APIs · head to head
Basis Theory vs Enfuce
Basis Theory
APIs
Developer tokenisation platform that holds card and sensitive data inside a PCI Level 1 environment you do not operate
- From
- $995/month
- Rated
- -
Enfuce
APIs
European issuer processor holding its own payment institution licence
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Basis Theory the Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.; Enfuce coverage is European, so a programme that also needs US or Asian issuing requires a separate processor and a separate integration.
- They diverge on capability: Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Enfuce covers Licensed issuing.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Basis Theory and Enfuce actually diverge.
| Attribute | Basis Theory | Enfuce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $995/month | On request |
| Pricing model | Per month by token volume | quote |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, Linux | Web, REST API |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Basis Theory
- Tokenisation API
- Hosted elements
- Outbound proxy
- PCI attestation of compliance
- Processor portability
- Reactors
- Access controls and audit
- PII and PHI options
Only in Enfuce
- Licensed issuing
- Card processing
- Tokenisation
- Spend controls
- Multi-currency programmes
- Carbon and data services
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Basis Theory
- A payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into PCI scope and paying for the assessment that followsnot Enfuce
- A merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirernot Enfuce
- A fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security reviewnot Enfuce
- A team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own serversnot Enfuce
Enfuce
- A European fintech launching cards without spending two quarters finding a sponsor banknot Basis Theory
- A corporate issuing fuel or expense cards across several EU countries on one programmenot Basis Theory
- A bank migrating an existing European card portfolio off a legacy processornot Basis Theory
- A programme that must report cardholder transaction carbon data to meet sustainability commitmentsnot Basis Theory
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Basis Theory
- The Starter plan is 995 US dollars a month before any volume, which is a real floor for an early stage company and puts the product out of reach of teams tokenising a few thousand records.
- Starter is limited to the US region, so a company with European data residency requirements is pushed into a quoted Scale or Enterprise agreement immediately.
- Log retention on Starter is 24 hours, which is well below what most security teams expect for a system holding cardholder data and forces an upgrade for reasons unrelated to volume.
- Migrating away means moving card data out of the vault, which requires processor and assessor involvement and is slow, so the portability argument that attracts buyers cuts against them at exit.
- An attestation of compliance covers the vendor environment, not your assessment; your assessor still decides what is in scope, and buyers occasionally discover their integration pattern pulled systems back into scope anyway.
Enfuce
- Coverage is European, so a programme that also needs US or Asian issuing requires a separate processor and a separate integration.
- Where Enfuce acts as the licensed issuer it takes on regulatory risk and prices accordingly, so the convenience of skipping a sponsor bank is not free.
- European interchange caps limit programme revenue far below US levels, so business cases imported from a US card model do not survive the move.
- It is a smaller supplier than Marqeta or i2c, which means less negotiating room on scheme fees and a thinner partner ecosystem around it.
- Pricing is entirely quoted with monthly minimums, so low-volume programmes carry a fixed cost that does not scale down with a slow launch.
Pricing, plan by plan
Basis Theory
$995/month- Starter$995/month
- 20,000 tokens included
- Production PCI Level 1 environment
- US region only
- Scale$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Higher token volumes
- Additional regions
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Quoted
- Additional compliance options for PII and PHI
- Responses for 95 percent of PCI SAQ D
Enfuce
On request- Enfuce issuing and processing$undefined/year
- Per-active-card and per-transaction fees with monthly minimums
- Higher pricing where Enfuce acts as licensed issuer rather than processor only
- Interchange arrangements depend on who holds the issuing licence
Which should you pick?
Choose Basis Theory if
- You need tokenisation api.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, Linux.
- You also want hosted elements.
Choose Enfuce if
- You need licensed issuing.
- You work on Web, REST API.
- You also want card processing.
Questions people ask
- Is Basis Theory or Enfuce better?
- Neither clearly leads. Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Enfuce at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Basis Theory or Enfuce?
- Basis Theory starts at $995/month and Enfuce at On request.
- Does Basis Theory or Enfuce run on more platforms?
- Basis Theory runs on Web, iOS, Android, Linux. Enfuce runs on Web, REST API.
- What is Basis Theory best used for?
- Basis Theory is most often used for a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows, a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer, a fintech collecting bank account and identity data that needs it isolated from its application database before an enterprise security review, a team that needs to send stored card data to a third party for a one-off integration without that data traversing its own servers. Of those, a payments company that wants card on file without bringing its own infrastructure into pci scope and paying for the assessment that follows and a merchant locked into a processor by that processor vault that wants to hold its own tokens and route to more than one acquirer are not what Enfuce is typically brought in for.
- What can Basis Theory do that Enfuce cannot?
- Basis Theory covers Tokenisation API, Hosted elements, Outbound proxy, PCI attestation of compliance. Enfuce covers Licensed issuing, Card processing, Tokenisation, Spend controls.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Basis Theory: Does this make us PCI compliant?
It removes cardholder data from your systems and gives you an AOC plus documented responses for most of a SAQ D. Your assessor still determines your scope, and a careless integration can pull systems back in.
Enfuce: Do I need my own licence to use Enfuce?
Not necessarily. Enfuce holds Finnish payment institution authorisation and can act as issuer, or process under your own licence if you have one.
Basis Theory: What does it cost to start?
995 US dollars a month on Starter, including 20,000 tokens, a production PCI Level 1 environment and US hosting. Higher tiers are quoted.
Enfuce: Which regions does it cover?
Europe. It is not a route to issuing cards in the United States or Asia.
Basis Theory: Can we switch payment processors without re-collecting cards?
Yes, that is the main non-compliance reason to buy it. You hold the tokens and detokenise into whichever processor you route to.
Enfuce: How does interchange work?
Who holds the issuing licence determines who receives interchange, so the licensing choice and the revenue model are the same decision.
Basis Theory: Is data stored outside the United States?
Not on Starter, which is US only. Other regions require a Scale or Enterprise agreement.
Related pages
More on Basis Theory
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