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APIs · head to head

Solaris vs Token.io

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
Token.io logo

Token.io

APIs

Account to account pay by bank infrastructure across the UK and Europe

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Token.io account to account payments carry no chargeback scheme, so merchants gain cost savings but consumers lose the dispute protection cards provide, which limits adoption in general retail.
  • They diverge on capability: Solaris covers German banking licence, Token.io covers Payment initiation.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Solaris and Token.io actually diverge.

Attributes where Solaris and Token.io differ
AttributeSolarisToken.io

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 Solaris

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

Only in Token.io

  • Payment initiation
  • Variable recurring payments
  • Bank network coverage
  • giroAPI membership
  • Payouts and refunds
  • Data and account information
  • Hosted payment pages
  • Reconciliation reporting

What people use each for

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

Solaris

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

Token.io

  • A utility or telecom collecting high value bills where card interchange makes acceptance expensivenot Solaris
  • An investment or trading platform funding customer accounts without card chargeback exposurenot Solaris
  • A payment service provider adding pay by bank to its merchant proposition without building bank connectivitynot Solaris
  • A German merchant using giroAPI scheme access for recurring and future dated bank paymentsnot Solaris

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Token.io

  • Account to account payments carry no chargeback scheme, so merchants gain cost savings but consumers lose the dispute protection cards provide, which limits adoption in general retail.
  • Conversion depends on each bank's own authentication journey, and slow or broken bank redirects cost sales in ways the merchant cannot fix or even always diagnose.
  • Variable recurring payments beyond sweeping are still being rolled out unevenly across banks and markets, so a subscription use case may be supported at one bank and not another.
  • Token.io initiates payments rather than acting as acquirer of record, so merchants still need settlement, safeguarding and reconciliation arrangements elsewhere.
  • Coverage and feature parity vary by country, so a pan European rollout means different capabilities and different bank behaviour in each market rather than one uniform product.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Token.io

On request
  • Token.io platform$undefined/year
    • Quoted per customer, typically per initiated payment
    • Volume tiers and monthly minimums are common
    • No interchange, so unit cost is usually well below card acceptance

Which should you pick?

Choose Solaris if

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

Choose Token.io if

  • You need payment initiation.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want variable recurring payments.
Token.io review

Questions people ask

Is Solaris or Token.io better?
Neither clearly leads. Solaris starts at On request and Token.io at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Solaris or Token.io?
Solaris starts at On request and Token.io at On request.
Does Solaris or Token.io run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, API, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
What is Solaris best used for?
Solaris is most often used for a retailer or platform launching a german current account or card product without applying for its own licence, a fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot provide, a european business needing german ibans because customers reject foreign ibans for salary and direct debit, a company requiring german statutory deposit protection on customer balances as a product claim. Of those, a retailer or platform launching a german current account or card product without applying for its own licence and a fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot provide are not what Token.io is typically brought in for.
What can Solaris do that Token.io cannot?
Solaris covers German banking licence, IBAN accounts, Card issuing, Lending as a service. Token.io covers Payment initiation, Variable recurring payments, Bank network coverage, giroAPI membership.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Token.io: Does pay by bank remove card fees?

It removes interchange and scheme fees, so unit cost is normally far below card acceptance, particularly on high value payments.

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.

Token.io: What about chargebacks?

There are none. That is the cost saving and the consumer protection gap, which is why it suits bills, top ups and account funding more than retail.

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.

Token.io: Is Token.io regulated?

Yes, it is an authorised third party provider under UK and European open banking rules, but it initiates payments rather than holding merchant funds as an acquirer.

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