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APIs · head to head

Enfuce vs Solaris

Enfuce logo

Enfuce

APIs

European issuer processor holding its own payment institution licence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Solaris logo

Solaris

APIs

German banking as a service with a full banking licence and a live regulatory problem

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Enfuce coverage is European, so a programme that also needs US or Asian issuing requires a separate processor and a separate integration.; Solaris baFin appointed a special representative in 2022 and extended the mandate in July 2024, so a partner is joining a bank under active supervisory monitoring, with slower approvals and heavier compliance demands as a direct consequence.
  • They diverge on capability: Enfuce covers Licensed issuing, Solaris covers German banking licence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Enfuce and Solaris actually diverge.

Attributes where Enfuce and Solaris differ
AttributeEnfuceSolaris
PlatformsWeb, REST APIWeb, API

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), 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 Enfuce

  • Licensed issuing
  • Card processing
  • Tokenisation
  • Spend controls
  • Multi-currency programmes
  • Carbon and data services

Only in Solaris

  • German banking licence
  • IBAN accounts
  • Card issuing
  • Lending as a service
  • Digital assets and custody
  • SEPA payments
  • KYC and onboarding
  • Deposit protection

What people use each for

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

Enfuce

  • A European fintech launching cards without spending two quarters finding a sponsor banknot Solaris
  • A corporate issuing fuel or expense cards across several EU countries on one programmenot Solaris
  • A bank migrating an existing European card portfolio off a legacy processornot Solaris
  • A programme that must report cardholder transaction carbon data to meet sustainability commitmentsnot Solaris

Solaris

  • A retailer or platform launching a German current account or card product without applying for its own licencenot Enfuce
  • A fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot providenot Enfuce
  • A European business needing German IBANs because customers reject foreign IBANs for salary and direct debitnot Enfuce
  • A company requiring German statutory deposit protection on customer balances as a product claimnot Enfuce

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Solaris

  • BaFin appointed a special representative in 2022 and extended the mandate in July 2024, so a partner is joining a bank under active supervisory monitoring, with slower approvals and heavier compliance demands as a direct consequence.
  • BaFin fined Solaris EUR 6.5 million in March 2024 for systematically late suspicious activity reports and EUR 500,000 for breaching large exposure limits between January 2022 and March 2024, which is a track record a partner inherits reputationally.
  • Solaris has previously needed BaFin approval before onboarding new corporate clients, which can turn a commercial decision to launch into a regulatory timetable outside your control.
  • The 2024 restructuring involved job cuts and the closure of parts of a business unit, so product lines a partner depends on may not have the engineering behind them that the sales process implies.
  • SBI Holdings acquired majority control in 2025, so strategic direction now sits with a Japanese financial group whose priorities for the European business may differ from the roadmap you were sold.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Solaris

On request
  • Solaris banking as a service$undefined/year
    • Quoted per partner, typically setup fee plus monthly platform fee
    • Per account, per card and per transaction charges on top
    • Interchange sharing arrangements negotiated per programme

Which should you pick?

Choose Enfuce if

  • You need licensed issuing.
  • You work on Web, REST API.
  • You also want card processing.
Enfuce review

Choose Solaris if

  • You need german banking licence.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want iban accounts.
Solaris review

Questions people ask

Is Enfuce or Solaris better?
Neither clearly leads. Enfuce starts at On request and Solaris at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Enfuce or Solaris?
Enfuce starts at On request and Solaris at On request.
Does Enfuce or Solaris run on more platforms?
Enfuce runs on Web, REST API. Solaris runs on Web, API.
What is Enfuce best used for?
Enfuce is most often used for a european fintech launching cards without spending two quarters finding a sponsor bank, a corporate issuing fuel or expense cards across several eu countries on one programme, a bank migrating an existing european card portfolio off a legacy processor, a programme that must report cardholder transaction carbon data to meet sustainability commitments. Of those, a european fintech launching cards without spending two quarters finding a sponsor bank and a corporate issuing fuel or expense cards across several eu countries on one programme are not what Solaris is typically brought in for.
What can Enfuce do that Solaris cannot?
Enfuce covers Licensed issuing, Card processing, Tokenisation, Spend controls. Solaris covers German banking licence, IBAN accounts, Card issuing, Lending as a service.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Solaris: Does Solaris have a real banking licence?

Yes. Solaris SE is a German credit institution, which is why it can offer deposits and lending, unlike e-money based competitors.

Enfuce: Which regions does it cover?

Europe. It is not a route to issuing cards in the United States or Asia.

Solaris: Is the BaFin action still live?

The special representative appointed in 2022 had the mandate extended in July 2024, and fines were issued in March 2024. Treat supervisory oversight as an active condition in your diligence.

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.

Solaris: Who owns Solaris now?

SBI Holdings of Japan agreed in December 2024 and January 2025 to take a majority stake of over seventy per cent for around EUR 100 million.

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