Unlocking Payment Revenue for EU Fintechs: Acquiring BIN Sponsorship – Owning Your Payments

Payments are shifting in Europe. For too long, the rules have been dictated by a handful of big-name acquirers who made the process expensive, rigid, and, frankly, stacked against those wanting to innovate. But the tide is turning. Ambitious PayFacs and fintechs are no longer content to play by the old rules. They want faster routes to market, more control over their merchant relationships, and the ability to unlock new revenue streams on their own terms. 

Across the US, APAC and the Middle East, this movement is well underway with PayFacs and other fintechs taking advantage of acquiring BIN sponsorship. Europe, however, has lagged – weighed down by regulatory complexity and the dominance of traditional players. That landscape is changing, and it’s happening fast. The question is: who’s ready to take advantage? 

The UK Opportunity 

The UK is a £2.56 trillion payments market – one of the most attractive in the world for international expansion. But the path in isn’t straightforward. The FCA is one of the toughest regulators in global finance, and integrating into the existing ecosystem is no easy feat. Debit cards account for 51% of payments, contactless makes up 38%, and cash still clings to 12%. The scale is huge, but so are the barriers. 

Traditional acquiring isn’t designed for today’s challengers. It’s slow, rigid, and designed to suit the acquirer – not the partner. The old model assumes that ambitious PayFacs and fintechs will accept prescriptive rules and long onboarding times in exchange for scheme access. That’s not good enough anymore. 

Acquiring BIN sponsorship has emerged as the smarter alternative. By enabling fintechs to operate as something akin to an acquirer by piggybacking on an existing acquirer’s licences, ambitious companies can get rid of regulatory roadblocks and unlock faster growth, more affordability, and payments that they are in control of.  

What is BIN Sponsorship? 

A BIN – Bank Identification Number – is the series of digits that identifies the acquiring or issuing institution behind a card transaction. Owning one is the gateway to playing in the big leagues of payments. But getting there requires direct scheme membership, regulatory approvals, compliance investment, and infrastructure build – a process that can swallow years and millions in capital. 

BIN sponsorship tears down that barrier. By operating under a licensed acquirer’s BIN and regulatory umbrella, PayFacs and other fintechs can act as acquirers without the bureaucratic nightmare. Existing acquirers outside of the UK and European market have the opportunity to enter the market without the significant time, cost and complexity that comes with getting scheme and regulatory licenses. The sponsor handles compliance and scheme membership while the partner controls onboarding, pricing, processing, settlement, and merchant experience. 

For PayFacs and fintechs looking to scale, this isn’t just an option – it’s the difference between being a bystander and being in the driver’s seat. 

Breaking Away from the Old Guard 

The newer, more progressive generation of acquirers have built global reputations by providing scale and reliability. But their models come with strings attached. Partners operate on their terms alone. Pricing is fixed, onboarding flows are templated, and the freedom to innovate is limited. For businesses that want flexibility and differentiation, the experience is often more restrictive than empowering. 

This is where we need to challenge the status quo. With acquiring BIN sponsorship, we’re enabling PayFacs and fintechs entering the UK and European market to flip the script. Instead of being told how to run their payments, they’re given the infrastructure and regulatory backing to own the journey themselves. 

The message is simple: stop waiting in line. Stop letting acquirers dictate your strategy. Seize the Power. 

The Rise of Payment Aggregators – and Their Ceiling 

The rise of PayFacs shows just how much pent-up demand exists in the market. Aggregators proved there was a better way – faster onboarding, customisable pricing, and stronger merchant experiences. But PayFacs still rely on the underlying acquiring infrastructure. Without direct scheme membership or sponsorship, they eventually hit a ceiling. 

That’s why BIN sponsorship is such a critical next step. It breaks through that ceiling, giving PayFacs and fintechs the ability to operate as acquirers without the scheme and regulatory burden. It’s not just evolution, it’s revolution. 

Case in Point: Mswipe 

Take Mswipe, an India-based digital payment and financial solution provider. With more than 500,000 merchants across 800 cities and towns, Mswipe has helped drive digital adoption across India. Its next ambition: the UK. 

But entering the UK market posed a familiar problem. Their choices were to either obtain an acquiring licence, which would take years and require heavy investment in compliance infrastructure, or rely on an existing acquirer in the UK market and therefore lose all advantage of their own tech and customer experience. For a company that thrives on speed and innovation, waiting wasn’t an option. 

That’s why with the acquiring BIN sponsorship model, Mswipe was able to launch in months not years. They retained control over merchant onboarding, pricing, and settlement – the core levers that differentiate their service – while we provided the regulatory cover and scheme access. 

“This partnership is more than just market entry, it’s about setting a new standard for how international fintechs can scale in the UK,” says Abhimanyu Shah, Country Head, UK at Mswipe. “Together, we’re building a model for long-term success.” 

Mswipe’s approach also highlights how differentiated offerings can win in a crowded market. Its flagship dual-screen POS terminals, proven in India, are now being rolled out in the UK with the option for merchants to rent or buy – a direct challenge to the outdated options currently on offer. For UK businesses, that means high-quality technology without prohibitive upfront costs. For Mswipe, it means a fast-growing footprint and a loyal customer base. 

“It really feels like we’re in the trenches together,” Shah adds. “If a year from now we look back and see significant growth, that success will belong to both Mswipe and Cashflows. The first year is critical and our paths are tightly linked.” 

Why Does This Matter? 

The Mswipe story is just one example of what’s possible when you break away from the stranglehold of traditional acquiring. For existing PayFacs, it’s the path to becoming full acquirers – owning the merchant relationship end-to-end. The real point of difference is partnership, not dictating the rules but collaborating, co-creating, and sharing the risk and reward.  

The Bigger Picture 

The UK payments market remains one of the most advanced, lucrative, and competitive landscapes in the world. But the traditional acquiring model no longer fits the ambitions fintechs and PayFacs seeking to scale fast and own their revenue streams. 

Acquiring BIN sponsorship offers an alternative – a smarter, faster, and more flexible way to break in and scale. Partners don’t just get access to licences and infrastructure; they get a collaborator with experience and expertise who’s genuinely on their side. 

The era of waiting years for approval, only to be boxed in by someone else’s rules, is over. It’s time for payment innovators to take control and seize the power. 

To learn more about how acquiring BIN sponsorship can accelerate your growth, visit: https://www.cashflows.com/