Embedded finance is no longer just an industry buzzword – it's a turning point in how financial services are delivered. From fintechs and HR platforms to insurance providers and SaaS businesses, companies across industries are integrating financial services directly into their products and workflows to deliver smoother, smarter experiences for their users.
But to truly unlock its power, you need a payment solutions provider – a partner that brings more than just tech to the table.
In this blog, we’ll share the key tips to help you evaluate embedded finance providers and find the perfect fit to build a seamless, scalable, and future-ready payment experience.
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There’s a reason why embedded finance is seeing rapid adoption: it solves real problems. Here’s where it can make a tangible impact across industries:
💼 Insurance payouts
Speed and convenience matter, especially when people are dealing with stress or uncertainty. With embedded finance, insurers and travel providers can disburse funds instantly via virtual cards, embedded seamlessly within existing claims handling processes, skipping the slow, manual processes tied to traditional bank transfers and reimbursements.
For the insurance industry, that means policyholders get paid faster – without the need to provide bank details and wait for the funds to land.
👉 Explore how we support insurers
For travel providers, virtual cards are a powerful way to turn a negative experience into a moment of care. If a customer’s flight is delayed or luggage is lost, a virtual card can be issued immediately for a specific merchant type and timeframe, allowing them to cover for essentials – without the hassle or long queues at service desks.
It’s fast, digital, and embedded into the experience – helping brands and businesses build trust and loyalty, even in challenging moments.
💳 Business expenses
Why make employees use their own cards and then submit receipts later to get a reimbursement? By integrating virtual cards directly into existing workflows, you reduce admin headaches and improve visibility – all while creating opportunities for new revenue generation.
👉 Read the PaybyPhone case study
🛍 Buy-Now-Pay-Later
Embedded finance allows Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) providers to issue credit via physical or virtual cards that consumers can use across partner merchants. This removes the need for a separate experience and provides the financial products consumers need in-context. Take Viabill: through our licensing and tech support, Viabill offer both physical and virtual cards – unlocking flexible payment options at more points of sale.
🧾Financial management platforms
By embedding e-money accounts and issuing physical and virtual cards, financial management platforms, such as those dedicated to invoicing and accounting, can own the full pay-in/pay-out journey. That means simpler reconciliation, reduced reliance on third-party providers, and greater user stickiness.
👉 Learn more about the trend of financialised SaaS
👥 HR platforms
Salary advances or emergency fund access? With embedded finance, HR platforms can enable on-demand access to employee wages directly through their system. It’s a win for both employers and employees – boosting financial wellbeing and employee satisfaction.
Now for the big question: how do you choose the right embedded finance provider?
Here are the six key criteria we recommend using when evaluating potential partners:
1. Breadth, flexibility, and control over the product experience
Your embedded finance journey should be just that – yours. You’ll want a partner that enables you to design a product experience that works for your user base.
Look for a provider that offers you end-to-end control over the user experience and the ability to scale and customise over time.
🔹 At Edenred Payment Solutions, we offer in-house card and e-money account issuing and payment processing, becoming the single point of contact that helps you get to market faster, with less commercial and technical hoops.
2. Ease of integration
Robust APIs are what turn ambitious product ideas into reality. The smoother the integration, the easier it is to build your product.
Top questions to ask a potential embedded finance provider:
🔹 We offer 300+ customisable APIs, built with real-world use cases in mind – so you can embed financial features without friction.
3. Direct access to payment schemes and licenses
If you’re issuing cards, embedding e-money accounts, or enabling account-to-account payments, your provider must have the right scheme memberships and regulatory licences in place. This impacts everything – from cost and speed to scalability.
🔹 At Edenred Payment Solutions, we are:
You have the flexibility to choose only the payment solutions you need. We’re fully adaptable to your requirements, just pick and choose based on your regulatory requirements and any existing scheme integrations.
👉 Find out more about payment schemes here
💡 Top tip: The more embedded your partner is in the payment ecosystem, the more capabilities you can unlock without delays and third-party dependencies.
4. Scalability and market reach
Today you may be focused on a local launch – but what happens when you want to expand?
A great embedded finance partner should help you:
🔹 We’re an FCA and NBB-regulated e-money institution, supporting programs across the UK and EU. Whether you’re a rapidly scaling organisation or an established enterprise, we’re always ready to grow and expand with you.
5. Compliance, transaction monitoring and regulatory reporting
You’re embedding financial services into your product – and that comes with great responsibility. Make sure your provider offers robust support with:
🔹 At Edenred Payment Solutions, we help clients get to market confidently, with compliance woven into the stack from day one.
👉 More insights about compliance this way
6. Proven experience with similar clients
One of the most reliable indicators of success? A strong track record.
Look at your potential partner’s customer base:
🔹 We support a range of use cases, from BNPL to SaaS platforms, insurance and beyond. And our client relationships are built on collaboration, not just contracts.
There should be a shared understanding of project goals, success and product vision for a successful long-term collaboration.
Karine Martinez
Head of Sales
Edenred Payment Solutions
Edenred Payment Solutions gives you real-time, flexible, and compliant access to a powerful payment ecosystem – including e-money accounts, card issuing, and payment scheme connectivity – all via developer-friendly APIs.
As part of the global Edenred Group, we offer the scale, financial stability, and long-term reliability you need from a partner. Whether you’re a fintech, corporate, or insurer, we can support your product vision with tech capabilities and payment expertise.
Hear directly from Jinesh Vohra – CEO at Sprive and our client – how to pick the right embedded finance provider and advice on building long-lasting relationships for your business success.
PayByPhone, a leader in mobile parking payment in France and internationally, was looking to streamline parking management for corporate fleets. Thanks to the partnership with us, it now provides a virtual payment card embedded within employees’ PayByPhone app, eliminating the need for upfront payment and manual reconciliation.
The workflow is efficient and provides a single cohesive user experience. Through our virtual card issuing and payment processing capabilities, PayPhone is able to provide an end-to-end digital payment solution tailored to the parking needs of their vehicle fleets. Authorised fleet drivers benefit from a 75% faster transaction time than with other payment methods.
Embedded finance has the power to transform your product – but only if you have the right partner by your side. The key is to work with a provider that has the right mix of flexibility, scale, stability, regulatory expertise, and a deep commitment to your success.
At Edenred Payment Solutions, we’re here to help you build better, get to market faster, and stay future-ready.
If you’re looking for an embedded finance provider that has the right tech capabilities, licensing, and a highly skilled team dedicated to bringing your product vision to life – you are in the right place.