PAYSTRAX in Malta: Supporting local businesses as a direct acquirer

Founded by Icelandic entrepreneurs and first licensed in Lithuania, PAYSTRAX is a direct Visa and Mastercard acquirer with six offices across Europe and the UK and around 180 specialists. The company has built its reputation on handling payment setups that traditional institutions often consider too complex. In Malta, this means working closely with local businesses in regulated sectors.

“The philosophy of PAYSTRAX really rests on two fundamental pillars,” explains Noure Ouaari, Regional Sales Director. “The first is creating genuine, long-term value for our customers and partners. We do not want to be viewed as just another commoditised payment company, but rather an acquirer that endeavours to understand and anticipate our clients’ needs, engineering niche payment solutions. We like complex industries, and we genuinely enjoy solving problems for them.”

That external dedication is matched internally by a refreshingly flat corporate culture. In an industry notorious for institutional hierarchies, PAYSTRAX has been deliberate in safeguarding transparency as it scales.

“We place tremendous emphasis on creating an open working environment,” Noure notes. “We give every single employee a voice, a right to an opinion, and direct access to leadership. It is one of the very few companies I have worked for where a junior team member can easily book a meeting with the founder and CEO to ask questions directly. We work with immense focus, but we always make sure there are elements of fun woven into our routine. Ambition, professionalism, and fun – that is the living core of our brand.”

Many of the businesses PAYSTRAX works with operate in regulated digital markets such as iGaming, financial services and e-commerce, areas where Malta has built strong expertise over many years. A local team makes it easier to support these clients directly, while PAYSTRAX continues to invest in all of its offices across Europe and the UK.

“Malta has spent years establishing itself as a centre for innovation across diverse sectors,” says Noure. “It practically launched the European iGaming revolution back in the day, and that forward-leaning momentum remains just as strong today. Many international businesses flock here year after year because they appreciate the strategic value of an on-the-ground presence.”

While modest in territory, the island’s business geography offers distinct advantages. “Although Malta is small, I like to describe it as ‘small and mighty’,” Noure smiles. “The sheer concentration of enterprises situated mere feet from your doorstep is breathtaking. Practically everyone you could ever wish to collaborate with, partner with, or service is your neighbour. There are very few places on earth where you can schedule a meeting within five minutes and sit down face-to-face.”

Crucially, Malta’s reach extends far beyond its shores. “Being here cements our footprint in Europe and connects us directly with global operators who use Malta as their operational base, opening doors to wider international markets and a very diverse client base,” Noure affirms.

Meanwhile, operating across the post-Brexit divide of the UK and the European Union requires sophisticated regulatory dexterity. Rather than treating this as a friction point, PAYSTRAX has woven cross-border compliance into its core offering.

“Our arrival in Malta complements our existing cross-border architecture,” Noure explains. “Having been founded in Lithuania, where our first licence was granted and our head office remains, we subsequently established our UK-licensed entity after Brexit. Malta was a practical addition from a regulatory standpoint.”

Moreover, Malta’s regulatory heritage in emerging sectors, particularly gaming and digital assets, provides PAYSTRAX with a rich talent pool and deep institutional knowledge. “The frameworks around these sectors were largely pioneered right here,” he observes. “Tapping into that local, first-hand expertise makes absolute sense. It is never simple to navigate regulatory shifts, but we have built an experienced team that knows how to navigate those wavy waters smoothly, ensuring our merchants enjoy seamless transactions and complete peace of mind.”

When positioning PAYSTRAX against legacy acquiring behemoths, Noure is disarmingly frank about where the firm’s competitive edge lies.

“Are we the largest acquirer in the market? No, we are not,” he admits. “Yet being leaner than the legacy players is precisely our greatest competitive advantage. Being a nimble acquirer gives us the edge because it affords us total flexibility to adapt rapidly to our clients’ individual requirements.”

In contrast to the inertia typical of corporate institutions, PAYSTRAX is built to accommodate bespoke operational demands. “With larger, heavily established acquirers, an ad-hoc client request can take months to navigate red tape – if they are willing to alter their processes at all. In our case, we can, we do, and we will always endeavour to adapt. That provides merchants with a degree of bespoke care they simply do not experience elsewhere.

Whenever they pick up the phone or send an email, they know a dedicated expert is actively listening.”

Crucially, this agility does not come at the expense of institutional-grade capabilities. As a principal member of both Visa and Mastercard, backed by licences spanning the UK, EU, and EEA, the firm offers substantial acquiring reach across the continent and beyond.

Pointing out that managing growth while maintaining boutique responsiveness must be a balancing act, I reference the fact that PAYSTRAX has scaled from an initial team of 20 to around 180 specialists, servicing hundreds of merchants across Europe, but Noure insists – their north star has never wavered.

“The answer is simple: keep the customer front and centre at all times,” he says. “If that principle remains the core belief of any company, then regardless of how fast you scale or how large your headcount becomes, you will succeed. Although we manage high volumes across a broad merchant base, we treat them as if they were an intimate group. Every client receives their fair share of proactive care and attention.”

That operational discipline has also helped the team manage the industry's inevitable growing pains. Balancing commercial momentum with uncompromised service quality required deliberate operational structuring. Simultaneously, the company took a proactive approach to the constant fluctuations in European financial regulation.

“For any payment institution, shifting regulatory mandates represent a perpetual operational challenge,” Noure explains. “You can arrive at work on any given morning and find a new directive that impacts processing criteria. Rather than reacting defensively, we preempt changes. We maintain a dedicated team whose mandate is to study market trends, liaise with regulatory developments, and anticipate what is coming down the track. By planning ahead, we ensure compliance without ever compromising our clients' day-to-day operations.”

Yet perhaps the most compelling aspect of PAYSTRAX’s integration into Malta is its collaborative approach to the local ecosystem. Rather than adopting a territorial posture, the firm actively embraces the island’s cooperative spirit.

“If I had to capture our approach in one word, it would be collaboration,” Noure reflects. “Because the island is a close-knit business community, you quickly get to know everyone. In our industry, every payment service provider brings distinct capabilities to the table. There are services we provide that others cannot, and vice versa. It is actually standard practice within our sector to partner with competitors when it serves the best interests of a merchant.”

He points to an active local industry channel where peer companies seek quick technical advice or share operational solutions. “Someone always steps forward to help,” Noure smiles. “Are we competitors? Of course. But the level of collaboration is refreshing and breathtaking. We look forward to deepening those symbiotic relationships across the Maltese ecosystem.”

This interview forms part of the Companies to Watch in 2026, a business serialisation of BusinessNow.mt, Malta’s fastest-growing, cutting-edge business news portal, aimed at companies achieving their goals, marking important milestones, or planning to announce major business news.

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