PORTLAND, Oregon — January 30, 2026
Executive Summary
Payfinia, an independent payment services firm providing an open payments framework for community financial institutions, has announced a new partnership with Deluxe, a payments and data company serving small businesses and financial institutions across the United States. Through the collaboration, the two companies are expanding access to Paze®, a digital wallet and online checkout experience developed by Early Warning Services and offered by leading U.S. financial institutions. According to the companies, the partnership is designed to enable Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to embed bank-supported digital wallet functionality directly into their platforms while supporting both issuers and merchants across the payments ecosystem. Payfinia will focus on enabling credit unions and community banks to activate Paze for cardholders, while Deluxe will support merchant acceptance of Paze through its payments network and gateway infrastructure.
Announcement Overview
Payfinia and Deluxe have entered into a partnership aimed at expanding the availability of Paze® across issuer and merchant environments by integrating the digital wallet into software platforms used by ISVs, merchants, and financial institutions. The collaboration brings together Payfinia’s issuer-side capabilities with Deluxe’s merchant-side payments infrastructure to support end-to-end enablement of Paze across digital commerce workflows.
According to the companies, the partnership allows community financial institutions to offer Paze within their online and mobile banking applications, while enabling merchants to accept Paze at checkout through Deluxe’s existing payments gateway and network. The combined approach is intended to strengthen adoption of bank-supported digital wallets by aligning issuer activation and merchant acceptance in parallel.
The companies stated that the collaboration is designed to simplify how ISVs integrate digital wallets into their platforms by reducing operational complexity and removing the need for direct issuer relationships, wallet-specific integrations, or ongoing certification processes.
Key Announcement Details
- Announcement type: Strategic partnership
- Companies involved: Payfinia and Deluxe
- Digital wallet supported: Paze®
- Target users: Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), merchants, community banks, credit unions
- Ecosystem coverage: Issuer enablement and merchant acceptance
- Geographic focus: United States
- Payment use case: Embedded digital wallet checkout
- Release date: January 27, 2026
Strategic Context
According to the companies, digital commerce platforms are increasingly responsible for how payments are experienced, secured, and monetized. ISVs building commerce, billing, and vertical market software are playing a larger role in shaping checkout experiences for small businesses and consumers, while financial institutions continue to prioritize digital payment options that originate within trusted banking environments.
Paze®, developed by Early Warning Services, is positioned as a bank-supported digital wallet and online checkout experience offered by participating U.S. financial institutions. The companies indicated that expanding access to Paze through software platforms and merchant environments supports broader adoption of bank-supported payment methods without requiring users to rely on third-party wallets disconnected from their financial institutions.
Within this context, Payfinia and Deluxe stated that their partnership is intended to align issuer and acquirer enablement, allowing cardholders, merchants, and software platforms to access Paze through integrated, network-supported infrastructure.
Enabling Paze Across Issuer and Merchant Ecosystems
Through the partnership, Payfinia will support credit unions and community banks in enabling Paze for their cardholders. According to the company, this includes activating Paze’s digital wallet services within online and mobile banking applications, allowing cardholders to access wallet functionality through their existing banking interfaces.
Deluxe, as a Paze merchant partner, will enable its merchant base to accept Paze at checkout through its payments gateway and network. The company stated that this allows merchants to add Paze alongside existing payment methods without separate integrations, supporting a consistent checkout experience across channels.
The companies indicated that by coordinating issuer activation and merchant acceptance, the partnership is intended to strengthen the overall availability of Paze and reduce friction in digital wallet adoption across the payments ecosystem.
Value Proposition for Independent Software Vendors
For ISVs developing commerce, billing, and industry-specific platforms, the partnership provides a turnkey method for embedding Paze directly into their applications. According to the companies, ISVs can offer a bank-supported digital wallet within their software without managing issuer relationships, individual wallet integrations, or certification requirements.
Through Deluxe’s payments gateway and network, ISVs can integrate Paze as part of their existing payments infrastructure. This approach allows software providers to deliver a modern checkout experience while maintaining control over user experience design, data flows, and monetization strategies within their platforms.
The companies stated that this model reduces time to market for ISVs and lowers integration complexity, enabling software platforms to focus on core functionality while offering embedded digital wallet capabilities supported by financial institutions.
Paze Digital Wallet Capabilities
Paze is described by the companies as a digital wallet and online checkout experience designed to be embedded directly into software platforms. According to the announcement, Paze offers a password-free checkout experience supported by participating U.S. financial institutions.
By integrating Paze into its payments network and gateway, Deluxe enables ISVs and merchants to accept bank-supported digital wallet payments natively within their applications. Payfinia extends these capabilities by enabling community financial institutions to activate Paze services for cardholders through digital banking channels.
The companies stated that this integrated approach supports secure digital payments while reducing friction at checkout and simplifying wallet access for users.
Leadership Statement — Payfinia
“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 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.”
Merchant Enablement Through Deluxe
As part of the partnership, Deluxe will enable merchants within its network to add Paze as an accepted payment method alongside existing options. According to the company, this approach allows businesses to support bank-supported digital wallet payments without introducing additional operational burden.
Deluxe stated that adding Paze at checkout can support a more consistent and trusted payment experience for consumers, particularly those who prefer payment methods originating from their financial institutions. The company indicated that Paze acceptance is supported through its existing payments infrastructure, allowing merchants to integrate without significant changes to their checkout processes.
Leadership Statement — Deluxe
“Software platforms are increasingly responsible for how payments are experienced, secured, and monetized,” said Brian Mahony, 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. Together with Payfinia, we are enabling software companies to deliver trusted, modern payment experiences at scale.”
Embedded Payments and Platform Strategy
According to the companies, the collaboration supports a broader trend toward embedded payments, where software platforms integrate payment capabilities directly into their user experiences. By enabling embedded checkout through Paze, ISVs can offer payment functionality that is aligned with financial institution participation and network-level security standards.
The companies stated that the partnership provides ISVs with a scalable payments foundation that supports embedded checkout and platform-level differentiation. This approach is intended to allow software providers to maintain ownership of the customer experience while leveraging established payments infrastructure.
About Deluxe Corporation
Deluxe is a payments and data company serving small businesses and financial institutions across the United States. The company provides solutions designed to help businesses pay, get paid, and grow, supporting customers from early-stage operations through maturity.
According to the company, Deluxe supports millions of small businesses, thousands of financial institutions, and hundreds of large consumer brands. The company processes more than $2 trillion in annual payment volume and operates across a range of payment and data services. Additional information about Deluxe and its offerings is available on the company’s website.
About Payfinia Inc.
Payfinia Inc. is an independent payments company that provides community financial institutions with access to and ownership of instant payments services. The company’s flagship product, the Instant Payments Xchange (IPX), is a real-time money movement service designed to be secure, scalable, and accessible.
Payfinia also partners with third-party digital providers to integrate instant payments with traditional payment and money movement solutions. According to the company, this approach supports a more comprehensive payments ecosystem for community financial institutions. Additional information about Payfinia is available on the company’s website.
Media Contacts
Anna Stanley / Gabriela Fowler
Phone: 251-517-7857 / 678-781-7229
Source Attribution
Source: Company announcement