utstederinnløser

Utstederinnløser is a term used in the Norwegian payment industry to describe an entity that combines issuing and acquiring functions. In practice, an utstederinnløser acts as both the card issuer to cardholders and the merchant acquirer to merchants, enabling a more integrated handling of card-based payments within a single organization or service.

In operation, a utstederinnløser manages card programs and issues payment cards to customers, while also enabling merchants to accept those cards through acquiring services. The entity connects to card networks, processes authorization requests, and handles clearing and settlement. It may also provide related services such as risk management, fraud controls, customer support, and cardholder account management. Because it covers both sides of the transaction, the utstederinnløser can streamline program setup, settlement flows, and reconciliation.

This model contrasts with the traditional split model, where separate institutions handle issuing and acquiring. Advantages can include simplified onboarding for merchants, unified risk and compliance controls, faster settlement, and potential cost efficiencies. Disadvantages may include potential conflicts of interest, increased regulatory and capital requirements, and higher complexity in governance and risk management.

Regulatory considerations are important. In the European Economic Area and Norway, a utstederinnløser must comply with relevant rules for issuers and payment service providers, including licensing, anti-money laundering (AML), know-your-customer (KYC), strong customer authentication (SCA) under PSD2, and data protection regimes such as GDPR. The term is most commonly used in Norwegian fintech and PSP contexts and is not universally adopted as a formal designation in all markets.