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APIs · head to head

Solaris vs Tribe Payments

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
Tribe Payments logo

Tribe Payments

APIs

Combined issuer and acquirer processing platform for fintechs, banks and acquirers

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.; Tribe Payments running both issuing and acquiring through one vendor concentrates operational risk, since a platform fault affects both sides of a client's card business at once rather than just one.
  • They diverge on capability: Solaris covers German banking licence, Tribe Payments covers ISAAC core platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Solaris and Tribe Payments actually diverge.

Attributes where Solaris and Tribe Payments differ
AttributeSolarisTribe Payments

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 Tribe Payments

  • ISAAC core platform
  • Issuer processing
  • Acquirer processing
  • Multi-scheme connectivity
  • Open banking module
  • 3D Secure and fraud tooling

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 Tribe Payments
  • A fintech that needs deposit taking and lending, which an e-money licence cannot providenot Tribe Payments
  • A European business needing German IBANs because customers reject foreign IBANs for salary and direct debitnot Tribe Payments
  • A company requiring German statutory deposit protection on customer balances as a product claimnot Tribe Payments

Tribe Payments

  • A bank or fintech wanting to run both card issuing and merchant acquiring on one processing platformnot Solaris
  • A payment facilitator consolidating separate issuing and acquiring vendor relationships into one contractnot Solaris
  • A company needing multi-scheme processing across Visa, Mastercard and regional networks like UnionPaynot Solaris
  • An Asia-Pacific expansion where Tribe's Singapore office provides regional supportnot 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.

Tribe Payments

  • Running both issuing and acquiring through one vendor concentrates operational risk, since a platform fault affects both sides of a client's card business at once rather than just one.
  • Pricing for either the issuing or acquiring modules is not published, so budgeting requires a sales conversation.
  • With roughly 60-plus customers, it is smaller scale than Visa or Mastercard-owned processing infrastructure, which is a factor for a client prioritising vendor size and track record.
  • Its client base and support depth are concentrated in the UK and continental Europe, and the Asia-Pacific presence via Singapore is comparatively newer and less proven.
  • As with any combined issuing and acquiring platform, a client that only needs one side still evaluates and pays for a vendor built around doing both, which may not be the most specialised option available.

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

Tribe Payments

On request
  • Tribe Payments$undefined/year
    • Pricing not published for issuing or acquiring modules
    • Custom quote required via sales

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 Tribe Payments if

  • You need isaac core platform.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want issuer processing.
Tribe Payments review

Questions people ask

Is Solaris or Tribe Payments better?
Neither clearly leads. Solaris starts at On request and Tribe Payments at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Solaris or Tribe Payments?
Solaris starts at On request and Tribe Payments at On request.
Does Solaris or Tribe Payments 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 Tribe Payments is typically brought in for.
What can Solaris do that Tribe Payments cannot?
Solaris covers German banking licence, IBAN accounts, Card issuing, Lending as a service. Tribe Payments covers ISAAC core platform, Issuer processing, Acquirer processing, Multi-scheme connectivity.

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.

Tribe Payments: Does Tribe do both issuing and acquiring?

Yes, its ISAAC platform supports both, built for issuing in 2019 and acquiring from 2020.

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.

Tribe Payments: How many card schemes does it support?

Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, JCB and UnionPay.

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.

Tribe Payments: Where is its customer base concentrated?

The UK and continental Europe, with a newer Singapore office serving Asia-Pacific.

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