Rapyd

What is Rapyd?

Rapyd is a global fintech-as-a-service (FaaS) platform that enables businesses to accept payments, send payouts, issue cards, and manage digital wallets through a single unified API. Founded in 2016 by Arik Shtilman (CEO), Arkady Karpman, and Omer Priel, the company originally started as a digital wallet called CashDash in 2015 before pivoting to become a comprehensive payment infrastructure provider. Headquartered in London, Rapyd has raised a total funding of $1.26B over 9 rounds from 34 investors and achieved a valuation of $4.5B as of March 2025.

Rapyd provides embedded finance capabilities through APIs to businesses like e-commerce websites, neobanks, and payroll companies, operating in 100+ jurisdictions. Along with integrated finance capabilities, it also offers card issuing, fraud protection, and identity management services. The company positions itself as the "AWS of fintech," offering a modular fintech engine used by marketplaces, SaaS platforms, neobanks, and global enterprises looking for efficient global expansion.

Main Services & Features

Rapyd Collect (Payment Processing)

• Supports over 900 payment methods including cards, wallets, bank transfers, stablecoins, and cash vouchers
• Accept payments across 190+ markets and 150+ currencies
• Top 20 Visa Acquirer with higher authorization rates and fewer lost sales
• Licensed Visa and Mastercard acquirer in Europe, UK, Israel, and Singapore
• Advanced fraud detection and automated dispute management tools
• Built-in foreign exchange allowing customers to buy in their preferred currency

Rapyd Disburse (Payouts)

• Send payments to over 190 countries with reduced foreign exchange fees
• Card payouts via Visa Direct and Mastercard Send enabling real-time payments 24/7/365
• Pay to bank accounts, eWallets, cards, and 500,000+ cash pickup locations
• Multi-currency and cross-border payout optimization

Virtual Accounts

• Get paid into Virtual Accounts from 40+ countries and over 25 currencies
• Multi-use virtual account numbers for repeated payments over time
• vIBANs in Europe and local bank account formats in other markets
• Automatic FX conversion to requested currency upon receipt

Rapyd Wallet

• Ledger system enabling users to hold and transfer funds between various wallets and sub-wallets
• Manage and transfer funds in over 70 currencies across different countries
• Sub-wallet structure for simplified reconciliation

Rapyd Issuing (Card Issuing)

• Virtual and physical card issuing with end-to-end card management including design, production, delivery, and reissuing
• Physical and virtual Visa debit cards available to eligible UK customers
• Remote and direct authorization models for transaction control
• Spending limits, ATM withdrawal controls, and merchant restrictions

Pricing

Rapyd is built for enterprise and mid-market businesses, so pricing is typically negotiated based on business requirements and transaction volumes.

Interchange++ Pricing Model:

Rapyd uses Interchange++ pricing, a transparent fee structure consisting of three components: the interchange fee, scheme fee, and acquirer fee. Rapyd does not mark up the interchange and scheme fees set by external entities, and charges a small fixed acquirer fee per transaction.

Component	Description
Interchange Fee	Paid to cardholder's bank (issuer), varies by country and transaction type
Scheme Fee	Charged by card networks (Visa/Mastercard) for processing
Acquirer Fee	Rapyd's competitive fixed fee per transaction

Settlement Options:

• Next-day settlement with no additional fees
• Daily, weekly, or monthly settlement options
• Stablecoin settlement available

Key Capabilities

Global Payment Network:

• 900+ local and alternative payment methods
• Cards, bank transfers, e-wallets, cash vouchers supported
• Local acquiring in major markets for better acceptance rates
• Real-time FX and multi-currency support

Developer Tools:

• Versatile integration options from no-code and hosted solutions to detailed developer API
• Plugin support for Shopify, Wix, WooCommerce, PrestaShop
• Payment links for quick setup
• Comprehensive API documentation and sandbox environment

Platform Features:

• Flexibility to be in or out of the flow of funds based on extensive global licensing
• White-label solutions for fintech builders
• Embedded payments infrastructure
• Multi-party payouts and merchant onboarding management

Acquisitions & Expansion

Rapyd has been on an acquisition streak, adding companies including Iceland-based payments startup Valitor for $100 million in 2022 and paying $610 million for units of the global payments platform PayU in 2023. Other acquisitions include Neat (cross-border money transfer) and Korta (Icelandic payments).

The acquisition of Valitor made Iceland Rapyd's European Hub, providing omni-channel payments acceptance and card issuing capabilities to SMB merchants across the UK, Ireland, and Europe.

Security & Compliance

• PCI DSS Level 1 certified service provider
• PSD2 compliant in the EU and SOC 2 Type II compliant
• Cardholder data stored encrypted in separate, isolated virtual privacy cloud (Vault)
• Built-in AML, KYC, and fraud prevention tools
• Operates through regulated entities and network partners licensed in each jurisdiction
• AWS cloud infrastructure with multi-region replication

Who Should Use Rapyd?

Ideal for:

• Global businesses needing to accept or send payments across borders
• E-commerce, fintech, gaming, travel, logistics, and education industries
• Fintechs, marketplaces, SaaS businesses, and digital wallets needing modular finance solutions
• Platforms requiring embedded payment infrastructure
• Businesses needing card issuing capabilities
• Companies requiring global payout solutions for contractors, suppliers, or employees

Not ideal for:

• Small, local businesses with simple payment needs
• Businesses seeking instant self-service signup (enterprise sales process required)
• Companies with low transaction volumes where negotiated pricing may not be competitive

Considerations

• Not a plug-and-play solution; integration involves commercial negotiation and technical planning
• Pricing requires sales consultation; no public rate card available
• Learning curve for full platform capabilities
• Some user reviews mention complex setup processes