Guides, reviews and register scoops
Written by the people who maintain the directory. Fee data from 1,200+ providers, licence changes straight from the registers, and practical guides for choosing a provider.
28 German cooperative banks joined the MiCA register in eight weeks — the Volksbank crypto rollout, counted
Between 21 July and 17 September 2026, 28 Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken were added to ESMA's MiCA CASP register — 39 in total, 41% of Germany's CASPs — each authorised for a single service, order execution, in Germany only. Why DZ Bank's meinKrypto product puts every local bank on the register, the full list with dates, and what the scope column really says.
Deutsche Bank is on the MiCA register — effective 12 October, custody and transfers only, Germany only
Deutsche Bank AG appears on ESMA's MiCA CASP register with an authorisation date of 12 October 2026 — weeks before it takes effect. The register shows two of MiCA's ten services (custody and transfers) and a single host state. The same custody-shaped footprint BNY took in July, and what the future-dated entry means.
FINTRAC has revoked 164 money services business registrations in 2026 — the latest is ALT 5 Sigma Canada
FINTRAC's September 2026 MSB registry export records 164 registrations revoked this year, 125 of them businesses that listed virtual currency dealing. The only September revocation is ALT 5 Sigma Canada, Inc. (M20608365), subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed ALT5 Sigma. Month-by-month numbers, the revocations since June with registration details, and what a revoked registration means for your payment chain.
Amazon has cancelled its UK Payment Institution licence — the e-money migration is complete
Two months after taking a native UK e-money authorisation, Amazon Payments UK Limited's payment institution licence (FRN 799814) shows as 'Cancelled – Authorised PI' on the FCA register, effective 15 September 2026. What the register shows, why the PI licence became redundant, and what changes for merchants' due-diligence files.
Who got a payments licence in Europe this summer — 17 new EBA-register institutions, 2 UK grants, 5 UK cancellations
From the EBA and FCA registers, August–September 2026: 17 newly authorised payment and e-money institutions across nine EU states (Bybit Payments' Austrian EMI, Prosegur's crypto-custody unit as a Spanish PI, NorthCrypto, MUVU Bulgaria), two UK grants including Computershare Advantage Payment Services, and five UK cancellations including Amazon and CFS-ZIPP. Each row cited to the register, with what the licence category permits.
How to Get Approved by a Payment Provider as a New Company (No Processing History)
No processing history? Payment providers underwrite the people, the paperwork, the website and the MCC instead. What underwriters actually check — founder background, LinkedIn and media presence, company alignment, industry and MCC code, website requirements, test accounts — and how to get your first application approved.
Amazon quietly becomes a UK e-money institution — with two telling restrictions
Amazon Payments UK Limited is an FCA-authorised electronic money institution as of 15 July 2026 (FRN 1041721) — unannounced and unreported. The grant bars agents, distributors and AIS/PIS, and Amazon's Luxembourg EMI now shows as cancelled on the UK register. Spotted by License Watch.
BNY's MiCA licence made headlines — the register says Belgium-only, custody-only
BNY SA/NV was authorised as a MiCA CASP by the National Bank of Belgium on 20 July 2026. The coverage said EU-wide crypto services; ESMA's register lists one member state (Belgium) and two service codes (custody, transfer). What the register shows, and the TradFi pattern behind it.
Brite Payments quietly secures a UK EMI licence from the FCA
Brite Payments is now an FCA-authorised electronic money institution in the UK (FRN 1033237, effective 21 April 2026). No press release, no coverage — the entry surfaced in License Watch, our register-monitoring feed. Here's what the register shows and why it matters.
11 Best Payment Gateways in India (2026)
Compare the best payment gateways in India: Razorpay, Cashfree, PayU India, CCAvenue, BillDesk, Easebuzz, Instamojo, Juspay, PhonePe, Paytm for Business and Pine Labs. Real fee data, UPI coverage, and RBI compliance notes from 1,200+ providers.
Cyprus as a Forex Hub: Payment Infrastructure for CySEC Brokers (2026)
Why the world's largest retail forex brokers cluster in Cyprus, what a CFD broker's payment stack actually needs to do, and which Cyprus-based and global providers — including Payabl, Payed, Gamingtec, SPAYZ.io, Skrill, NETELLER, and Currencycloud — serve the industry.
11 Best Payment Gateways in Malaysia (2026)
Compare the best payment gateways in Malaysia: iPay88, Fiuu, SenangPay, Revenue Monster, Touch 'n Go, Boost, GrabPay, Xendit, Atome, SPAYZ.io and more. Real fee data, FPX support, and DuitNow QR coverage from 1,200+ providers.
PSD3 & PSR: What Every Payment Provider Needs to Know (2026 Compliance Guide)
The complete guide to PSD3 and PSR for payment providers. Timeline, SCA changes, fraud liability shift, Verification of Payee, open banking APIs, and a practical readiness checklist — based on the November 2025 provisional agreement.
Best Payment Gateways in UAE & Saudi Arabia (2026)
Compare the best payment gateways in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: Tap Payments, HyperPay, Moyasar, Checkout.com, Tamara, Tabby, and more. Real fee data and MADA/KNET support from 1,100+ providers.
11 Best Payment Gateways in Kenya (2026)
Compare the best payment gateways in Kenya: M-Pesa, Flutterwave, Pesapal, Paystack, IntaSend, and more. Real fee data, M-Pesa support, and settlement times from 1,100+ providers.
10 Best Payment Gateways for E-Commerce in 2026
Compare the best e-commerce payment gateways: Stripe, Shopify Payments, PayPal, Adyen, and more. Real fee data from 1,100+ providers — ranked by use case, not affiliate commissions.
12 Best Stripe Alternatives in 2026 (By Use Case)
The best Stripe alternatives for enterprise, retail, SaaS, Europe, India, and Africa. Real fee comparisons and data from 1,100+ providers — not affiliate marketing.
Low Fee Payment Providers: The True Cost Guide (2026)
Compare the cheapest payment processors in 2026. The real costs most guides miss: reconciliation overhead, chargeback risk, and interchange-plus tradeoffs.
Choosing the Right Payment Provider: A Comprehensive Guide
Learn how to select the perfect payment provider for your business. Discover critical questions about conversion rates, chargeback protection, API quality, and why account-to-account payments could be your best choice.
Payeer Review 2025: The Complete Guide for High-Risk Merchants
An in-depth review of Payeer payment system, covering fees, features, pros, cons, and whether it's right for your business in the high-risk payment processing landscape.