broadly rather than air charter specifically.
• Navan (TripActions): Navan (formerly TripActions) is a corporate travel and expense management platform that includes payment infrastructure for flights, including charter. It overlaps with Paynode at the corporate buyer side and could expand into dedicated charter payment handling.
• FlightBridge: FlightBridge is an aviation marketplace serving operators and brokers with scheduling and sourcing tools. It is comparable to Paynode as a workflow-embedded aviation platform, with a partial overlap on broker-facing transaction tooling.

Others

• Wheels Up: Wheels Up is a large private aviation operator and a representative end-customer for Paynode. It is not a direct payment competitor but illustrates the type of charter operator whose payment flow Paynode serves and who could in-source a competing payment solution.
• VistaJet: VistaJet is a global private jet operator handling high-value international charter bookings. It is a representative addressable customer of Paynode and a bellwether for the digital payment needs of the premium air charter segment.
• CurrencyCloud: CurrencyCloud is Paynode's UK/EEA payment and e-money partner for wire transfers, and Visa's broader cross-border B2B payments network. It is a direct technology and compliance counterpart rather than a marketplace competitor, but its capabilities are functionally substitutable for Paynode's cross-border layer.

Broad incumbents

• Adyen: Adyen is a global payment platform that could serve air charter operators and brokers with cross-border card and wire processing at scale. It competes for the same end-customer wallet share that Paynode targets, but as a horizontal incumbent rather than an aviation specialist.
• Stripe: Stripe is Paynode's core US/RoW card processing partner and simultaneously a potential competitor if Stripe ships aviation-specific payment features. It addresses the same merchant payment acceptance problem, including 3D Secure, dispute management, and global card/wire rails.
• Checkout.com: Checkout.com is a global payment processor serving large merchants with cross-border card and alternative payment methods. It overlaps with Paynode in providing enterprise-grade payment acceptance and could plausibly win aviation accounts seeking a single-vendor global processor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paynode-ltd.

Compliance3 records

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 Paynode