Payaza has secured a Payment Service Provider (PSP) license in Canada, marking our second regulatory approval in North America and a major step in scaling our global payments infrastructure.
What started as a payments solution built for African businesses is now evolving into a regulated cross-continental network. With this license, we are strengthening the rails that connect Africa, North America, and other global markets through compliant, secure, and scalable financial technology.
This milestone follows closely on the heels of our PSP launch in Uganda. Two regulatory approvals in different jurisdictions, back-to-back, speak to one thing: operational depth. Regulators across continents are validating our controls, governance, and infrastructure.
But beyond the headline, what does this actually unlock?
What a Canadian PSP license enables
Operating as a licensed PSP in Canada allows Payaza to plug directly into the country’s regulated payments ecosystem. That means we can:
Process and settle digital transactions at scale
We can facilitate online, in-app, and in-person payments for merchants using a unified infrastructure layer.
Support global and local payment rails
Our platform connects traditional card networks with modern wallet ecosystems like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Merchants can offer customers flexible checkout options without managing multiple integrations.
Enable compliant multi-currency settlement
Merchants can receive funds in CAD or other supported currencies while we manage settlement, reporting, and regulatory obligations behind the scenes.
Maintain enterprise-grade security and controls
Operating under Canadian regulatory standards requires strict data protection, anti-money laundering protocols, fraud monitoring systems, and financial transparency. Our infrastructure is built to meet those requirements.
In simple terms, this license moves us from being a cross-border facilitator to being a regulated participant within the Canadian market.
Why this matters to Canadian businesses
Canada is a digitally mature payments market. Consumers expect fast, frictionless, mobile-first experiences. Businesses need infrastructure that can keep up.
With Payaza, Canadian merchants gain:
Mobile-native checkout experiences
Digital wallets are no longer optional. Apple Pay and Google Pay support ensures merchants can meet customers where they already transact.
Omnichannel reliability
Whether selling online, in-store, or across both, businesses need consistent uptime and unified reconciliation. Our infrastructure is built to support multi-channel commerce without fragmentation.
Cross-border expansion capability
Canadian businesses can scale into African and other international markets using the same payment backbone, without building separate integrations or navigating complex compliance frameworks on their own.
What this unlocks for African merchants
Africa’s digital economy continues to accelerate, and many African businesses are already selling into global markets.
With a regulated Canadian presence, we can now offer:
Direct access to North American customers
Merchants can accept payments from Canadian buyers without setting up a local entity or navigating regulatory complexity independently.
Streamlined settlement corridors
Instead of managing unpredictable FX cycles or fragmented payout flows, merchants can operate through structured currency corridors designed for stability and speed.
Familiar global payment methods
By enabling Apple Pay, Google Pay, and card networks, African businesses can present checkout experiences that global consumers already trust.
This is not just about enabling transactions. It is about reducing friction in global trade.
What this says about Payaza
Two recent regulatory approvals in Uganda and Canada highlight two things:
Operational maturity
Our compliance architecture, fraud systems, and financial controls are built to meet regulatory scrutiny across multiple jurisdictions.
A clear global thesis
We are not building isolated payment tools for individual markets. We are building an interoperable financial infrastructure that supports commerce across borders.
What comes next
Securing the license is not the finish line. It is a foundation.
We are continuing to expand:
- Multi-currency settlement capabilities
- Deeper wallet and alternative payment integrations
- Advanced fraud and risk management tooling
- Faster onboarding for global merchants
Our focus remains clear: make Africa-to-North America trade feel as seamless as domestic transactions.
A shared financial future
This milestone is about more than compliance. It is about founders selling across borders, developers building globally from day one, and merchants who need payments to simply work.
With a regulated footprint in Canada and growing coverage across Africa, Payaza is building the connective tissue for modern global commerce.
The next phase of our growth is about scale, trust, and interoperability.
And we are just getting started.
