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APIs · head to head

Paymentology vs Solaris

Paymentology logo

Paymentology

APIs

Cloud issuer processing across emerging and developed markets

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: 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.; 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: Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Solaris covers German banking licence.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paymentology and Solaris actually diverge.

Attributes where Paymentology and Solaris differ
AttributePaymentologySolaris

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 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 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.

Paymentology

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

Solaris

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

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

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

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 Paymentology if

  • You need global issuer processing.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want real time transaction data.
Paymentology 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 Paymentology or Solaris better?
Neither clearly leads. Paymentology 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, Paymentology or Solaris?
Paymentology starts at On request and Solaris at On request.
Does Paymentology or Solaris run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
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 Solaris is typically brought in for.
What can Paymentology do that Solaris cannot?
Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Real time transaction data, Virtual and physical issuance, Tokenisation. Solaris covers German banking licence, IBAN accounts, Card issuing, Lending as a service.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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