Neolink.io

What is Neolink

Neolink is a financial technology company that provides an Acquiring Ecosystem as a Service. Its main purpose is to help financial license holders, such as Payment Service Providers (PSPs) and Acquirers, to launch or improve their payment processing business. The company offers a complete, cloud-based platform that manages all technical parts of payment acquiring, from merchant onboarding to connecting with card schemes like Visa and Mastercard. This allows clients to start their operations quickly without needing a large IT team or investing heavily in infrastructure. Neolink Processing Systems Ltd. is based in Gloucester, United Kingdom, and focuses on delivering turnkey solutions for the payment industry.

Neolink Features

Neolink offers a range of features designed to build a complete payment acquiring business.

• White-label Acquiring Platform: Clients get a fully customizable platform with their own branding. This includes a merchant portal, a back-office for management, and customizable payment pages.
• Acquirer Technical Processing: Neolink handles the complex technical processing of transactions. This can be used as a primary system or as a backup to an existing one. It includes services for merchant onboarding and resolving transaction issues.
• PCI DSS Level 1 Certified Infrastructure: The platform is hosted on a secure and scalable cloud infrastructure (AWS) that is certified to the highest security standard in the payment industry. This removes the compliance burden from clients.
• Unified Gateway & Processing: Clients work with one single provider for all their needs, from the payment gateway to transaction processing. This simplifies contracts and fees.
• Automated Back-Office: The platform includes tools to automate many manual tasks. This includes automated Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks for onboarding and generating accounting reports, which reduces operational costs.
• Modern Payment Capabilities: Neolink supports many modern payment methods, including omnichannel payments, open banking, Google Pay, Apple Pay, payouts (AFT/OCT), and payments in multiple currencies.
• Fast Integrations: The service can connect with any third-party payment technology, provider, or application within a few weeks, offering great flexibility.
• PSP to Acquirer Transition: The platform is designed to support businesses as they grow. A PSP can start with Neolink and later upgrade to a full Acquirer without changing the software or paying extra fees for acquirer features.

Neolink Pricing Plans

Neolink's pricing is customized for each client based on their specific needs and business scale. There are no standard public pricing tiers. Instead, they offer tailored solutions.

• Turnkey PSP Solution: A complete package for businesses starting as a Payment Service Provider.
• Turnkey Acquirer Solution: A comprehensive ecosystem for licensed Acquirers who need a full technology stack.
• Processing Solutions: For businesses that already have a gateway but need a primary or backup technical processor.

Pricing is determined after a consultation to understand the client's requirements. The company states that a complete platform launch can start from €50,000, with processing costs significantly below the market average.

Neolink Free Plan

Neolink does not offer a free plan for its platform, as it is an enterprise-level service for licensed financial institutions. However, it does offer a free transition from a PSP to an Acquirer on its platform. This means clients do not have to pay extra software fees when they upgrade their business license. The company provides free consultations to potential clients to discuss their needs and design a suitable solution.

How to use Neolink

Using Neolink involves a partnership to build and launch your payment business. The process is straightforward.

1. Consultation: First, you contact Neolink to discuss your business goals, whether you are a new PSP or an established Acquirer looking to optimize.
2. Solution Design: Neolink's experts work with you to define the best solution. They decide on the necessary components, such as the white-label gateway, processing services, and required integrations.
3. Implementation: Neolink's team handles the entire technical setup. This includes configuring the platform, customizing it with your brand, and performing all necessary integrations with banks and card schemes.
4. Launch: The platform is launched within a short time, typically from 4 weeks for processing to 3 months for a full ecosystem.
5. Operation: Once live, you use the provided back-office portal to manage your business. You can onboard new merchants, monitor transactions, generate reports, and manage your customer relationships, while Neolink manages the core technology.

Pros and Cons of Neolink

Pros:

• Fast Time-to-Market: Launch a full acquiring business in as little as 3 months, much faster than building it in-house.
• Low Initial Cost: Avoids massive capital expenditure on infrastructure and development, with launch costs starting from €50,000.
• Reduced Operational Costs: Automation features can cut manual work by up to 60%.
• All-in-One Solution: Provides a complete ecosystem from a single vendor, simplifying management.
• Compliance Included: The platform is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, which removes a major compliance headache.
• Scalability: The cloud-based infrastructure can easily scale with business growth.

Cons:

• Not for Small Businesses: The service is designed for licensed financial institutions and has a significant entry cost.
• Dependency on Vendor: As it is a managed service, clients are dependent on Neolink for core technology and updates.
• Customization Limits: While the platform is white-label, there may be limits to deep customization compared to a fully self-built system.
• Requires Financial License: To use the service as an Acquirer or PSP, a client must already have or be in the process of obtaining the necessary regulatory licenses.

Neolink integrations

Neolink does not provide a public list of pre-built integrations. Instead, it offers a flexible integration service. The company states it can connect its platform with any third-party payment technology provider, acquirer, processor, or business application that a client requires. The integration process is managed by the Neolink team and is typically completed within three weeks. This custom approach ensures that clients can build the exact payment network they need without being limited to a fixed list of partners.

Neolink Alternatives

• Tietoevry: A large Nordic IT company that offers a wide range of services for the financial sector, including card issuing and acquiring platforms. It is a good choice for large, established financial institutions.
• Worldline: A global leader in payment services. It provides comprehensive acquiring and processing solutions, often targeting large enterprise clients and banks with its white-label offerings.
• OpenWay: A developer of the Way4 digital payments platform. It is a highly-rated software solution for banks and payment processors looking for a flexible platform for issuing, acquiring, and other payment services.
• Payabl: Offers a range of payment solutions, including acquiring services and white-label payment gateways. It is known for its flexibility and ability to serve various types of merchants, including high-risk businesses.

Neolink API

Yes, Neolink provides a RESTful API as part of its Acquiring Platform. This API allows clients to integrate their own applications and systems with the Neolink payment gateway and processing core. Access to the API, developer documentation, and API keys are provided to clients during the onboarding and implementation phase. There is no public developer portal for self-service access, as the service is tailored to enterprise clients.

An example of what an API call might look like to create a payment:

curl -X POST \
  https://api.neolink.client-domain.com/v1/payments \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "amount": 1000,
    "currency": "EUR",
    "card_number": "...",
    "expiry_month": "12",
    "expiry_year": "2025",
    "cvc": "123"
  }'

Neolink Affiliate program

There is no public information available about a formal affiliate or referral program offered by Neolink. The company's business model is focused on direct sales to enterprise-level clients, such as financial institutions and licensed PSPs. Businesses interested in partnership opportunities are encouraged to contact the Neolink sales or support team directly through their official website to discuss potential collaborations.