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APIs · head to head

Paymentology vs Prisma

Paymentology logo

Paymentology

APIs

Cloud issuer processing across emerging and developed markets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Prisma logo

Prisma

APIs

Modern ORM and API client for Node.js and TypeScript

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Prisma has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Paymentology paymentology processes but does not hold issuing licences, so every market still needs your own licence or a sponsor bank, which is usually the slowest and most expensive part of a launch.; Prisma prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage
  • They diverge on capability: Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Prisma covers ORM.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paymentology and Prisma actually diverge.

Attributes where Paymentology and Prisma differ
AttributePaymentologyPrisma
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, APINode.js, TypeScript
FoundedUnknown2016

Identical on both: 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 Paymentology

  • Global issuer processing
  • Real time transaction data
  • Virtual and physical issuance
  • Tokenisation
  • Multi currency and multi product
  • Card controls
  • Programme management tools
  • Fraud and risk integration

Only in Prisma

  • ORM
  • Query builder
  • Auto-migrations
  • Node.js
  • TypeScript
  • GraphQL
  • REST APIs
  • Node.js support

What people use each for

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

Paymentology

  • A neobank launching cards in an African or South East Asian market where hosted United States processors have no certificationnot Prisma
  • A mobile money operator adding a card product on top of an existing wallet basenot Prisma
  • A bank consolidating several regional card processors onto one platformnot Prisma
  • A fintech expanding an existing card programme into the Gulf without re platformingnot Prisma

Prisma

  • Using a type safe ORM and query layer against a Postgres databasenot Paymentology
  • Adding a managed connection pool and edge cache in front of an existing databasenot Paymentology

Where each one falls short

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

Paymentology

  • Paymentology processes but does not hold issuing licences, so every market still needs your own licence or a sponsor bank, which is usually the slowest and most expensive part of a launch.
  • Fees include per active card charges and monthly minimums, so a portfolio with many dormant cards pays for plastic that generates no interchange.
  • Certification, settlement and scheme relationships differ by country, so a multi market rollout is a series of separate projects rather than one integration.
  • As a processor it sits between your product and the networks, meaning outages and scheme mandate changes reach your cardholders through a party you do not control.
  • Documentation and developer self service are weaker than the United States hosted processors, so early integration depends heavily on Paymentology implementation staff.

Prisma

  • Prisma Postgres is billed per operation, with the free tier at 100,000 operations and 500 MB of storage
  • Starter at $10 a month includes 1M operations then charges $0.0080 per 1,000
  • Storage overage runs from $2.00 per GB on Starter down to $1.00 per GB on Business, so the unit cost depends on the plan
  • Accelerate charges separately per operation and per GiB of query egress beyond the first 1 KiB
  • Cache tag invalidations are not included below the Pro plan and are billed per thousand above it

Pricing, plan by plan

Paymentology

On request
  • Paymentology processing$undefined/year
    • Quoted per programme and per market
    • Typically per transaction and per active card fees plus a monthly minimum
    • Issuing licence or sponsor bank required in each market and not provided

Prisma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1M requests/month
    • 360 GB-hours memory
    • 4 vCPU-hours
  • Starter$10/month
    • 5M requests/month
    • 1M database operations ($8 per million overage)
    • 10 GB storage ($2/GB overage)
  • Pro$49/month
    • 20M requests/month
    • 10M operations ($2 per million overage)
    • 50 GB storage ($1.50/GB overage)
  • Business$129/month
    • 100M requests/month
    • 50M operations ($1 per million overage)
    • 100 GB storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Paymentology if

  • You need global issuer processing.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want real time transaction data.
Paymentology review

Choose Prisma if

  • You need orm.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Node.js, TypeScript.
  • You also want query builder.
Prisma review

Questions people ask

Is Paymentology or Prisma better?
Neither clearly leads. Paymentology starts at On request and Prisma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paymentology or Prisma?
Prisma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Paymentology and Free for Prisma.
Does Paymentology or Prisma run on more platforms?
Paymentology runs on Web, API. Prisma runs on Node.js, TypeScript.
Can I use Prisma for free?
Yes. Prisma has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Paymentology starts at On request.
What is Paymentology best used for?
Paymentology is most often used for a neobank launching cards in an african or south east asian market where hosted united states processors have no certification, a mobile money operator adding a card product on top of an existing wallet base, a bank consolidating several regional card processors onto one platform, a fintech expanding an existing card programme into the gulf without re platforming. Of those, a neobank launching cards in an african or south east asian market where hosted united states processors have no certification and a mobile money operator adding a card product on top of an existing wallet base are not what Prisma is typically brought in for.
What can Paymentology do that Prisma cannot?
Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Real time transaction data, Virtual and physical issuance, Tokenisation. Prisma covers ORM, Query builder, Auto-migrations, Node.js.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Paymentology: Does Paymentology provide the BIN and licence?

No. You need your own issuing licence or a sponsor bank in each market; Paymentology processes the transactions.

Prisma: How much does Prisma cost?

Prisma is free to start with 1M requests/month. The Starter plan costs $10/month with 5M requests, the Pro plan $49/month with 20M requests, and the Business plan $129/month with 100M requests. All plans have usage-based overages.

Source
Paymentology: What is the actual pricing model?

Per transaction and per active card, with a monthly minimum. Dormant cards still cost, so model your activation rate.

Prisma: What is Prisma's overage pricing?

Prisma charges $1 per million requests over the included amount (Starter), $2 per million database operations overage (Pro and Starter), and $1.50-$2 per GB for storage overages depending on the plan. All plans include a hard spend limit on by default.

Source
Paymentology: Why choose it over a United States issuer processor?

Network certification and live programmes in markets where those processors do not operate, which decides feasibility rather than preference.

Prisma: Does Prisma include data transfer costs?

No, Prisma includes unlimited data transfer with no egress fees on all plans. Prisma ORM remains free across all tiers.

Source
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