unzer com

October 28, 2025

Unzer is a payment technology company based in Berlin that helps businesses accept payments online, in-store, and through mobile channels. It’s not a household name like PayPal or Stripe, but in Europe, especially in the DACH region, it’s a big deal. Merchants use Unzer to manage everything around payments—methods, terminals, invoices, risk, and data—without juggling multiple providers. Here’s what that means in practice.

What Unzer Does

Unzer builds infrastructure for payments. It lets companies handle card payments, bank transfers, mobile wallets, and even invoice-based payments from one platform. You can plug it into your e-commerce site using APIs, SDKs, or ready-made plugins for platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce.

In physical retail, Unzer provides its own payment terminals. The most visible one is called Unzer POS Go, a smart portable device that accepts cards, mobile wallets, and QR payments. Retailers can link those transactions to their online stores so sales data stays synced. That’s a key part of what Unzer calls unified commerce—one system that tracks payments and inventory across online and offline channels.

How It Works Behind the Scenes

Unzer acts as both a payment service provider (PSP) and an acquirer. That means it doesn’t just connect merchants to card networks—it actually processes and settles payments itself under a financial license. In Germany, this license falls under BaFin, the national financial supervisory authority.

When a customer pays, Unzer handles the authorization, risk checks, currency conversion (if applicable), and settlement to the merchant’s bank account. The company also offers white-label options, meaning a retailer can brand the checkout experience as its own while Unzer does the technical work underneath.

Merchants can access a dashboard called Unzer Insights. It pulls together transaction data, refunds, chargebacks, and analytics. It’s not flashy, but it’s practical—especially for businesses running sales across different regions or currencies.

Key Features That Actually Matter

The company lists hundreds of features, but only a few are worth paying attention to.

Multiple Payment Methods – Over 200 types from 160+ countries. That includes Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Apple Pay, Klarna, Alipay, WeChat Pay, SEPA direct debit, and various local options like iDEAL and Bancontact.
Unified Dashboard – Merchants can see online, in-store, and mobile transactions in one view. No switching between systems.
Risk and Fraud Tools – Built-in tools for fraud detection and credit checks, useful for buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) and invoice-based payments.
White-Label Integration – Platforms and large retailers can embed payments under their own branding.
POS Hardware – Portable terminals that support chip, contactless, and wallet payments, integrated with Unzer’s backend.

These are functional tools, not marketing fluff. Merchants use them because they reduce operational noise—fewer providers, fewer reconciliations, fewer failed payments.

Why Businesses Use Unzer

The main reason merchants choose Unzer is coverage. It supports all major European payment methods and connects easily to popular e-commerce platforms. A mid-sized retailer can use one Unzer contract to process payments in multiple countries.

Another reason is control. With unified commerce, you can connect your online store and physical stores under one payment account. Sales and refunds show up together, which simplifies accounting.

Unzer also positions itself as more flexible than larger competitors like Adyen or Stripe when it comes to regional needs. For example, invoice payments and direct debit are essential in Germany and Austria. Unzer provides those natively, with built-in credit scoring and installment payment options.

Common Problems and Mistakes

Integration isn’t always seamless. Businesses sometimes connect Unzer through plugins without checking version compatibility or required API keys, leading to failed transactions or incorrect settlement reports.

Another issue: merchant onboarding delays. Because Unzer operates under strict regulatory supervision, it requires detailed verification of business documents. Merchants who rush this step often get stuck waiting for approval before going live.

Also, refund handling can confuse new users. Unzer processes refunds within its system, not directly from the merchant’s bank, so reconciliation must happen inside the Unzer dashboard. Skipping that leads to accounting mismatches.

Finally, compliance updates are mandatory. If a merchant ignores Unzer’s requests for updated KYC documents, transactions may get temporarily blocked. This is not unique to Unzer, but it’s more visible because of Germany’s tight regulations.

Regulatory Background

Unzer’s regulatory story is complicated. Between 2020 and 2023, the company came under review by BaFin for weaknesses in its anti-money laundering (AML) systems. For a period, it was restricted from onboarding new merchants. The company paid fines and overhauled its compliance processes.

By 2024, Unzer stated that the supervision had ended and its license was fully active again. The firm restructured governance, changed leadership, and moved its headquarters to Berlin.

Today, Unzer operates under German financial regulations (ZAG license). It must follow the European Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which covers security, customer authentication, and transparency in fees.

For merchants, this means Unzer is a regulated provider, but also one that’s been through the wringer. The compliance scrutiny has arguably made its procedures stricter—sometimes to the point of friction during onboarding.

Strategic Partnerships and Growth

Unzer’s recent partnership with Mastercard in 2024 is one of its most notable moves. Together, they launched “Pay by Bank,” an open-banking product that allows customers to pay directly from their bank accounts without using cards. It’s fast, cheaper for merchants, and part of the broader trend toward account-to-account payments in Europe.

The company is also expanding its hardware offerings. The Unzer POS Go terminal, marketed heavily in 2024 and 2025, is a response to merchants wanting all-in-one devices. It combines payment acceptance, receipt printing, barcode scanning, and connectivity over Wi-Fi or mobile networks.

Unzer’s market remains focused on Europe, though it supports international payments. The company works with merchants in retail, travel, and services—basically any sector needing consistent checkout experiences across regions.

What Happens If Payments Go Wrong

If you don’t set up Unzer correctly, issues cascade fast. Failed API connections cause dropped transactions. Misconfigured payout schedules delay settlements. Neglecting fraud filters can trigger chargebacks that cut into profit margins.

Because Unzer sits directly in the payment flow, any mistake—technical or administrative—affects cash flow immediately. It’s why the company provides sandbox testing environments and onboarding specialists. But merchants often skip them to go live faster, which backfires.

On the compliance side, inaccurate KYC or incomplete onboarding can lead to account holds. Once that happens, payouts are frozen until documentation is verified.

The best approach is slow and precise: configure integrations carefully, test every payment method, and check that your reconciliation matches Unzer’s payout reports.

The Competitive Landscape

Unzer sits between local payment specialists and global platforms. Stripe and Adyen dominate cross-border payments; Payone and Mollie compete regionally. Unzer’s edge is modularity—businesses can pick only what they need. A company might use just its invoice solution or POS devices without switching its full payment stack.

That modular model helps Unzer adapt to complex merchant setups. Still, its visibility outside Europe remains low, and it faces pressure from global players offering faster expansion and simpler onboarding.

The Future of Unzer

The company is trying to move from being “just” a payment processor to being a full commerce partner. The new UnzerOne platform consolidates legacy systems into one environment. It promises faster processing and a broader range of payment options.

The real test will be execution. Payments infrastructure is about uptime, compliance, and merchant trust. After its regulatory struggles, Unzer can’t afford new setbacks. If it continues strengthening risk management and expanding open-banking products, it could become one of Europe’s leading independent PSPs.

FAQ

What is Unzer?
Unzer is a German payment service provider offering online, in-store, and mobile payment solutions for merchants across Europe.

Who owns Unzer?
Unzer Group GmbH is privately owned. It was previously backed by KKR, a global investment firm, though ownership has evolved through restructuring.

Where is Unzer based?
Its headquarters are in Berlin, with offices in Heidelberg, Hamburg, and Vienna.

What does Unzer POS Go do?
It’s a portable payment terminal that processes card, contactless, and wallet payments. It’s designed for retail, hospitality, and mobile businesses.

Is Unzer regulated?
Yes. It operates under Germany’s BaFin as a licensed payment institution and complies with EU PSD2 regulations.

Can Unzer replace Stripe or PayPal?
It depends on your needs. For European merchants needing local methods like SEPA or invoice payments, Unzer can be a stronger fit. For global coverage, Stripe or Adyen still lead.

What industries use Unzer?
Retail, e-commerce, travel, services, and marketplaces—essentially any business needing flexible, multi-channel payment handling.

What’s the biggest risk with Unzer?
Compliance delays and onboarding friction. If documents or configurations aren’t right, account activation and payouts can be delayed.

Unzer isn’t trying to reinvent how payments feel; it’s trying to make them work better behind the curtain. It’s practical, modular, and shaped for European merchants dealing with fragmented payment systems. For businesses that want fewer vendors and more control, it’s worth paying attention to.