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APIs · head to head

Aiia vs Thredd

Aiia logo

Aiia

APIs

Open banking and open finance API platform, now operating as Mastercard Open Banking

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Thredd logo

Thredd

APIs

Issuer processing platform for fintechs and digital banks, formerly Global Processing Services

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aiia it is now part of Mastercard rather than an independent company, so a business specifically wanting to avoid card network dependency in its banking infrastructure no longer gets that separation by choosing Aiia.; Thredd pricing is entirely unpublished, so cost comparison against competing processors requires a sales process.
  • They diverge on capability: Aiia covers Bank account data access, Thredd covers Issuer processing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aiia and Thredd actually diverge.

Attributes where Aiia and Thredd differ
AttributeAiiaThredd

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), platforms (Web, API), user rating (Not yet rated), category (APIs).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aiia

  • Bank account data access
  • Payment initiation
  • Mastercard Open Finance integration
  • Modern authentication support
  • Multi-country coverage
  • Developer documentation and sandbox

Only in Thredd

  • Issuer processing
  • Multi-country reach
  • Scheme certification
  • Programme support across verticals
  • High platform availability
  • Global office footprint

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aiia

  • A lending or credit product needing affordability checks via European bank account datanot Thredd
  • A personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across Nordic and European banksnot Thredd
  • A payments product wanting account-to-account payment initiation under open banking regulationnot Thredd
  • A business wanting the stability and continued investment of Mastercard ownership behind its banking connectivity providernot Thredd

Thredd

  • A digital bank or fintech needing issuer processing across many countries under one contractnot Aiia
  • A BNPL, lending or crypto product needing certified card processing behind its own brandnot Aiia
  • A company that finds outdated Global Processing Services (GPS) material and needs to confirm it is now Threddnot Aiia
  • An embedded finance platform wanting a processor already integrated with core banking systems such as Mambunot Aiia

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aiia

  • It is now part of Mastercard rather than an independent company, so a business specifically wanting to avoid card network dependency in its banking infrastructure no longer gets that separation by choosing Aiia.
  • Pricing is not published and requires engaging Mastercard's open finance sales process, which can be a heavier sales motion than dealing with a smaller independent open banking provider.
  • Its strongest bank coverage remains concentrated in the Nordics and Northern Europe, so companies needing dense coverage in Southern or Eastern Europe should verify current bank connectivity before committing.
  • Brand confusion is real: developer documentation, login portals and older case studies still reference "Aiia" while newer Mastercard material refers to "Mastercard Open Banking," and a company researching either name in isolation may miss half the relevant material.
  • As with any open banking platform, reliability still depends on the consistency of the underlying banks' own APIs, which is a systemic industry issue rather than something Aiia specifically controls.

Thredd

  • Pricing is entirely unpublished, so cost comparison against competing processors requires a sales process.
  • The 2023 rebrand from GPS to Thredd means research under either name alone can miss relevant material, and partner or press references before 2023 will still say GPS.
  • Issuer processing does not include the banking licence itself, so a fintech still needs a separate BIN sponsor or bank partner, adding a second relationship to manage.
  • As shared infrastructure behind many fintech brands, an outage or processing delay at Thredd becomes a simultaneous incident for every programme running on it, with limited visibility for any single customer into root cause.
  • Its verticals span crypto, BNPL and remittance broadly, so depth of specialist support in any one vertical may be thinner than a processor focused narrowly on that niche.

Pricing, plan by plan

Aiia

On request
  • Aiia Enterprise (Mastercard Open Banking)$undefined/year
    • Pricing not published, quote via Mastercard Open Finance sales

Thredd

On request
  • Thredd$undefined/year
    • Volume and programme-based pricing, not published
    • Custom quote required via sales

Which should you pick?

Choose Aiia if

  • You need bank account data access.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want payment initiation.
Aiia review

Choose Thredd if

  • You need issuer processing.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want multi-country reach.
Thredd review

Questions people ask

Is Aiia or Thredd better?
Neither clearly leads. Aiia starts at On request and Thredd at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aiia or Thredd?
Aiia starts at On request and Thredd at On request.
Does Aiia or Thredd run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Aiia best used for?
Aiia is most often used for a lending or credit product needing affordability checks via european bank account data, a personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across nordic and european banks, a payments product wanting account-to-account payment initiation under open banking regulation, a business wanting the stability and continued investment of mastercard ownership behind its banking connectivity provider. Of those, a lending or credit product needing affordability checks via european bank account data and a personal finance or accounting product needing transaction history across nordic and european banks are not what Thredd is typically brought in for.
What can Aiia do that Thredd cannot?
Aiia covers Bank account data access, Payment initiation, Mastercard Open Finance integration, Modern authentication support. Thredd covers Issuer processing, Multi-country reach, Scheme certification, Programme support across verticals.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aiia: Is Aiia still an independent company?

No, it was acquired by Mastercard in 2021 and now operates as part of Mastercard Open Finance Solutions, referenced as Aiia Enterprise.

Thredd: Is Thredd the same company as Global Processing Services?

Yes, GPS rebranded as Thredd in 2023; it is the same company and platform.

Aiia: Does the Aiia brand still exist?

Yes, in developer documentation and login portals, but the company behind it is Mastercard.

Thredd: Does it hold the banking licence for programmes it processes?

No, Thredd is the issuer processor; a separate bank or BIN sponsor holds the actual issuing licence.

Aiia: Which banks does it cover?

Around 3,000 European banks, with strongest coverage in the Nordics and Northern Europe.

Thredd: Is pricing published?

No, it requires a sales conversation.

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