Payza: Meaning, Business Model, Legal and Technical Issues
8/28/2025 09:08pm
Payza was an internet-based payment service that allowed individuals and businesses to send and receive funds using bank transfers and Bitcoin. Here is a detailed analysis of Payza's business model and its current status:
1. **Business Model**:
- Payza provided a platform for users to deposit funds into an e-wallet, which could then be withdrawn via wire transfer, bank transfer, credit and prepaid cards, or Bitcoin. It also supported payments for businesses, offering an integration with online shopping carts.
- The company charged fees for funding accounts, except for bank transfers over $200 in the United States.
2. **Legal Issues**:
- In 2018, Payza's founders were indicted for operating an unlicensed money service business and laundering money, processing over $250 million in transactions.
- The company pleaded guilty to conspiring to launder money and operate an unlicensed money service business in 2020.
3. **Operational Status**:
- Payza's U.S. website is inactive, and the company appears to no longer operate in the United States. European operations are also reported to be inactive.
- The company's documentation is retired, and it is not available for US merchants.
4. **Market Position**:
- Payza was a relatively popular payment method, especially for cryptocurrency-based transactions.
- It competed with larger payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and others, offering a range of payment options to combat high shopping cart abandonment rates.
In conclusion, Payza was a payment service that faced legal issues resulting in its current inoperability. Its business model offered a range of payment options, but its operational status is now non-existent.