“Can a white-label, API-first payment processing platform owned by a sponsor bank become the embedded finance infrastructure of choice for ISVs across legacy and vertical markets?”
Founded in 2014 as a cloud-based payment gateway and merchant processing platform targeting ISVs and merchants needing flexible, API-first payments. In 2022, Synovus Bank acquired a ~60% strategic stake in Qualpay and repositioned the company as the payment technology engine behind Maast, Synovus' money-as-a-service platform combining payment processing, banking, and lending solutions for ISVs. Qualpay now operates as an acquired/operating subsidiary, offering ISVs a 'Payfac-in-a-box' and full Payment Facilitator pathway alongside Banking-as-a-Service capabilities, bridging legacy industries to modern embedded finance infrastructure.
Qualpay discloses Synovus Bank (in-house / parent) as its banking provider, with Pinnacle Bank, a Tennessee bank, dba Synovus Bank as its sponsor bank, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Qualpay does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through Pinnacle Bank, a Tennessee bank, dba Synovus Bank.
Qualpay processes payments through Qualpay Payment Gateway (self-operated), Qualpay Hosted Checkout (self-operated), Qualpay Embedded Fields (self-operated), Qualpay ACH Payments (self-operated) and Qualpay Aggregated Payments / Payfac-in-a-box (self-operated).
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 3 layers in Qualpay's stack: Payments / PSP (Qualpay Payment Gateway (self-operated), Qualpay Hosted Checkout (self-operated), Qualpay Embedded Fields (self-operated), Qualpay ACH Payments (self-operated) and 1 other); Banking / BaaS (Synovus Bank (in-house / parent)); Sponsor bank (Pinnacle Bank, a Tennessee bank, dba Synovus Bank).
Qualpay is founded in 2014 and headquartered in San Mateo, CA, USA.
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