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APIs · head to head

Paymentology vs Trustly

Paymentology logo

Paymentology

APIs

Cloud issuer processing across emerging and developed markets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Trustly logo

Trustly

APIs

Pay-by-bank payments network, majority-owned by private equity firm Nordic Capital

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.; Trustly it is majority-owned by Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, so its long-term roadmap is ultimately oriented toward an eventual sale or IPO rather than indefinite independent operation.
  • They diverge on capability: Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Trustly covers Pay by bank checkout.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paymentology and Trustly actually diverge.

Attributes where Paymentology and Trustly differ
AttributePaymentologyTrustly

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 Trustly

  • Pay by bank checkout
  • Instant refunds
  • Verified payouts
  • Multi-market bank connectivity
  • Merchant dashboard and reconciliation
  • Fraud and risk tooling

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 Trustly
  • A mobile money operator adding a card product on top of an existing wallet basenot Trustly
  • A bank consolidating several regional card processors onto one platformnot Trustly
  • A fintech expanding an existing card programme into the Gulf without re platformingnot Trustly

Trustly

  • An e-commerce merchant wanting a lower-cost alternative or complement to card payment acceptancenot Paymentology
  • A gaming or gambling operator needing verified, instant payouts to players' bank accountsnot Paymentology
  • A merchant wanting instant refunds processed directly to a customer's bank account rather than card reversal delaysnot Paymentology
  • A business in a market with strong open banking adoption wanting pay-by-bank as a checkout optionnot 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.

Trustly

  • It is majority-owned by Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, so its long-term roadmap is ultimately oriented toward an eventual sale or IPO rather than indefinite independent operation.
  • Consumer familiarity with paying by bank transfer still lags card payments in most markets, so merchants typically see it used as a secondary option rather than a full card replacement.
  • The 1.15 to 3.15% merchant fee range is not a single published rate, so a merchant cannot know its actual cost without a sales negotiation.
  • As with all open banking-dependent payment methods, reliability depends on the consistency of the underlying banks' own APIs, which Trustly does not control.
  • Its verified payout functionality is heavily used in gaming and gambling, a sector with additional regulatory scrutiny, which is worth factoring in when evaluating vendor risk exposure by association.

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

Trustly

On request
  • Trustly$undefined/month
    • Typical merchant cost of 1.15% to 3.15% depending on volume and market
    • Exact rate negotiated per merchant, not published as a flat card

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 Trustly if

  • You need pay by bank checkout.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want instant refunds.
Trustly review

Questions people ask

Is Paymentology or Trustly better?
Neither clearly leads. Paymentology starts at On request and Trustly at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paymentology or Trustly?
Paymentology starts at On request and Trustly at On request.
Does Paymentology or Trustly 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 Trustly is typically brought in for.
What can Paymentology do that Trustly cannot?
Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Real time transaction data, Virtual and physical issuance, Tokenisation. Trustly covers Pay by bank checkout, Instant refunds, Verified payouts, Multi-market bank connectivity.

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.

Trustly: Who owns Trustly?

Nordic Capital, a private equity firm, holds a 51.1% majority stake; Alfven & Didrikson and BlackRock hold smaller stakes.

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.

Trustly: Is Trustly going public?

It has discussed an IPO but as of its most recent comments said one remained at least a year away.

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.

Trustly: What does it typically cost a merchant?

Roughly 1.15% to 3.15% of transaction value depending on volume and market, negotiated per merchant.

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