“Because too many providers have forgotten who actually keeps the European economy moving,” Galevski says. “Payments is a scale business. Big acquirers naturally chase the biggest volumes, logos and contracts. We decided to look in the other direction.”

That direction is Europe’s micro, small and medium-sized businesses: 99.8% of EU enterprises. They create jobs and local value, yet too often get payment experiences designed around the provider rather than the merchant.

“Small merchants know the routine: slow onboarding, another AML document request, another compliance queue, another support ticket. And if an account is suddenly restricted or funds are held with little explanation, finding a human who can help becomes a sport. Compliance is non-negotiable. Bureaucracy and radio silence are not.”

So is Maksu trying to be the Robin Hood of payments?

“Maybe a little,” Galevski laughs. “But we’re not a charity and we’re not trying to be the cheapest processor on the internet. The Robin Hood part is giving smaller merchants something the industry increasingly reserves for the biggest clients: attention.”

• Merchant-first, not volume-first: Smaller merchants should not have to become a multinational before somebody learns their name.
• Own platform, end-to-end: Maksu’s core payment platform and technology are developed and controlled in-house, supporting 70+ payment methods – including cards and the full range of European payment methods – through Maksu’s own direct connections. Core payment elements are not outsourced to a third-party platform, giving us more control over reliability, development and the merchant experience.
• European by design, regulated locally: Maksu is built, hosted and operated in Europe and licensed as a Payment Institution by the Austrian Financial Market Authority – a regulated European partner with its technology close to home.

Does better service mean higher prices?

No. We think ‘cheap’ and ‘good value’ are two very different things. Maksu is built to be the best-value-for-money payment provider: competitive, transparent pricing combined with 24-hour onboarding, daily payouts, real human support and an end-to-end platform we own and control.

“A few basis points saved mean very little if onboarding takes weeks, payouts get stuck or nobody answers. We want merchants to look at the whole package and say: for what I pay, nobody gives me more.”

How does that translate into daily benefits for retailers?

Maksu focuses on the points where smaller merchants feel payment friction most:

• 24-hour, AI-assisted onboarding: AI does the heavy lifting on repetitive KYC/KYB work – document intake, data extraction, screening and checks – while experienced people stay in the loop to answer questions and review cases where human judgment is needed. The result: eligible merchants can be ready to go live within 24 hours, without turning compliance into a chatbot-only process.
• Best value for money: Competitive, transparent pricing combined with 70+ payment methods, speed, daily settlement, our own technology and hands-on support. Not a race to the cheapest headline rate – a race to deliver the strongest overall package for the money.
• Daily payouts: For an SME, cash flow is not a treasury theory. Money is more useful buying stock and funding growth than sitting in somebody else’s settlement cycle.
• Real human support: No chatbot marathon. No “your ticket is important to us” for three days. Merchants can speak to payment experts and dedicated customer success.

What is your message to retailers considering a switch?

“Ask yourself one question: does your payment provider know your business, or only your merchant ID? Every processor looks good when everything works. You discover the difference when onboarding gets complicated, a payout is delayed or something suddenly stops working. Maksu is the new kid, so we have to work harder. Good. We intend to. Europe’s small merchants keep the economy moving. They shouldn’t have to beg for service from the companies moving their money.”