Silkpay: A global payment infrastructure beyond Asian wallets
Founded in 2017, Silkpay is a French payment company that initially focused on helping European merchants accept leading Asian payment methods such as Alipay+, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay.
Since then, the company has expanded significantly and now operates as a global payment infrastructure provider. We believe that security and compliance are the foundations of long-lasting success. Silkpay is now a licensed payment institution authorised by the ACPR (Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution). This marks our commitment to the highest quality standards and professional values in safeguarding every transaction.
Headquartered in Greater Paris, Silkpay enables European and American merchants to accept over 30 international and local payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, digital wallets, and alternative payment solutions. This scope goes far beyond Asian payment methods, which now represent only one part of Silkpay’s broader offering.
Through a single platform, merchants can accept payments both online and in-store across multiple regions, including Europe and North America.
In this article, we introduce Silkpay as a comprehensive global payment infrastructure and explore its omnichannel solutions, from e-commerce integrations to in-store solutions such as SoftPOS, covering a wide range of payment use cases.
The European heartbeat of a global engine
Silkpay is not a guest in the European market, it is a native architect. Operating under the strict regulatory framework of the European Union, we adhere to the highest standards of financial security and transparency.
Our European identity gives us a deep understanding of the unique payment challenges merchants face in the Eurozone, from local credit card processing to handling international transactions.
Our Paris head office offers multilingual support in French, English, Chinese and Italian. We welcome merchants from all over Europe to consult with our experts anytime for tailored guidance.
While deeply rooted in Europe, Silkpay also serves merchants across the Americas and plans to go beyond these markets very soon for a wider global coverage.
By choosing Silkpay, merchants aren't just adding payment methods to their store, they are integrating with a European-regulated partner that speaks the language of international commerce.
A unified platform for business growth
Based on our long-term market research, digital-first consumers’ payment behaviors are becoming fragmented. To stay ahead in the European market, merchants must be able to support over 30 major global payment methods within a single, unified system.
Silkpay exists to eliminate these friction points; our merchants can integrate all needed payment methods needed to make their store attractive with one integration.
Mainstream card schemes
Silkpay provides integrations of the world’s most dominant payment networks:
Visa & Mastercard:
According to the latest industry data, Visa has over 4.2 billion cards in circulation worldwide, while Mastercard has over 3 billion.
This means that Silkpay’s payment solution directly connects to a potential customer base of billions of customers globally. Whether they are business professionals in New York or tourists in London, you will be able to accept their payment wherever they are.
UnionPay:
If Visa and Mastercard are the foundation of international commerce, then UnionPay is the bridge connecting merchants to Chinese clients around the world.
Through Silkpay, merchants can not only accept traditional UnionPay magnetic stripe and chip cards but also support UnionPay QuickPass (NFC, QR code, and online) payments.
This flexibility is illustrated by our client Pharmacie Monge, where UnionPay’s fast checkout options help handle surges in international customers during peak shopping periods. This payment method reduces queues and improves the overall customer experience.
Modern e-wallets
GooglePay & ApplePay:
These two mobile wallets now have over 550 million active users worldwide. Among iPhone users, more than 80% have activated and use Apple Pay.
According to FIS Worldpay’s “Global Payments Report” mobile wallets have become the world’s leading payment method.
By 2026, mobile wallets are projected to account for over 54% of global e-commerce transaction volume, and their share of in-store payments is expected to exceed 43%.
In Europe, over 80% of Visa transactions are now completed via contactless methods, with Apple Pay and Google Pay driving this revolution.
Consumers can complete authentication in just one second using Touch ID or Face ID. This biometric authentication method not only eliminates the hassle of remembering passwords but also provides consumers with a strong sense of security.
Local European and American payment methods
To ensure a truly comprehensive local experience, Silkpay’s infrastructure extends beyond global cards and wallets. We support regional favorites such as Maestro, CB, Amex and more.
This allows our merchants to operate across Europe and the USA with the same ease and acceptance as a local business, catering to the specific payment cultures of every market.
QR code payment
Silkpay is a pioneer and a leader in QR code payments, led by Alipay+ that includes 20+ Asian e-wallets, WeChat Pay and UnionPay in one integration.
Among others, this solution offers QR code and cross-border payments for over 2 billion active users globally.
Integrating these e-wallets has become a must to capture international tourism and drive revenue growth.
A digital transformation for in-store payments
For merchants looking to enter the digital payments space quickly and cost-effectively, QR codes are widely recognized as the best entry point.
Silkpay App:
The Silkpay App is the most widely used and preferred solution among our merchants, ranking first in cost-effectiveness and delivering the highest ROI by combining zero equipment investment with the ability to reach over one billion potential customers.
It enables merchants to collect payments from customers anytime, anywhere.
Merchants can scan a customer’s payment code or generate their own to accept payments via Alipay+, WeChat Pay, UnionPay Yunshanfu.
Merchants can also generate and send payment links via the app for their customers to pay remotely (PaybyLink).
Merchants can also access the Silkpay backend directly within the app to initiate refund requests or view real-time transaction reports, with all transaction data consolidated on a single interface.
SoftPos App:
This is one of the Top 3 no hardware cost ways to accept payments.
Our solution allows merchants to instantly transform any NFC-enabled Android smartphone into a payment terminal (card reader).
It supports contactless payments with physical Visa and Mastercard cards. We are working on making more payment methods available for acceptance through the SoftPos app in the future such as UnionPay cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Static QR code:
This is also one of the Top 3 most cost-effective solutions offered by Silkpay.
Merchants do not need to purchase any hardware; they simply need to display the static code generated by Silkpay at their counter, entrance or dining tables.
It primarily supports Alipay+ (which includes over 20 Asian wallets), WeChat Pay, and UnionPay Yunshanfu payments.
This solution is ideal for small and medium-sized retail stores or restaurants, as it instantly attracts Asian tourists who are accustomed to “scan-to-pay” transactions.
Online integration solutions:
For online merchants, e-Commerce platforms on desktop, mobile/Apps or businesses with no Website, Silkpay offers a simplified integration solution adapted to each.
We understand that complex development work often hinders merchants from expanding globally. Therefore, our online solution is entirely focused on low technical difficulty, high security, and superior user experience.
We ensure merchants can quickly activate the full range of payment capabilities needed to run their online business, including Visa, Mastercard, Alipay+, WeChat Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amex, CB and more.
This approach is illustrated by our integration of a one-stop online payment solution for Nissan, with multiple payment methods available across its digital channels.
Payment plugins integration:
To achieve “zero-code” integration, Silkpay has developed official plugins specifically for the two most widely used e-commerce platforms in Europe:
WooCommerce Plugin: A one-click payment solution for millions of WordPress merchants worldwide.
PrestaShop Plugin: Deeply integrated with Europe’s most popular e-commerce system, ensuring seamless compatibility between the payment process and store logic.
API integration:
For businesses that require extensive customization and have their own development teams, Silkpay offers a powerful API.
Through the API, merchants can flawlessly integrate the payment functionality into their own websites or app workflows, ensuring brand consistency from browsing to checkout.
PaybyLink (Payment links):
From their PaybyLink dashboard, merchants simply need to enter a few details such as the transaction amount, language, message etc. to generate the link.
A Silkpay payment link can be generated from our POS terminals (card readers), Silkpay app, Silkpay merchant account (desktop or mobile) which offers exactly the diversity merchants are looking for. Depending on the payment use case, they can choose the method that suits them best.
Multi-channel reach: This link can be sent to customers anywhere in the world via email, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, or social media direct messages (Instagram/Facebook) to accept cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, UnionPay), e-wallets (Alipay+, WeChat Pay, UnionPay Yunshanfu) and IDEAL payments.
Empowering diverse business scenarios: Travel agencies or hotels for example, can send links to international customers to quickly confirm reservations. For personal brands or boutique shops operating on Instagram or WhatsApp, Pay-by-Link offers professional remote booking and deposit collection solutions. For restaurants, it is an efficient way to prevent customer no-shows.
The choice of an industry leader: Silkpay
The quality of a payment infrastructure is proven by the caliber of its clients. Silkpay has become a long-term partner to leading companies and global brands across industries to attract customers in complex global markets.
While we support the global leaders, Silkpay is equally committed to smaller businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs. Those often refused by traditional banks can open a business account easily and start accepting payments without barriers, giving them the same opportunities to grow and reach customers.
Our network of partners reflects the highest standards in the industry.
Multinational corporations:
Global automotive giant Nissan, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines as well as French airports have chosen Silkpay because our system supports high-concurrency, high-value fund processing and with the highest security, ensuring enterprise-level transaction compliance.
High-frequency retail & lifestyle:
Whether it’s Parisian retail giant Franprix, luxury chocolate brand Pierre Marcolini, the Monge Pharmacy popular with international tourists, or Chen Market with its vast Chinese customer base, Silkpay’s mobile payments and QR code payments have helped them significantly increase foot traffic and Average Transaction Value, instantly converting foot traffic into sales.
Luxury sector:
From the premier watch brand Rolex to the French fashion icon Lanvin, as well as Max Mara, Pinko, Godechot Pauliet and Yves Salomon. These brands have extremely stringent requirements for payment security, privacy, and the checkout experience, and Silkpay ensures the flawless completion of every high-value transaction.
Conclusion:
We believe that after reading this article, you now have a more comprehensive understanding of Silkpay. With Silkpay, payment is no longer just the end of a transaction, it’s the beginning of global growth. Welcome to the new world of digital, intelligent payments.
To this day, we are still going all out to expand our footprint and bring our services to more merchants globally.
About the author: Silkpay
Based in Paris, Silkpay provides omnichannel and secure payment solutions to help physical stores and e-commerce in Europe and the Americas accept more than 30 of the world's most popular payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, CB, UnionPay, Alipay+, WeChat Pay as well as Asia-Pacific’s major e-wallets.
Silkpay is a winner of the LVMH Innovation Award. The company was also selected as a finalist for the "Money 20/20" Best Startup and in the "MPE Berlin” Startup Awards. Silkpay also won the "Best Fintech" awards from Capgemini and BPCE.
Silkpay helps merchants deliver the smoothest payment experience to their customers. We are a talented and international team driven by a single goal: to improve the customer experience and make payments simple and secure.