viva com
Viva.com: The Bank That Doesn’t Look Like a Bank
Most banks feel like relics from another century. Viva.com doesn’t. It’s calling itself Europe’s first “Tech Bank,” and for once, that label isn’t just marketing fluff—it actually means something.
How a Greek Startup Turned Into a “Tech Bank”
Viva.com didn’t start as a bank at all. It began life in Athens as a software shop called Realize SA, tinkering with tech tools more than balance sheets. Fast-forward a few pivots and by 2011, they were knee-deep in payments, running Viva Payments. By 2020, they’d scooped up Praxia Bank—basically stitching together the licenses they’d need to offer real banking services.
And then came the kicker: in early 2025, they mashed those two entities into one. No more separate payment arm, no more standalone bank. Just Viva.com—the all-in-one “Tech Bank.”
What Makes Viva.com Different
It isn’t just another digital bank with a slick app. Viva.com built itself on Microsoft Azure, meaning everything lives in the cloud. No dusty data centers, no clunky legacy systems. That’s why they can roll out features like Tap on Any Device—a feature that turns your phone or tablet into a card reader without extra hardware.
If you’ve ever worked a market stall or run a pop-up shop, you know the pain of lugging around a card machine. Viva.com killed that pain. You just tap your card on someone’s phone, and boom—the payment’s done.
They’re also one of Apple’s partners for Tap to Pay on iPhone, which means you can take a payment on an iPhone XS or newer—no dongles, no little white squares hanging off the side.
Beyond Payments: Real Banking
Here’s the twist: Viva.com isn’t stopping at payments. Since merging into a full Tech Bank, they’re offering deposit accounts that actually pay interest (around 2%). And there’s Viva Advance Financing, which lets businesses borrow money with a 45-day no-charge window—helpful if you’re waiting for invoices to clear but still need to stock up for next month.
They’ve even cooked up a clever cashback model: use their business debit card and you can offset your merchant fees, sometimes down to zero. That’s the kind of thing traditional banks just don’t bother doing.
The Network Behind the Curtain
This isn’t some plucky little Greek outfit operating from one office in Athens. Viva.com is now in 24 countries. They’ve signed on over 450 partners—software companies that connect their platform to retail systems, ERPs, even hotel booking tools.
Think of it like Lego bricks. Each partner adds a new piece—one for invoicing, another for inventory, another for accounting. Businesses don’t just process payments; they run half their back office through the same system.
And because everything’s built with AI baked in—not sprinkled on top—they can do the unsexy but essential things faster: spotting fraud, handling compliance, and nudging businesses with data-backed insights.
The Money Moves Faster, Too
One of the smartest plays Viva.com made was hooking into Mastercard Move. If you’ve ever waited three days for a payout to hit your account, you’ll appreciate this—near-instant transfers in 24 countries.
A restaurant can pay staff tips before they leave for the night. A gig worker can see earnings almost immediately. Even refunds happen in minutes, not days. That’s the kind of infrastructure shift that changes how people expect money to move.
A Company With Drama
Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. JPMorgan swooped in back in 2022, dropping around €800 million for a 48.5% stake. That deal turned Viva into Greece’s first fintech unicorn.
But now? It’s a legal slugfest. JPMorgan claims Viva’s leadership pulled moves that tanked the value of their investment—they’ve sued in Greece, in the UK, basically anywhere they could file a motion. Viva’s majority owner, a company called Werealize, fought back and won an injunction in London to stop JPM’s Greek case in its tracks.
Meanwhile, a “one-shot” rule in their shareholder agreement means if Viva’s value dips below €5 billion by summer 2025, Werealize might get to buy JPMorgan out. That ticking clock makes the whole situation look less like a quiet corporate disagreement and more like a heavyweight title fight.
Why Viva.com Is Actually Interesting
Plenty of fintechs slap “bank” on their homepage and call it a day. Viva.com’s pitch is different. They’ve taken payments, banking, card issuing, lending—and crammed it into a single platform that’s aggressively merchant-friendly.
Picture a café owner in Madrid. She uses her iPhone to take payments, sees funds hit her Viva account instantly, pays suppliers the same afternoon, and even grabs a short-term loan without paperwork. No bouncing between five apps. No “we’ll call you in 48 hours” nonsense from a legacy bank.
That’s why Viva.com isn’t just another fintech. It’s trying to replace the entire experience of dealing with payments and banking for small and mid-size businesses.
What’s Next
Viva.com isn’t done making moves. Expect to see:
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More countries switching on Tap to Pay on iPhone.
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Mastercard Move being used for more than just payouts—think payroll and supplier payments.
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New lending tools, possibly even BNPL-style credit for merchants.
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And, inevitably, more headlines about that messy JPMorgan fight.
Bottom Line
Viva.com has managed what most startups only talk about: becoming the backbone for how businesses move money. Payments, loans, deposits—it’s all wired together.
There’s still tension with big investors. There’s still the risk of growing too fast. But Viva.com’s model—banking that feels like using an app, not filling out a form—isn’t going away.
For small businesses, that’s not just convenient. It’s a complete shift in how money works day to day.
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