OPE · Project

Open Platform That Lets SMEs Build and Launch Payment Apps Fast and Cheap

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Right now, if you want to build a payment app — say for sending money, managing prepaid cards, or handling business transactions — you basically have to go through big banks and their expensive, closed systems. OPE built something like an "app store for payments": an open platform where smaller software companies can develop, test, and launch payment applications without needing massive budgets or banking partnerships. Think of it like how Android opened up mobile apps to any developer — OPE does the same for financial payments, with built-in tools to handle all the regulatory red tape automatically.

By the numbers

>€140bn

Projected European prepaid payment services market by 2020

EUR 2,500,000

EU funding received

Beta-stage demonstrator components delivered

Industry partners in consortium (both SMEs)

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Building payment applications today requires deep integration with banking systems, expensive licensing deals, and navigating complex financial regulations in each country. Small and mid-size software companies are effectively locked out of the payments market because the barriers to entry — cost, compliance, and infrastructure access — are controlled by large financial institutions. This limits innovation and keeps payment services expensive for end users and businesses alike.

The solution

What was built

The project built a complete open payments platform with 8 beta-stage components: an execution environment for running payment apps, an application store for distribution, a full integrated development environment (IDE), a compliance management subsystem for automated regulatory handling, a data warehouse for analytics, and a service provider subsystem. All components progressed to beta stage across 17 total deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Fintech startups building payment or prepaid card applicationsE-commerce platforms seeking cheaper or custom payment processingCorporate expense management companiesBanks looking to open their infrastructure to third-party developersSoftware companies wanting to enter the European payments market

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Fintech / Payment Services

SME

Target: SME payment app developers and fintech startups

If you are a fintech startup trying to build a new payment application but struggling with the cost and complexity of connecting to banking infrastructure — this project developed an open platform with a full development environment, app store, and compliance management system that lets you create and launch payment apps at lower cost. The platform was tested to beta stage with 8 demonstrator components including an execution environment and data warehouse.

Retail / E-commerce

any

Target: Online retailers and marketplace operators needing payment integration

If you are an e-commerce company dealing with expensive payment processing fees and limited payment options for your customers — this project developed an open ecosystem where developers can build custom payment solutions tailored to retail needs. The platform targets the prepaid payment services market projected at over €140bn by 2020 across corporate and consumer segments in Europe.

Corporate Financial Services

mid-size

Target: Mid-size companies managing employee expenses and corporate prepaid cards

If you are a company managing corporate prepaid cards or expense systems and frustrated by the limited options and high costs from traditional providers — this project built a regulated, open platform where new prepaid card applications can be developed and deployed. With built-in compliance management and quality assurance, the platform enables faster delivery of tailored corporate payment tools.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much would it cost to use this platform?

The project received EUR 2,500,000 in EU funding to build the platform. Specific pricing or licensing fees for end users are not disclosed in the project data. The stated goal was to enable 'low-cost creation of quality assured payment applications,' suggesting the platform aims to significantly undercut traditional payment infrastructure costs.

Is this ready for large-scale commercial deployment?

The project delivered 8 beta-stage demonstrators including the full execution environment, app store, compliance management, IDE, and data warehouse. The objective stated UK market launch was planned for 2017-18 with European rollout into Italy, Spain, France, and Germany afterward. The project closed in September 2017.

Who owns the technology and how is it licensed?

The technology was developed by Ixaris Technologies Limited (UK-based SME) as coordinator, with one additional industry partner. As an SME-2 funded project, IP typically remains with the developing company. Contact the coordinator for current licensing terms.

Does this platform handle regulatory compliance automatically?

Yes — one of the 8 beta deliverables was a dedicated Compliance Management Subsystem. The objective specifically highlights providing a 'controlled and regulatory-compliant environment' and mentions leveraging 'common coded regulatory compliance' for European rollout across multiple countries.

What was the timeline from development to market?

The project ran from May 2015 to September 2017 (29 months). During this period, the team progressed from alpha to beta versions across all platform components. UK market launch was targeted for 2017-18.

Can this integrate with existing banking systems?

The platform was designed to work with financial institutions providing supporting transaction services. Ixaris specializes in open-loop prepaid card schemes, suggesting integration with existing card networks like Visa. The objective mentions opening up 'established payment infrastructure.'

What kind of developer support does the platform offer?

The project built a full Integrated Development Environment (progressed from alpha to beta), an Application Store for distributing payment apps, and a Service Provider Subsystem. These tools were designed to enable the SME developer community to build and publish payment applications with reusable components.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a lean, industry-only consortium: 2 SME partners, both from the UK, with zero university or research involvement. That's unusual for EU projects and signals a strong commercial focus — this was built to ship, not to publish papers. The coordinator, Ixaris Technologies Limited, is a specialist in prepaid card solutions and open-loop payment schemes. The 100% industry ratio and SME-2 funding instrument confirm this was a market-driven development effort with EUR 2,500,000 in EU backing. The UK-only consortium was logical for the initial market launch, though the objective outlined expansion plans into Italy, Spain, France, and Germany.

How to reach the team

Ixaris Technologies Limited (UK) — use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup to find current contact details

Order a report on this consortium

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore open payment platform technology for your business? SciTransfer can connect you with the team behind OPE and assess fit for your specific use case.

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