The next-generation payment operating system, PhotonPay, has officially been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Following this license acquisition, PhotonPay can issue electronic money and provide related payment services within the UK regulatory framework and authorized scope, further enhancing its local financial services capabilities in the UK and enabling global businesses to access broader payment and fund management solutions across more funding scenarios.
The UK is a major global financial and business hub, serving as a critical gateway for international companies connecting Europe with global markets. As businesses expand into more countries and regions, their financial needs are evolving from managing single cross-border transactions toward integrated management of accounts, payments and collections, foreign exchange, cards, and fund management.
For PhotonPay, entering a market means not only offering products and services, but also establishing a financial infrastructure that complies with local regulatory requirements and supports long-term business operations. Obtaining this EMI license will further strengthen PhotonPay’s localization capabilities in the UK and provide critical support for its ongoing connections with local banks, payment networks, and other financial ecosystem partners.
JP, Chief Compliance Officer of PhotonPay, said: “Obtaining the UK EMI license is a significant milestone in PhotonPay’s ongoing expansion of its global compliance footprint. Building a global payment operating system requires a solid foundation in local regulatory compliance. This license further strengthens our foundation for developing local financial capabilities in the UK and will enable PhotonPay to connect with more markets, currencies, and payment networks, delivering a more comprehensive and efficient payment and funds management experience to businesses worldwide.”
The operational boundaries of global enterprises are continuously expanding, but the underlying financial infrastructure remains highly fragmented. Different markets have distinct account systems, payment networks, currencies, and regulatory requirements, forcing businesses to integrate with multiple financial institutions, payment service providers, and systems when expanding globally.
PhotonPay is building the next-generation payment operating system to address this complexity, connecting local financial capabilities across different markets through a unified technology platform. This enables businesses to centrally manage global accounts, payments and collections, foreign exchange, cards, and embedded finance, reducing operational complexity caused by multiple markets, currencies, and systems.
Real business activities form the foundation of this operating system. PhotonPay continuously builds regulatory qualifications, banking partnerships, payment networks, and underlying technological capabilities based on actual fund flows occurring during global business operations, enabling financial infrastructure to accompany and scale with businesses as they enter new markets.
Since its founding, PhotonPay has continuously advanced its global compliance and localization capabilities, establishing regulatory and service foundations in major markets worldwide through its subsidiary entities. Currently, PhotonPay holds nearly 30 payment licenses and related regulatory approvals globally, enabling services across global accounts, payments and collections, foreign exchange, cards, and embedded finance—providing unified financial infrastructure support for businesses operating internationally.
Obtaining this UK EMI license further enhances PhotonPay’s global compliance network. Moving forward, PhotonPay will continue to strengthen local regulatory compliance and financial services capabilities in key markets, connect more markets, currencies, and payment networks, and steadily advance the development of the next-generation global payment operating system.
About PhotonPay
PhotonPay is dedicated to building the next-generation payment operating system, providing global enterprises with integrated financial capabilities centered around global accounts, payments and collections, foreign exchange, cards, and embedded finance. By connecting global banks, payment networks, and local financial infrastructure, PhotonPay enables businesses to operate and manage their global funds more efficiently, supporting sustained global expansion.