“Can a 30-year-old specialist currency broker become the embedded international payments layer for SMEs, SaaS platforms, and expat consumers by wrapping its FX liquidity network in modern APIs and card products?”
Founded in 1996 as a specialist currency broker serving retail customers moving money internationally, Currencies Direct has evolved from a phone-and-web FX broker into a multi-channel international payments platform serving both consumers and businesses. The company has deepened its B2B and partner-channel proposition through a suite of APIs that enable embedded FX and cross-border payments for SaaS platforms, estate agents, wealth managers, and relocation specialists. More recently, under the Redpin parent brand, it has extended into card issuance with a multi-currency Mastercard debit card, moving toward a broader international banking-lite proposition for expats and globally mobile consumers.
Currencies Direct processes payments through Currencies Direct (self-operated international money transfer).
Currencies Direct's cards are issued through Thredd.
Currencies Direct uses Currencies Direct (self-operated) for FX and cross-border payouts.
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 3 layers in Currencies Direct's stack: Payments / PSP (Currencies Direct (self-operated international money transfer)); Card issuing (Thredd); FX & payouts (Currencies Direct (self-operated)).
Currencies Direct is founded in 1996 and headquartered in London, United Kingdom (One Canada Square, Canary Wharf).
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Currencies Direct 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.