Collaboration lets ISVs support Paze wallet acceptance

Payfinia, a payment services firm with an open payments framework, teamed with Deluxe to enable ISVs to offer access to Paze, the digital wallet developed by Early Warning Services, the bank-owned consortium behind person-to-person payment network Zelle.

Paze has been positioned as a financial institution-controlled alternative to digital wallets offered by nonbanks like Apple and Google. It provides a password free online checkout experience that can be embedded directly into software platforms.

Deluxe, historically a legacy check company, began branching out through acquisitions in the 1990s and early 2000 to offer payment and data services to small businesses. Then, in 2021, it made a direct play for card acquiring and merchant services through the acquisition of First American Payment Systems.

The just-announced collaboration makes it possible for Payfinia to support credit unions and community banks in enabling Paze for their cardholders, while Deluxe will be empowering merchants to accept Paze at their checkouts. "The combined effort strengthens the availability of secure, bank-supported digital payments on both sides of the ecosystem – issuers and acquirers," the two companies said in a statement.

For independent software vendors building commerce, billing and vertical market platforms, the partnership provides a turnkey way to embed Paze directly into their applications. Deluxe's payment gateway and network lets ISVs offer a bank-supported digital wallet inside their software without the need for managing issuer relationships, wallet integrations or ongoing certifications, the partnering companies further pointed out.

Integrating Paze into the Deluxe payment network and gateway provides a means for ISVs and merchants to accept bank-supported digital wallet payments natively within their applications. Paze further extends these capabilities by enabling community FIs to activate Paze's digital wallet services within their online and mobile banking applications for seamless cardholder access.

For ISVs, the collaboration provides a scalable payments foundation that supports embedded checkout, enhanced consumer trust and platform differentiation, Payfinia and Deluxe jointly stated.

Broadening the Paze merchant, FI bases

"Community financial institutions are prioritizing seamless ecommerce experiences and their cardholders increasingly expect checkout options that originate within their trusted digital banking environment," said Keith Riddle, general manager of Payfinia.

"Our collaboration with Deluxe," Riddle continued, "strengthens Paze's presence across both sides of the transaction. As issuers activate Paze for their cardholders, merchants are simultaneously enabled to accept those payments. Together we are elevating the digital commerce experience to enhance security, expand payment choice and drive long-term value for financial institutions, merchants and consumers."

What Deluxe brings to the table is a broad merchant base that can add Paze to existing payment methods, helping businesses reduce checkout friction, decrease cart abandonment and improve customer trust, the two companies stated.

Software platforms are increasingly responsible for how payments are experienced, secured and monetized, noted Brian Mahoney, president of Deluxe Merchant Services.

"This partnership allows ISVs to embed Paze into their platforms using our payments infrastructure, giving them access to a bank-supported digital wallet without taking on additional operational burden," he said. "Together with Payfinia, we are enabling software companies to deliver trusted modern payment experiences at scale."

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