“Can a UK card acquirer and EMI become the embedded payments infrastructure layer — via Licensing as a Service — that lets software platforms acquire and settle payments without obtaining their own licences?”
Founded in 2010 as a UK card acquirer and gateway for SMEs, Cashflows is FCA-authorised as an Electronic Money Institution and holds Principal Membership of both Visa Europe and Mastercard Europe. Owned by Pollen Street Capital since 2016, the company has evolved beyond pure acquiring toward a 'Licensing as a Service' model, aiming to help software platforms and payment facilitators access acquiring and licensing infrastructure without building it themselves. The Brexit-driven loss of EEA passporting in 2021 narrowed its geographic focus to the UK, pushing the company to compete on product depth — Anytime Settlement, Network Tokens, Account Updater — and now partner-channel distribution via Cardstream.
Cashflows discloses CashFlows Europe Limited (in-house) as its banking provider, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Cashflows does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through CashFlows Europe Limited (in-house).
Cashflows processes payments through Cashflows (self-operated).
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 2 layers in Cashflows's stack: Payments / PSP (Cashflows (self-operated)); Banking / BaaS (CashFlows Europe Limited (in-house)).
Cashflows is founded in 2010 and headquartered in London, UK (also Cambridge, CB21 5XE).
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Cashflows and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.