Viber
“Can a messaging app with 1B+ users become a European consumer super-app by embedding wallets and cards directly into chat?”
Founded2010
HQLuxembourg (Viber Media S.à r.l.); operational HQ Tel Aviv; subsidiary Viber Media Bulgaria Ltd., Sofia
Total raisedAcquired by Rakuten for ~$900M (2014)
Latest roundM&A — acquired by Rakuten, 2014
IndustryFintech / Consumer banking
The story
Viber began as a free messaging/VoIP app and was acquired by Rakuten in 2014. Starting in 2022, it embarked on a super-app strategy by launching Viber Pay with Rapyd as the embedded finance partner. In November 2025 it switched its embedded finance infrastructure from Rapyd to Paynetics, adding Visa virtual debit cards and consolidating its payments rails under a single EU-licensed e-money institution. Viber itself is not regulated — Paynetics is the licensed entity providing the underlying payment and e-money services.
Product timeline
2010
Viber launched as a cross-platform VoIP and messaging app.· launch
2014
Acquired by Rakuten for approximately $900M.· acquisition
2022
Partnered with Rapyd as first official payments provider to launch Viber Pay (in-app wallet with IBAN).· banking
2025
Migrated Viber Pay infrastructure from Rapyd to Paynetics; rolled out Visa virtual debit cards across 7 European markets; passed 1M wallets.· pivot
The stack
5 layers disclosed in Viber’s embedded-finance stack
Payments / PSP
Viber Pay (self-operated interface, powered by Paynetics)
Banking / BaaS
in the full report
Card issuing
in the full report
Sponsor bank
in the full report
FX & payouts
in the full report
Accounting gap: none
4 more providers across 4 layers, with confidence-scored evidence and source URLs, are in the Embedded Finance Index report.