Checkout.com Goes Live With US Direct Acquiring Under Georgia MALPB Charter
Checkout.com has begun direct card acquiring in the US under its Georgia Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Bank charter, gaining direct access to card networks.
Checkout.com has begun direct card acquiring in the US under its Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Bank (MALPB) charter in Georgia, moving the London-headquartered payments company from charter approval into live operation.
The charter gives Checkout.com direct access to card networks, reducing its reliance on third-party intermediaries and giving it greater control across the payment lifecycle, the company announced on 9 September. Checkout.com says it is one of only three companies to hold a MALPB charter.
The launch completes what the company describes as the third phase of its MALPB journey, from application acceptance, to charter approval, to active operation. It has now begun processing volume through the charter.
"Going live on the MALPB is a defining step in our US journey," said Jordan Reynolds, MALPB CEO and head of North American banking at Checkout.com. "It reflects years of investment, regulatory rigor, and operational build-out to create a stronger acquiring foundation in the US. As we begin processing through the charter, we are bringing more control into the payment lifecycle, which will help us deliver stronger performance, greater resilience, AI-powered payment optimization, and more flexibility for enterprise merchants over time."
Georgia's banking regulator welcomed the move. "Georgia created the MALPB framework to support responsible innovation in merchant acquiring, and Checkout.com reaching this operational milestone reflects the level of preparation, governance, and long-term commitment required to participate in that robust framework successfully," said "Bo" Fears, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance.
Checkout.com says the charter will underpin the next phase of its North American growth, with continued hiring, product development and expansion of its enterprise payments infrastructure. It has teams in San Francisco, Atlanta and New York.
The company processed more than $300bn in ecommerce payments volume in 2025 and counts Spotify, eBay, Uber, Klarna and Sony among its merchants.
