payabl.

History and Founding

payabl. was founded in 2011 in Limassol, Cyprus, by Ayelet Knoechelmann, Ruediger Trautmann, and Ugne Buraciene. Originally established as a payment institution, it evolved into a regulated electronic money institution with dual authorisation from the Central Bank of Cyprus (EMI licence) and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (EMI licence number 967259). The group is structured around two regulated entities: Payabl. CY Limited and Payabl. (UK) Limited.

Business Model and Core Products

The company’s flagship product is payabl.one, a cloud-based, API-first platform that aggregates card acquiring, alternative payment methods, business accounts, point-of-sale (POS) solutions, and card issuing. Merchants can select only the services they need, including online payment acceptance via hosted checkout or SDK integration, in-store acceptance using high-tech terminals, and multi-currency business accounts with real-time tracking. payabl. also issues virtual business cards with configurable spend limits for supplier payments and expense management. The platform supports omnichannel commerce through pre-built plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and PrestaShop, as well as mobile SDKs, web SDKs, and a direct API.

Market Position and Competition

payabl. competes in the European payments space alongside established players such as Adyen, Stripe, and Checkout.com. It targets both small-to-medium merchants and larger enterprises that require a single platform for online, in-store, and cross-border transactions. The company’s key differentiators include its embedded fraud and compliance stack, which leverages a machine-learning engine from Sift for real-time suspicious transaction detection, proactive chargeback alerts with reason-code analysis, and PCI DSS compliance via tokenisation and end-to-end encryption. payabl. has been recognised with multiple awards, including Best Payment Service Provider at FMLS and Platinum for Virtual Cards Innovation at Juniper Research’s Future Digital Awards.

Regulatory and Compliance

payabl. operates under strict regulatory oversight as an electronic money institution authorised in both Cyprus and the UK. Its risk and compliance framework is overseen by a Chief Risk Officer and a Chief Regulatory Officer, ensuring governance in a heavily regulated industry. The company handles PCI DSS compliance through tokenisation and encryption, and its fraud prevention system is powered by Sift’s AI engine.

Recent Developments and Strategic Direction

In 2025, payabl. underwent a strategic brand repositioning centred on the concept of “money flow,” accompanied by a refreshed visual identity and clearer product messaging. Product milestones included the launch of in-store payments in the UK, the addition of SEPA Direct Debit for recurring euro collections, and native integrations with Shopify and PrestaShop. The company expanded its partnership network, notably with Wero (EPI) for wallet-based payments, and deepened its presence at over 90 industry events, including Money20/20 Europe and Web Summit. The leadership team, headed by Group CEO Ugne Buraciene, continues to drive the company’s transformation and growth across its five European offices.