Citizens

Yaspa, initially launched as Citizen in 2017, is a fintech company dedicated to revolutionizing payments through open banking. The company was co-founded by James Neville, who previously held senior positions at prominent brands like Just-Eat and Sportingbet, and served as CTO at Worldpay where he launched their next-generation online payment platform. The rebranding to Yaspa occurred in October 2023, driven by the desire for a unique name that better reflects its role in the evolving paytech landscape and its core services of "pay" and "ASAP."

Business Model and Products

Yaspa's core business model revolves around providing instant cardless payments powered by open banking technology. This enables direct account-to-account (A2A) transfers, offering instant deposits and withdrawals that settle in seconds. A key differentiator is the integration of built-in bank-approved account verification, which enhances security and protects against fraud by ensuring funds belong to the person initiating the transaction.

For the iGaming industry, Yaspa offers a purpose-built, modular payment platform designed to simplify transactions and improve the customer experience. This includes features like AI-driven affordability, source-of-funds, and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks, which are completed rapidly and often without requiring additional documents for most players. These comprehensive checks are particularly valuable for regulated industries like gambling, where compliance is paramount.

Market Position and Partnerships

Yaspa positions itself as a leader in real-time payment processing, especially within Europe, with plans for expansion into the US market. Its solution is not merely a "Pay by Bank" offering but a more sophisticated platform that integrates identity verification and financial health assessment using proprietary machine learning algorithms.

The company has formed significant partnerships to expand its reach and capabilities. In May 2022, Citizen launched on Worldline's PaymentIQ platform, providing iGaming providers access to its instant cardless payment technology alongside over 100 worldwide payment providers. In April 2023, Citizen also teamed up with SiGMA to offer innovative payment solutions, emphasizing shared commitments to customer safety and fraud reduction within the iGaming sector.

Funding and Strategic Direction

In July 2025, Yaspa raised $12 million in a funding round led by Discerning Capital, with a strategic aim to push its Guaranteed ACH product into US iGaming. This highlights the company's ambition to penetrate the nascent US regulated gaming market and leverage lessons learned from Europe's more mature regulatory environment. The company is establishing an office in Atlanta, a hub for payment technology, as part of its US expansion.

Yaspa has received industry recognition, including the Best Payment Solution at the SBC Awards Europe 2026 and Best Innovation in Responsible Gaming at the European iGaming Awards 2026. The company emphasizes a focus on user experience and a full-service, payments-first solution. Its regulatory compliance is robust, being FCA-authorised under PSD2 with AISP and PISP permissions in the UK.

It is important to note that this profile focuses specifically on Yaspa (formerly Citizen, the payments company). Other entities bearing similar names, such as Citizens Financial Group (a large US bank providing financial services to various sectors, including gaming) or social casino applications like "Citizen Casino" or "Citizen Jackpot Slots" (developed by different companies), are distinct from the payment solutions provider detailed here.