Do we need a money transmission license?

Depends on the flow. Marketplace payments where funds pass through your ledger typically require MTL or a BaaS partner with one. Direct merchant integration (Stripe Connect) usually doesn't. We map the regulatory requirement to the architecture in discovery and won't build a flow that creates unexpected licensing exposure.

Which PSP do you recommend?

Stripe for developer experience and speed to market. Adyen for multi-market, high volume, and direct acquirer access. Checkout.com for competitive interchange in Europe and MENA. We build a PSP abstraction layer so the choice isn't permanent — switching later costs a week of engineering, not a rewrite.

What makes a double-entry ledger different from a payments database?

Payments databases track transactions. A double-entry ledger tracks balances with an audit trail that proves every balance from first principles. Every debit has a credit; every balance is derivable from the transaction log; no balance can go negative without an explicit decision. This is what auditors and regulators mean when they say 'show your work'.

How do you handle chargebacks?

Automated evidence assembly from your order data, shipping records, and usage logs — formatted for the card network's dispute response format. Deadline tracking and reminders so no dispute response is missed. Win-rate reporting by dispute reason code so you can fix the product issues that generate the most chargebacks.

Embedded Finance & Payments

Embedded Finance & Payments — Rails, Ledgers, and Compliance Built In

Embedded finance is the easiest product decision and the hardest engineering problem. The first Stripe integration takes a day. The ledger that reconciles every cent at T+0, the KYC pipeline that doesn't convert customers away, and the chargeback workflow that doesn't require a dedicated ops team — those take real engineering.

A payment, end to end

1
Initiation
User action — checkout, transfer, card swipe
2
KYC / AML check
Automated screen before authorization
3
PSP auth
Stripe / Adyen / network authorization
4
Ledger entry
Double-entry posted atomically — both sides
5
Settlement
Reconciled to bank statement, penny-perfect

Chargeback and dispute flow runs in parallel — evidence assembled automatically before the deadline.

What you get

Payment rail architecture with a PSP abstraction layer — Stripe, Adyen, Checkout.com, or direct card network, switchable without a rewrite

Double-entry bookkeeping ledger engineered to your data model — every cent accounted for, every transaction immutable, every balance reconcilable in under a second at your expected volume

Card issuing integration (Marqeta, Lithic, or Stripe Issuing) with program setup, spend controls, and virtual/physical card delivery

KYC / AML pipeline with automated document verification (Persona, Jumio, or Onfido), sanctions screening, and a human-review queue that meets your regulator's SLA

Chargeback and dispute management workflow — automated evidence assembly, deadline tracking, and win-rate reporting

Settlement reconciliation that catches penny discrepancies before they become audit findings — batched nightly or continuous at higher volumes

When it fits

Payments, wallets, or card issuing are a product feature, not a peripheral integration
Volume or margin make third-party aggregators the wrong economic choice within your 3-year model
Regulatory environment (money transmission license, e-money, banking charter) requires direct relationships with the rails
You need a ledger that's auditable — not Stripe's dashboard exports, but a real double-entry system you own

When it doesn't

Payment is a simple checkout integration — use Stripe Checkout and don't over-engineer
You haven't validated that users will actually pay — build the product first, optimize the rails later
You're building in a jurisdiction with complex local-scheme requirements (UPI, PIX, iDEAL) you haven't mapped yet — discovery first

Process

Week 1–2: payment architecture review, PSP shortlist, ledger schema design. Weeks 3–6: PSP integration, ledger implementation, KYC pipeline. Weeks 7–10: card issuing (if applicable), dispute workflow, settlement reconciliation. Weeks 11–12: load testing, compliance documentation handover.

Full delivery process

Pricing

Fixed-price by scope. Basic payment integration + ledger: $100–200k. Full embedded finance stack (payments + ledger + card issuing + KYC): $250–600k. PSP and BaaS fees billed at your rates — we're not in the interchange. License and banking partner introductions included where we have existing relationships.

See engagement models

Case studies

Financial Technology

FinTech Mobile Banking Platform

Secure, AI-powered mobile banking serving 500K+ users with instant transfers and biometric authentication.

E-Commerce & Retail

Multi-Vendor E-Commerce Platform

Scalable marketplace processing $10M+ monthly with AI recommendations and real-time inventory management.

Industries we serve with this

FinTech

FAQ

Do we need a money transmission license?: Depends on the flow. Marketplace payments where funds pass through your ledger typically require MTL or a BaaS partner with one. Direct merchant integration (Stripe Connect) usually doesn't. We map the regulatory requirement to the architecture in discovery and won't build a flow that creates unexpected licensing exposure.
Which PSP do you recommend?: Stripe for developer experience and speed to market. Adyen for multi-market, high volume, and direct acquirer access. Checkout.com for competitive interchange in Europe and MENA. We build a PSP abstraction layer so the choice isn't permanent — switching later costs a week of engineering, not a rewrite.
What makes a double-entry ledger different from a payments database?: Payments databases track transactions. A double-entry ledger tracks balances with an audit trail that proves every balance from first principles. Every debit has a credit; every balance is derivable from the transaction log; no balance can go negative without an explicit decision. This is what auditors and regulators mean when they say 'show your work'.
How do you handle chargebacks?: Automated evidence assembly from your order data, shipping records, and usage logs — formatted for the card network's dispute response format. Deadline tracking and reminders so no dispute response is missed. Win-rate reporting by dispute reason code so you can fix the product issues that generate the most chargebacks.

Ready to talk embedded finance & payments?

30-minute scoping call. No obligation, no hard sell.