Top 5 Alternatives to Zimpler for Open Banking Payments

If you’re running a business in the UK that relies on fast, frictionless online payments, especially in sectors like fintech, iGaming, or e-commerce, you’ve likely come across Zimpler. Known for enabling real-time bank-to-bank transfers, Zimpler gained popularity across Europe for simplifying the payment process.

But while Zimpler remains a familiar name in account-to-account (A2A) payments, its offering doesn’t always align with the needs of modern UK businesses. With limited onboarding support outside a handful of countries and the absence of core features like QR code and payment link support, many UK-based platforms are now exploring more scalable and localised options.

In this guide, we have reviewed five strong contenders that either rival or outperform Zimpler in terms of coverage, flexibility,Affordability and technical capabilities. These include Finexer, Volt, GoCardless, TrueLayer, and Brite Payments.

Whether you’re looking to improve checkout speed, reduce processing fees, or gain better access to financial data, this guide will help you choose the provider that fits your business needs in 2025.

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Why You Might Be Looking for a Zimpler Alternative

Zimpler offers a solid payment experience for certain use cases, especially within the European iGaming market. However, for businesses based in the UK or operating across multiple sectors, there are several limitations that may lead you to consider alternatives.

1. Limited Market Coverage

Zimpler currently supports pay-ins and onboarding in only a small number of countries. For UK businesses that need broad national reach or international scalability, this restricted footprint can be a major constraint.

2. No Support for Payment Links or QR Codes

Unlike other open banking providers, Zimpler does not yet support payment links or QR code functionality. This limits how flexibly you can offer payment options at checkout or in customer-facing interactions.

3. Complex API Integration

Zimpler’s platform can require considerable development resources to integrate. If you’re a startup or small business without a dedicated engineering team, this complexity can slow your go-to-market timeline.

4. Focused Primarily on iGaming

Zimpler is tailored heavily toward iGaming platforms. While that works well for niche operators, it may not provide the features, risk controls, or compliance tooling required for fintechs, SaaS platforms, or e-commerce businesses.

5. UK Regulatory Needs

With the FCA tightening compliance requirements and the growing demand for real-time settlement in the UK, many companies are looking for providers that offer native Faster Payments support and FCA-authorised infrastructure.

1. Finexer

If you’re a UK-based startup, SME, or fintech platform searching for a Zimpler alternative that puts speed, scale, and simplicity first, Finexer delivers on every front.

Where Zimpler limits access to a handful of European markets, Finexer offers instant connectivity to 99% of UK banks through one powerful integration. It’s an open banking solution specifically designed for UK businesses that need enterprise-grade capability without enterprise complexity.

Its infrastructure is built for growth. Whether you’re processing 100 transactions or 100,000, Finexer scales without added technical overhead. With deployment speeds up to 3 times faster than traditional providers, it helps new businesses move quickly without compromising security.

Finexer also includes built-in access to financial data through a unified, API-first platform. This allows businesses to streamline reconciliation, access real-time banking insights, and customise onboarding flows—all while maintaining full brand control through white-label capabilities.

With FCA-authorised infrastructure, transparent startup-friendly pricing, and a team of fintech experts that provide optimisation and growth support, Finexer acts as more than a payment provider. It’s a strategic growth partner built for modern UK businesses.

Best For

• Accounting Firms, Fintech startups and SMBs
• Finance teams looking to reduce manual reconciliation and payment churn
• Teams with limited development resources
• Businesses needing instant UK bank access and compliance built-in
• Companies looking for custom-branded payment infrastructure

2. Volt

Volt is a real-time open banking provider built for businesses that want full control over their payment infrastructure. It’s designed for product-led teams with the technical resources to integrate directly through APIs.

Operating in over 25 markets across the UK, EU, and Brazil, Volt focuses on speed, reach, and reliability. Its intelligent payment routing selects the optimal path based on the customer’s bank and location, helping reduce failures and increase success rates.

Volt also uses behavioural analytics for fraud detection, offering advanced risk controls without disrupting the user experience. However, it does not include a no-code dashboard or pre-built UI, making it better suited for platforms with strong development capabilities.

Best For

• Fintechs and iGaming operators targeting high-margin sectors​
• Businesses operating across the UK, EU, and Brazil​
• Product-led teams with robust development resources

3. GoCardless

GoCardless is a bank payment platform built specifically for businesses that rely on recurring billing and predictable cash flow. It combines direct debit and open banking to simplify collection for subscription services, memberships, and invoice payments.

Operating in over 30 countries, GoCardless enables businesses to collect payments directly from customers’ bank accounts. Its Instant Bank Pay feature, powered by open banking, allows one-off payments to be collected instantly, while the core product still centres on automated recurring transactions.

GoCardless offers automated reconciliation, payer verification (Verified Mandates), and chargeback protection (Protect+) as part of its premium plans. While it’s not designed for real-time pay-outs or embedded checkout UIs, it excels at reducing failed payments and improving cash flow predictability.

With integrations into platforms like Xero, Salesforce, and Zuora, GoCardless fits naturally into existing workflows for billing teams. It’s ideal for companies that prioritise low operational friction and financial control over recurring payments.

Best For

• SaaS platforms, gyms, subscription services, and B2B billing
• Businesses needing direct debit + open banking support

4. TrueLayer

TrueLayer is a leading open banking provider focused on delivering both instant payments and financial data enrichment. It’s designed for fintechs, digital platforms, and financial services that want to combine fast transactions with intelligent user experiences.

Operating in the UK and much of Europe, TrueLayer enables customers to pay directly from their bank accounts using open banking rails. Its Pay by Bank functionality is fast, secure, and SCA-compliant, helping businesses reduce fraud and chargebacks.

What sets TrueLayer apart is its dual focus: payments and data. It provides verified customer information, account balances, and transaction history through its data APIs, making it easier to build personalised onboarding, lending, and KYC/KYB workflows.

The platform is also built for developers, offering clean APIs, strong documentation, and drop-in components for faster launches. While TrueLayer does not currently offer recurring payment infrastructure, it’s ideal for real-time pay-ins and onboarding flows that require both speed and insight.

Best For

• Fintechs and platforms needing both payments and enriched financial data
• Businesses building onboarding or lending experiences
• Teams that want clean, reliable API integration and fast user verification

5. Brite Payments

Brite Payments is a Swedish fintech company specialising in instant account-to-account (A2A) payments across Europe. Leveraging open banking technology, Brite enables consumers and merchants to perform transactions directly between bank accounts, eliminating the need for cards, apps, or sign-ups. ​

Operating in 27 European markets and connected to over 3,800 banks, Brite offers a seamless payment experience that is both fast and secure. Its platform supports instant payments and payouts, making it particularly suitable for industries where speed is crucial, such as e-commerce, travel, and financial services. ​

Brite’s Instant Payments Network (Brite IPN) ensures transactions are processed in real-time, enhancing cash flow for businesses and providing immediate access to funds for consumers. The company’s focus on user experience is evident in its straightforward payment process, which requires only bank account authentication, streamlining the checkout experience. ​

Best For

• E-commerce platforms seeking fast and secure payment solutions​
• Businesses operating across multiple European markets​
• Companies prioritising seamless user experiences without the need for cards or additional apps

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Why Choosing the Right Payment Partner Matters

Zimpler made it easier for businesses to accept direct bank payments at a time when few others were doing it well. It helped push open banking forward in Europe. But as businesses grow, what they need from a payment provider changes too.

Speed is still important, but now it comes with new expectations. Businesses want more control over how they collect payments. They want better visibility into where their money is, and they need systems that meet local compliance rules without adding more work.

Most importantly, they want all of this without paying enterprise-level fees or getting locked into rigid contracts.

That’s where Finexer stands out. It gives you access to real-time bank payments across the UK through a single integration. But what makes it different is how accessible it is. The platform was built with startups and small businesses in mind. Pricing is simple and transparent. You only pay for what you use. No hidden costs. No bloated bundles. Just the essentials done right.

Finexer also helps you move fast. You can launch in days, not weeks, and tailor the experience to your brand with white-label tools. Whether you’re running an early-stage fintech, an accounting firm, or a growing online platform, Finexer gives you the tools to handle payments at scale without breaking your budget.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your payment experience and stay ready for growth, Finexer is a smart place to start.