Xiva Payments

What Xiva Payments does

Xiva Payments, operated by Xiva Ltd, is a UK mobile payment platform designed for sole traders, freelancers, and micro businesses that lack dedicated point-of-sale hardware. The company offers a cloud-based iOS and Android app that enables merchants to accept card payments via QR codes for in-person transactions and via shareable payment links sent through WhatsApp, SMS, Instagram, and other messaging channels for remote payments. The platform supports Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, and Mastercard, with funds deposited to merchant accounts on the next business day. Underlying payment acquiring is provided by FM Finance Ltd (FRN 815137), an FCA-authorised payment institution, with Xiva Ltd operating as a PSD Agent (FRN: 1009615) under Payment Service Regulations 2017. Identity verification (KYC/AML) is handled via Experian.

The product extends beyond payments into a lightweight SMB operating system, bundling an Online Booking System, an Analytics Dashboard for sales reporting, Customer Management CRM, Service & Product Management, Automated Communication for payment reminders, and Scheduling. A complementary product, XivaHub, is a free UK business directory where merchants can list their businesses for organic discovery. Distribution is product-led growth via self-serve downloads from the App Store and Google Play, supplemented by content marketing (Small Business Corner blog), social media, and partnerships with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), PolicyBee, Octopus Electric Vehicles, and Fuel Card Services.

Xiva monetises solely through transaction-based fees — 0.99% per UK card transaction and 2.98% per corporate, business, or international card transaction — with no monthly subscription, no fixed per-transaction fee, and no contract commitments. The company was founded in 2024, is headquartered in Cheltenham, UK, and operates with an approximately 11-person team covering co-founder, managing director, business development, project management, UX/UI design, fraud, and client funds functions. Service availability is currently limited to UK-based sole traders and small businesses.

Name

Xiva Payments

Legal name

Xiva Ltd

Website

https://xiva.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Xiva Payments is a UK FCA-authorised mobile payment app that lets sole traders, freelancers, and micro businesses accept card payments via QR codes and shareable links, charging 0.99% per UK card transaction with no monthly fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Payment Processing

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF)

Keywords

• Mobile payment processing
• Payment processing software
• Merchant payment services
• Small business payments
• Card payment platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheltenham

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

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing Fees: Transaction-based revenue model charging a flat percentage fee per payment processed. No monthly subscription fees or contract commitments required from merchants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Xiva Payments is a mobile payment processing application that enables small businesses, freelancers, sole traders, and micro-merchants to accept card payments, generate payment links, process QR-code payments, and issue invoices directly from a smartphone. The app is built on a proprietary technology stack and bundles additional modules for analytics, customer management, scheduling, and automated communication. The platform is distributed through app stores with a free download and a pay-as-you-go transaction-based pricing model.

Product overview

Xiva is a payment and business management platform for UK small businesses, freelancers, and sole traders. The core offering is the Xiva Payment App (available on iOS and Android) which enables merchants to accept card payments via QR codes and payment links directly from their phone with no monthly fees and next-day payouts. This is supported by an integrated Online Booking System for appointment scheduling and customer management. Additional modules include a Business Directory (XivaHub) for merchant visibility, Analytics Dashboard for sales insights and reporting, Customer Management for CRM, Service & Product Management, Automated Communication for client emails and payment reminders, and Scheduling for appointment management. The platform is backed by FM Finance Ltd (FMPay), an FCA-authorised payment institution, with processing supporting Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• XivaHub: Business directory platform hosted by Xiva for listing businesses.
• Xiva Business Directory

Products and services

• Xiva Payment App A mobile payment processing application built on a proprietary technology stack that enables small businesses, freelancers, sole traders, and micro-merchants to accept card payments, generate payment links, process QR-code payments, issue invoices, and scan receipts directly from a smartphone. Includes built-in modules for analytics, customer management, scheduling, and automated communication.
• XivaHub Business Directory A free, publicly accessible business directory platform operated as a sister product of Xiva Payments, where users can browse and discover nearby businesses and book appointments directly through the platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Next-day payouts to merchants
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FM Finance LtdcoreOthersFM Finance Ltd (FRN 815137) is the principal and authorised payment institution. Xiva Ltd operates as a PSD Agent (FRN: 1009615) of FM Finance Ltd, which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Service Regulations 2017 for the provision of payment services. FM Finance Ltd protects customer funds in safeguarding accounts.
• Apple PaycoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegrated payment method supported by Xiva's payment platform, allowing merchants to accept Apple Pay contactless payments from customers.
• Google PaycoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegrated payment method supported by Xiva's payment platform, allowing merchants to accept Google Pay contactless payments from customers.
• VisacoreTechnology or IntegrationCard network partner enabling Visa card transactions through Xiva's payment acquiring services. FCA-authorised and Visa-backed payment infrastructure.
• MastercardcoreTechnology or IntegrationCard network partner enabling Mastercard transactions through Xiva's payment acquiring services.
• PolicyBeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecialist insurance partner for online sellers and small businesses. Xiva members receive £10 cashback with PolicyBee. Partnership provides exclusive member benefits and referral opportunities.
• Octopus Electric VehiclesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership offering EV solutions for Xiva members. Octopus EV salary sacrifice car scheme provides tax and personal benefit savings for employees financing electric vehicles through gross salary deductions.
• Fuel Card ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUK fuel card provider partnered with Xiva. One of the largest independent agents of fuel cards in the UK, trusted by over 50,000 businesses for diesel and petrol payment management.
• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFSB membership partnership providing Xiva with credibility and access to UK small business network. Xiva is displayed as FSB member on marketing materials.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SumUp: SumUp provides mobile card readers and a payment app for sole traders and small businesses across the UK and Europe, competing head-to-head with Xiva in the micro-merchant card-acceptance segment with similar flat-rate transaction pricing.
• Zettle by PayPal: Zettle (owned by PayPal) offers mobile card readers and a POS app for small businesses and sole traders, including QR-code and payment-link acceptance, directly overlapping Xiva's product offering and target segment.
• Square (Block): Square provides mobile payment acceptance, invoicing, and a directory of small businesses, and now offers Tap to Pay on phone — closely mirroring Xiva's phone-based acceptance model for micro-merchants.

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Stripe is a global payments incumbent that serves UK small businesses with Stripe Terminal, payment links, and Tap to Pay on phone, providing broader functionality and developer tooling than Xiva but overlapping in the SMB acceptance space.
• Tyl by NatWest: Tyl is NatWest Group's card acceptance business offering mobile and in-person payment solutions to UK SMBs, competing with Xiva in the same micro-merchant segment with the backing of a major UK bank.
• Worldpay from FIS: Worldpay is a global merchant acquirer that serves UK small and large businesses with card processing, online checkout, and mobile POS, competing in the broader UK SMB acceptance market that Xiva targets.

Emerging players

• Dojo: Dojo (now part of Capita) provides card payment acceptance and a business management app targeting UK small businesses, with overlapping merchant profiles to Xiva's sole-trader focus.
• Revolut Business: Revolut Business offers UK SMEs and freelancers integrated payment acceptance, invoicing, and expense tools within its banking app, overlapping with Xiva on mobile-first payment acceptance for small operators.
• Starling Bank: Starling Bank provides UK business current accounts with integrated payment acceptance, invoicing, and tax tools aimed at sole traders and small businesses, addressing the same micro-merchant segment as Xiva.

Regional players

• Takepayments: Takepayments is a UK-focused card payment provider offering mobile and in-person acceptance to small businesses with transparent per-transaction pricing, closely comparable to Xiva's UK-only, flat-rate model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/xivapayments
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xiva-payments

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Xiva Payments