Checkout.com has begun direct acquiring in the US after receiving operational approval under its Georgia MALPB charter.
Checkout.com has announced that its Merchant Acquirer Limited Purpose Bank (MALPB) charter in Georgia is now live and operational, allowing the company to process direct acquiring volume in the US. The company describes the move as a significant step in its long-term investment in North America.
Third phase of a multi-year process
The launch represents the third phase of Checkout.com's MALPB journey, following the acceptance of its application and subsequent charter approval. With it now operational, the company has moved from a preparatory and regulatory phase into active processing. Operating under the MALPB structure gives Checkout.com direct access to card networks, reducing its dependence on third-party intermediaries for acquiring services in the US market. According to the company, this direct access is intended to give it greater control across the payment lifecycle, supporting faster operational execution and ongoing product development for merchants.
Jordan Reynolds, MALPB CEO and Head of North American Banking at Checkout.com, describes the milestone as reflecting years of investment, regulatory work, and operational build-out aimed at establishing an acquiring foundation in the US. Reynolds also notes that increased control over the payment lifecycle is expected to support performance, resilience, and flexibility for enterprise merchants over time.
The Georgia Department of Banking and Finance, which oversees the MALPB framework, said the framework was designed to support regulated innovation in merchant acquiring.
Regional expansion and next steps
Checkout.com stated that the MALPB will serve as a foundation for its next phase of growth in North America. The company plans to continue investing in the region through product development and the expansion of its payments infrastructure for enterprise clients.
The move follows a pattern among payment providers seeking direct card network access in the US, a market where acquiring infrastructure and regulatory relationships play a central role in service scalability. By operating under its own limited purpose bank charter rather than solely through third-party acquiring partners, Checkout.com gains a structural position from which to manage acquiring services directly, a factor that can influence transaction routing, cost structures, and operational resilience for merchants processing payments in the country.
