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APIs · head to head

Paymentology vs Tuum

Paymentology logo

Paymentology

APIs

Cloud issuer processing across emerging and developed markets

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tuum logo

Tuum

APIs

Modular core banking platform from Estonia, formerly branded Modularbank

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.; Tuum it is a smaller, younger company than Mambu, so it has fewer live reference deployments and a shorter track record to evaluate risk against.
  • They diverge on capability: Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Tuum covers Modular product structure.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Paymentology and Tuum actually diverge.

Attributes where Paymentology and Tuum differ
AttributePaymentologyTuum

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 Tuum

  • Modular product structure
  • Low-code integration middleware
  • Cloud-agnostic deployment
  • Multi-currency real-time accounts
  • Cards and lending modules
  • Faster migration timeline

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

Tuum

  • A bank wanting to migrate specific banking products to the cloud within months rather than replacing its entire core at oncenot Paymentology
  • A fintech in the DACH region or Middle East wanting a European core banking vendor with regional expansion focusnot Paymentology
  • An institution wanting low-code middleware to connect new modules to an existing legacy core rather than a full rebuildnot Paymentology
  • A company researching "Modularbank" that needs to confirm it is the same company now branded Tuumnot 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.

Tuum

  • It is a smaller, younger company than Mambu, so it has fewer live reference deployments and a shorter track record to evaluate risk against.
  • The 2022-era rebrand from Modularbank to Tuum means older funding records, case studies and press coverage appear under a different name, complicating due diligence for anyone unaware of the change.
  • Pricing is entirely unpublished, requiring a sales conversation to budget against competing composable core vendors.
  • Its geographic expansion into DACH and the Middle East is comparatively recent, so support depth and local regulatory expertise in those markets are less proven than in its home Baltic and Nordic base.
  • As with any core banking platform, choosing Tuum is a multi-year infrastructure commitment; switching cores after implementation is a major undertaking regardless of how modular the initial adoption was.

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

Tuum

On request
  • Tuum$undefined/year
    • Subscription and module-based pricing, not published
    • Custom quote required via sales

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 Tuum if

  • You need modular product structure.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want low-code integration middleware.
Tuum review

Questions people ask

Is Paymentology or Tuum better?
Neither clearly leads. Paymentology starts at On request and Tuum at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paymentology or Tuum?
Paymentology starts at On request and Tuum at On request.
Does Paymentology or Tuum 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 Tuum is typically brought in for.
What can Paymentology do that Tuum cannot?
Paymentology covers Global issuer processing, Real time transaction data, Virtual and physical issuance, Tokenisation. Tuum covers Modular product structure, Low-code integration middleware, Cloud-agnostic deployment, Multi-currency real-time accounts.

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.

Tuum: Is Tuum the same company as Modularbank?

Yes, Modularbank rebranded to Tuum; it is the same company and platform.

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.

Tuum: Where is it strongest geographically?

Its base is Estonia and the Nordic and Baltic region, with newer expansion into DACH and the Middle East.

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.

Tuum: Is pricing published?

No, subscription and module pricing require a sales conversation.

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