Top 5 embedded finance solutions in the US (2025)

Key takeaways

• Embedded finance enables you to offer payments, accounts, cards, foreign exchange (FX), or credit directly within your platform, creating new revenue streams and a smoother user experience.

• US companies utilize embedded finance to accelerate growth, foster customer loyalty, and streamline complex financial workflows.

• Airwallex helps you launch and scale embedded financial products without taking on regulatory or operational risk.

If you’re running a high-growth platform in 2025, your customers likely expect more than just your core product. They want to manage money and track payments without switching tools or losing momentum. That expectation is driving the rise of embedded finance.

Embedded finance lets you integrate payments, accounts, cards, FX, and even credit directly into your platform. You stay in control of the user experience while your fintech partner handles the infrastructure, licensing, and compliance. It’s a model already used by major platforms like Shopify and Amazon, and it’s helping companies like TradeBridge and neobank Meow scale faster while creating new revenue streams.

In this guide, we’ll unpack what embedded finance means, why it matters in 2025, and how it’s reshaping the fintech landscape. You’ll also get a side-by-side comparison of the leading US providers and discover how Airwallex helps ambitious platforms scale globally.

What are embedded finance solutions?

Embedded finance lets you offer financial services directly within your platform. Instead of sending users to a bank or separate app, you can build payments, accounts, cards, or FX into the experience they already use. Everything happens in one place, under your brand.

You don’t need to become a fully licensed financial institution to offer financial products. Most embedded finance solutions are built on Banking as a Service (BaaS) infrastructure and accessed through APIs. These tools handle compliance, licensing, and money movement while you control how the experience looks and feels.

As a practical example, imagine a car platform or marketplace. In a traditional setup, the platform helps match sellers and dealers, but lacks visibility into when payments are made. With embedded finance, the marketplace can create digital wallets for both parties, powered by a financial partner behind the scenes. Dealers deposit funds into their wallet, and the seller receives the money instantly once a deal is made. The platform captures the entire flow, provides real-time notifications, and can even offer incentives to encourage users to keep funds in-app. The result is a faster, more trusted experience that increases engagement and opens new revenue opportunities.

Technically, APIs connect your platform to a regulated financial provider. They manage everything from Know Your Customer (KYC) checks to money movement, ensuring everything is secure and compliant. You stay focused on your product. Your users receive a fully integrated experience that operates seamlessly without added friction.

Why embedded finance is reshaping fintech

Five years ago, most financial services were housed within traditional banks. Today, they’re showing up everywhere. You can apply for credit while booking a holiday, get paid instantly after a ride, or open a business account without ever visiting a bank. This shift from standalone banking to embedded finance is creating a significant opportunity for platforms and marketplaces seeking to grow revenue and enhance customer retention.

The numbers tell a clear story. In 2021, around $2.6 trillion in payment volume flowed through embedded channels. By 2026, that figure is expected to reach nearly $7 trillion.¹ In the US alone, embedded finance revenue is projected to triple from $30.8 billion in 2024 to $89.6 billion by 2029. And analysts believe we’ve only scratched the surface. Just 20 percent of the full market opportunity has been tapped so far.

So what’s driving this growth?

It starts with rising expectations. Your customers want to manage their finances in the same place they run their business. They’re used to consumer experiences that are fast, simple, and tailored, and they expect the same from you. Embedded finance helps you deliver exactly that.

It’s also about the tech. Mature APIs and cloud-based infrastructure mean you can now embed financial services with less cost and complexity. You don’t need to build a bank. You just need the right partner.

At the same time, partnerships between fintechs and regulated providers are evolving. In models like the US money transmitter license (MTL) framework, your provider holds the license and compliance responsibility while you maintain control over the user experience and customer relationship. This approach gives you the speed and flexibility of a fintech solution, backed by a regulated infrastructure purpose-built for payments and financial services.

Finally, embedded finance is creating entirely new revenue streams. Whether it's payment fees, FX markups, or interchange from issued cards, financial products are no longer a cost center. They’re becoming a profit driver, one that helps you grow faster while delivering more value to your customers.

Who’s powering embedded finance in the US?

If you’re planning to embed financial services into your platform, there are several fintech providers worth knowing. Each takes a different approach to infrastructure, geography, and financial product coverage. Here’s a look at five leading players operating in the US market.

Stripe

Stripe is one of the most widely adopted platforms for embedded payments. It offers APIs for payment acceptance, card issuing, and banking features through products like Stripe Connect and Stripe Treasury. These tools are popular with US-based platforms that need quick integration and developer flexibility.

Stripe offers international coverage and supports multi-currency payments; however, businesses with complex treasury needs or specific entity-level control requirements may need to assess how flexible its architecture is across different markets.

Adyen

Adyen offers global payments and financial services under one roof. It supports online, in-person, and mobile payments, with options for card issuing, bank accounts, and cash advances through its banking license.

Adyen’s value lies in consolidating payments and financial operations for platforms operating across regions. Its focus remains on enterprise-level payment acceptance, but its fund-holding and payout capabilities may be more limited compared to providers offering broader treasury solutions.

Airwallex

Airwallex provides you with the global infrastructure to build embedded financial products with reduced complexity. You can offer multi-currency accounts, FX, card issuing, and treasury services through a single set of APIs. Airwallex holds licenses in over 60 markets and supports payouts to more than 200 countries using local rails and SWIFT.

For platforms with international ambitions, Airwallex offers a scalable solution for collecting, holding, converting, and disbursing funds worldwide. You stay in control of the customer experience, while Airwallex handles the compliance, licensing, and operational heavy lifting. Businesses like TradeBridge and Meow use Airwallex to support global growth while maintaining simple financial workflows.

Airwallex’s embedded finance stack includes:

• Global Treasury: Let your customers collect, store, convert, and send funds worldwide, with access to over 160 payment methods and a payout network spanning more than 200 countries.

• Payments for Platforms: Programmatically create connected accounts, split funds, and embed local and international payment acceptance into your checkout experience.

• Banking as a Service: Embed traditional banking products like accounts, cards, and lending into your platform without becoming a financial institution.

Wise

Wise focuses on fast and cost-effective cross-border transfers. Its platform moves money to over 160 countries in 40 currencies, and most payments arrive within 24 hours. Wise Platform enables businesses to plug into this infrastructure and offer global payouts within their own apps.

Wise is a good fit if you want to offer international transfers without building out your own treasury function. While it also offers global accounts and card issuing, these features are more limited compared to providers with a broader embedded finance stack.

Nium

Nium helps platforms offer global payments, accounts, and card issuing without building infrastructure from scratch. It supports use cases ranging from embedded wallets and mass payouts to business cards and compliance tooling.

Nium’s platform is particularly geared toward financial institutions, marketplaces, and enterprise platforms expanding into new regions. For businesses that require access to financial services across multiple countries, it offers a modular approach; however, integration complexity and regional availability may vary.

The main embedded finance players compared

How companies are embedding financial products

To understand how embedded finance works in practice, it is helpful to examine companies that are already utilizing it to solve real-world problems. From early-stage fintechs to global platforms, these examples demonstrate how embedded financial services are enabling businesses to grow faster, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences.

TradeBridge

TradeBridge provides multi-currency funding to businesses across various sectors, including eCommerce, healthcare, and professional services. To scale globally, the team needed a way to deliver funds, collect repayments, and manage multiple currencies without relying on traditional banks.

By integrating Airwallex APIs, TradeBridge built digital wallets for each customer. These wallets make it easy to hold and convert currencies, collect repayments directly from platforms like Amazon and PayPal, and send funds in the client’s preferred currency. It also provided the team with real-time visibility into receivables, enabling them to adjust funding limits based on live trading data.

As a result, TradeBridge streamlined its entire funding process, unlocking the flexibility needed to grow across Europe, Asia, and the US.

Thinkst

Thinkst builds security tools for enterprises, including its flagship product, Canarytokens. These small pieces of data are planted across systems to detect breaches early. Thinkst recently launched a credit card token designed to trigger instant alerts if a malicious actor tries to test or misuse card data.

Airwallex provides the infrastructure behind this innovation. With the help of Airwallex’s platform APIs and scalable BIN coverage, Thinkst can issue thousands of virtual cards and monitor activity in real-time. This protects their customers proactively against fraud, especially when operating across multiple geographies and payment systems.

These embedded security features provide early warnings and faster response times for companies entering new markets. They also integrate seamlessly into existing systems without introducing extra complexity.

Meow

Meow is a US-based neobank designed to help businesses maximize the value of their cash. Its platform offers high-yield checking accounts, access to US Treasury Bills, and powerful tools for managing multiple accounts.

When Meow wanted to launch a new card product, it partnered with Airwallex to expedite the process. Using Airwallex Issuing and Embedded Finance APIs, Meow launched a branded business card that offers 1.5% cashback and up to 2% savings on FX fees for G7 currencies. With no transaction fees and fast global payout capabilities, Meow’s customers can manage expenses with more flexibility and better returns.

Thanks to Airwallex’s infrastructure, Meow brought the new product to market in half the time it expected and is now well-positioned to expand its offering as customer demand grows.

Amazon

Amazon has quietly built one of the most sophisticated embedded finance ecosystems in the world. From Amazon Pay at checkout to Amazon Lending and its co-branded credit cards, financial services are deeply integrated into the customer and seller experience.

For buyers, Amazon Pay makes checkout easier and helps increase conversion. For sellers, embedded lending products offer access to working capital based on live sales data. The Prime Visa card offers cashback and keeps shoppers within the Amazon ecosystem. These services support growth across both sides of the marketplace.

Uber

Uber has embedded financial tools into its driver and rider experience to support operational efficiency and retention. Drivers can use Instant Pay to access their earnings immediately and manage day-to-day spending with an Uber debit card. They can also access micro-insurance products tailored to their needs.

By offering these services within the app, Uber provides drivers with faster access to their earnings, increased financial control, and added peace of mind. These features improve the overall driver experience and help Uber stay competitive in the gig economy.

How embedded finance is helping US companies grow

For high-growth businesses in the US, embedded finance offers a new approach to growing revenue, enhancing customer experiences, and unlocking value from every financial interaction. Here’s how platforms are using it to drive real results.

Offer new services and unlock revenue

Embedded finance turns everyday financial interactions into revenue opportunities. By integrating accounts, payments, cards, foreign exchange, or lending into your product, you can monetize services that a third party would otherwise handle. Whether that’s earning a margin on FX, collecting card interchange, or offering credit at checkout, the revenue stays in your ecosystem.

Take Meow, for example. By embedding card issuing and FX with Airwallex, it created a new business card product that now delivers cashback and saves customers money on international spend. The business benefits by keeping a share of the interchange earned on every transaction.

Improve the customer experience

When financial tools are embedded directly into your product, users no longer need to switch between systems. That keeps things simple and intuitive, especially for businesses managing global operations.

Amazon, Uber, and TradeBridge have all integrated financial services to meet customers where they are. From real-time FX and instant payouts to card issuing and embedded wallets, these experiences are faster, smarter, and easier to trust.

Reduce churn and build stronger relationships

Offering financial services in context helps you stay top of mind and in control of more customer touchpoints. A platform that helps businesses get paid, manage cash, and pay suppliers becomes harder to leave.

The results speak for themselves. Uber drivers who use its financial tools tend to stay more engaged. Meow customers can manage expenses and access cashback from the same dashboard. Embedded finance helps you create these kinds of experiences, where switching costs go up and customer satisfaction follows.

Turn financial flows into product insights

Every financial interaction tells you something. By embedding accounts, FX, and payouts directly into your platform, you get full visibility over how money moves. That means richer data on what your users do, when they transact, and how to support them better. It gives you operational control as well as a chance to design smarter, stickier experiences that evolve with your users.

Regulatory and compliance considerations in the US

Embedding financial services into your platform means taking on real regulatory responsibilities. In the US, this includes money transmitter licenses, Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) checks, as well as oversight from regulators such as the FDIC and the Federal Reserve. If your platform holds or moves money, or facilitates payments on behalf of others, you'll need a licensed partner such as a sponsor bank or Banking as a Service (BaaS) provider. These partners manage the legal infrastructure but will expect your platform to meet strict standards around controls, security, and reporting.

That’s why it’s essential to work with a provider that holds the necessary licenses and has a strong compliance track record. A partner like Airwallex helps you meet regulatory expectations from day one while giving you the confidence to scale safely.

Build the future of finance, one API at a time

Embedded finance is transforming how platforms operate and the value they deliver to their users. When you integrate financial tools into your product, you turn accounts, wallets, FX, and issuing into something more than infrastructure. You create new ways to grow, deepen relationships, and stand out in a crowded market.

Platforms like Amazon, Uber, and Meow are already shaping the opportunity. They have demonstrated how powerful it can be when finance becomes an integral part of the experience, rather than an add-on. Now, it's your move. Whether you're supporting sellers, managing global payouts, or building financial services into your software, embedded finance gives you the foundation to do more.

With the right partner, you can launch quickly, stay compliant, and design an experience that works on your terms. What you build next is entirely yours.

FAQs

What’s the difference between embedded finance and BaaS?

Embedded finance is the result. It’s when financial services are built into non-financial platforms, like payments inside a marketplace. Banking as a Service (BaaS) is the backend infrastructure that enables it, usually through APIs provided by licensed partners.

Can any business offer embedded finance?

Yes, but you will need to work with a licensed provider. Most platforms partner with a BaaS provider or sponsor bank to manage compliance and handle the financial infrastructure behind the scenes.

What’s the ROI of embedded finance?

Embedded finance can open new revenue streams, reduce costs, and increase customer retention. The ROI depends on your use case, but many platforms see measurable gains by keeping financial services in-house rather than outsourcing them. A recent Forrester study found that Airwallex’s Embedded Finance solution delivers ROI of 237%.

Is embedded finance secure?

Yes, when built with a licensed and compliant provider. Look for partners that offer strong KYC, AML, and transaction monitoring tools and meet regulatory standards in your markets.

Sources

1. https://www.bain.com/about/media-center/press-releases/2022/embedded-finance-transaction-value-to-more-than-double-to-$7-trillion-in-us-by-2026-but-financial-institutions-must-move-quickly-to-keep-upbain--company-and-bain-capital-report/

2. https://www.airwallex.com/us/platform-api-and-embedded-finance

3. https://stripe.com/connect

4. https://www.adyen.com/platform-payments

5.  https://wise.com/platform/

6.  https://www.nium.com/products/global-payouts

7.  https://stripe.com/connect

8.  https://www.adyen.com/platform-payments

9.  https://www.nium.com/products/multi-currency-accounts

10.  https://stripe.com/treasury

11.  https://www.adyen.com/accounts

12.  https://wise.com/platform/multi-currency-accounts

13.  https://www.nium.com/products/multi-currency-accounts

14.  https://stripe.com/issuing

15.  https://www.adyen.com/issuing

16.  https://wise.com/platform/cards

17.  https://www.nium.com/products/issue-cards

18.  https://stripe.com/connect

19.  https://www.adyen.com/payouts

20.  https://wise.com/platform/send