Nomupay UK: Payment Gateway Fees and Features Explained

Nomupay is a UK-based payment gateway and acquirer that specialises in high-risk merchant categories, including gambling, forex, travel, and digital goods. Founded in 2019 and authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Electronic Money Institution (FRN: 902024), Nomupay offers card acquiring, payment gateway technology, and alternative payment method support across Europe and beyond. Pricing is bespoke. No published transaction rates exist, and fees are negotiated individually based on your risk category, monthly volume, and currency requirements. The platform suits mid-to-large businesses that have been declined by mainstream acquirers such as Worldpay, Barclaycard, or Lloyds Cardnet, or that need multi-currency processing across more than 150 currencies.

Key Facts: Nomupay UK

Who Is This Page For?

This page is for UK business owners and finance managers researching Nomupay, whether you have received a quote, seen the name on a bank statement, or are actively searching for a payment provider that accepts high-risk merchant categories. It is also relevant if you have been declined by a mainstream acquirer and need to understand your options.

It is not aimed at standard retail or hospitality businesses. If your business processes low-risk card payments in a straightforward sector, providers such as Dojo, Stripe, or Square will almost certainly be cheaper and simpler to work with.

What Is Nomupay?

Nomupay is a specialist payment gateway and acquiring service for high-risk businesses in the UK and internationally. The company was founded in 2019 and is built partly from technology and personnel that emerged following the collapse of Wirecard, the German payment processor that failed in 2020. That heritage gives Nomupay experienced operational staff and established infrastructure, though it is worth acknowledging the company's relative youth compared with processors like Elavon or Worldpay, which have operated for decades.

Nomupay holds FCA authorisation as an Electronic Money Institution, meaning it is subject to capital adequacy requirements and must safeguard customer funds separately from its own. Its registered office is in London, and it operates across European markets. The company supports local acquiring in several EEA countries, including Ireland, which makes it relevant to UK businesses with customers or operations across the Irish border.

Who Is Nomupay For?

Nomupay is built for businesses that standard UK acquirers routinely decline. That means gambling operators, foreign exchange platforms, travel agents, subscription businesses, and digital goods sellers. If your business operates in one of these sectors and has struggled to open a merchant account elsewhere, Nomupay is worth approaching.

The platform also suits growing businesses that process payments across multiple currencies and need local payment methods in specific markets. Nomupay supports over 150 currencies and a range of alternative payment methods used in Europe and Asia. That breadth makes it relevant to UK businesses with an international customer base, particularly those selling into markets where Visa and Mastercard alone are not sufficient.

Nomupay is not the right fit for straightforward retail or hospitality businesses that have no trouble getting approved by mainstream providers. Simpler providers such as Dojo or Stripe will almost certainly be cheaper and easier to work with if your business is low-risk.

Nomupay Features

• High-risk merchant accounts: Nomupay specialises in onboarding merchants in sectors that mainstream acquirers avoid, including gambling, adult content, forex, crypto, and nutraceuticals.
• Payment gateway technology: The Nomupay gateway supports card-not-present transactions with hosted payment pages, direct API integration, and tokenisation for recurring billing.
• Multi-currency processing: Merchants can accept payments in over 150 currencies, with dynamic currency conversion available for international cardholders.
• Alternative payment methods: The platform supports local payment methods beyond Visa and Mastercard, including bank transfers, e-wallets, and region-specific options relevant to European and Asian markets.
• Cascading and routing: Nomupay offers intelligent transaction routing across multiple acquiring connections, which can improve authorisation rates for merchants with complex traffic patterns.
• Fraud and risk management: Built-in risk tools include velocity checks, 3D Secure 2 authentication, and configurable rules to help reduce chargebacks in high-risk categories.
• Dedicated account management: Merchants are assigned an account manager rather than being directed to a generic support queue. This is relevant for high-risk businesses that need responsive contact on disputes and settlements.
• Reporting and analytics: A merchant dashboard provides transaction-level reporting, chargeback tracking, and settlement reconciliation across multiple currencies.
• Local acquiring in Ireland and EEA markets: Nomupay supports local card acquiring in multiple European countries, which can improve authorisation rates and reduce cross-border fees for businesses selling across Europe.

Nomupay Fees and Pricing

Nomupay does not publish a standard fee schedule. Pricing is bespoke and depends on your business type, risk category, monthly processing volume, chargeback history, and the currencies you need to accept. This is standard practice among specialist high-risk acquirers and is not unique to Nomupay.

In practice, high-risk merchant accounts typically carry higher transaction fees than low-risk equivalents. Businesses in gambling or forex should expect transaction rates meaningfully above the 0.5%–1.5% range that a low-risk merchant might pay with a mainstream acquirer. A rolling reserve, where a percentage of your settlements is held back for a period to cover potential chargebacks, is also common with high-risk processing and may apply to your account. Rolling reserves at Nomupay typically sit between 5% and 10% of settlement value, held for 90 to 180 days.

Monthly platform fees, gateway access charges, and chargeback handling fees are all negotiated as part of your contract. Before signing, ask for a full written breakdown of every fee, including PCI compliance charges, refund fees, and any minimum monthly processing commitments. Compare Card Fees is a free, independent advisory service that has helped UK businesses find better card payment deals since 2012 and can help you stress-test a Nomupay quote against alternatives. See our guide to interchange plus vs blended pricing to understand which fee structure you are likely being quoted.

Nomupay as an Alternative to Mainstream Acquirers

Nomupay appears in searches for alternatives to Worldpay, Adyen, and similar large acquirers, usually from businesses that have been declined or that find mainstream pricing unsuitable for their sector. It occupies a different part of the market to these providers. Worldpay and Adyen serve large enterprises across standard-risk categories, with published or negotiated interchange-plus pricing. Nomupay targets merchants those platforms will not take on.

If you are looking for an Adyen alternative because of pricing rather than risk category, providers such as Checkout.com, Nuvei, or Rapyd may be more directly comparable. Nomupay's specialism is high-risk acquiring, not low-cost processing for standard businesses.

Does Nomupay Offer Local Acquiring in Ireland?

Nomupay supports local card acquiring in Ireland and several other EEA markets. Local acquiring means your transactions are processed through a locally registered entity in that country rather than routed cross-border. For businesses with Irish customers, this can improve card authorisation rates and reduce the interchange fees that apply to cross-border transactions within the EEA. It is one of the features that makes Nomupay relevant to UK businesses operating across both sides of the Irish border or selling directly into the Republic of Ireland.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Accepts high-risk merchant categories that mainstream UK acquirers decline outright
• Multi-currency processing across more than 150 currencies, suitable for internationally trading businesses
• Intelligent transaction routing can improve authorisation rates compared with single-acquirer arrangements
• FCA authorised as an Electronic Money Institution (FRN: 902024), providing regulatory oversight and fund safeguarding
• Dedicated account management rather than a shared support inbox
• Local acquiring available in Ireland and multiple EEA countries

Cons

• No published pricing: you cannot compare Nomupay costs without going through a sales process, which makes independent benchmarking harder
• Transaction fees for high-risk merchants are materially higher than mainstream alternatives; total cost of acceptance can be significant
• Rolling reserves may tie up 5%–10% of settlement value for 90–180 days, affecting cash flow
• Not suitable for, or cost-effective for, low-risk businesses that can access standard acquirers
• Relatively young company, founded in 2019, with a shorter track record than established processors like Worldpay or Elavon

Is Nomupay Right for Your Business?

Nomupay fills a genuine gap in the UK market. High-risk businesses, particularly those in gambling, travel, forex, or subscription billing, often face a narrow choice of acquirers willing to work with them. Nomupay's FCA authorisation, multi-currency capability, and specialist focus make it a credible option in that space. The intelligent routing and fraud tools are useful for merchants who have struggled with declining authorisation rates or rising chargebacks.

The honest caveat is cost. High-risk processing is expensive wherever you go, and Nomupay is no exception. Rolling reserves and higher transaction rates are a real operational consideration. If you are in a borderline-risk category, it is worth checking whether a mainstream acquirer will take you on before defaulting to a specialist provider. The difference in fees can be material at meaningful volume. Our guide to high-risk merchant accounts in the UK explains what to expect across the market.