Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the state approvals, including banking and payment rails.
Get a payment license in the USA.
There is no federal EMI - there are fifty state doors and one federal register. FinCEN MSB registration plus state money transmitter licences is how non-bank payments run in America; we sequence the states, or structure the bank partnership that skips them.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
USA in brief
Fifty doors, one map, several real shortcuts.
America regulates money transmission twice. Federally, FinCEN's money services business registration is mandatory, fast and AML-focused - it authorises nothing by itself, a distinction sellers of shortcuts routinely blur. The operating permission lives state by state: money transmitter licences from each state regulator where your customers are, each with its own capital, bonding, net-worth and reporting rules. The good news is harmonisation - the Money Transmission Modernization Act model law keeps spreading through state legislatures, aligning definitions, exemptions and multistate examination, and coordinated licensing through the NMLS platform means a well-built core file serves every application. A phased programme - anchor states first, expansion waves after - realistically runs 12-24 months to meaningful coverage.
The real shortcuts are structural, not magical: bank-partnership models where a chartered institution holds the regulated activity while you operate the product; agent-of-payee exemptions in states that recognise them; and acquisitions of already-licensed transmitters where speed justifies the premium. Each has real constraints we map before you commit. What the effort buys is the deepest payments market on earth, and our own Americas desk in Miami runs the programme from inside it. Federal corporate tax is 21% with state layers of 0-9%; no VAT exists.
No federal licence exists: FinCEN MSB registration (AML only) + state money transmitter licences through NMLS, increasingly MTMA-harmonised - anchors first, waves after, 12-24 months.
The shortcuts are structural: bank partnerships, agent-of-payee, acquisitions. We run the programme from our own Miami office.
The two routes
The state-by-state programme - or the partnership route.
Two real ways into US payments: the licensing programme across your customer states, or a bank partnership that holds the regulated layer while you build. We fix the route first, then build once.
The phased state MTL programme - or partnership and exemption routes.
01 - STATE MTL PROGRAMME
Money transmitter licences
The full route: FinCEN MSB registration plus phased state licences through NMLS. Anchor states first, MTMA-aligned core file, bonding and capital per state. To meaningful national coverage.
The full route: FinCEN MSB registration plus phased state licences through NMLS. Anchor states first, MTMA-aligned core file, bonding and capital per state. To meaningful national coverage.
- ✓FinCEN MSB - the federal register
- ✓State MTLs via the NMLS platform
- ✓MTMA-aligned core application file
- ✓Capital, bonding and net-worth per state
- ✓Phased waves - anchors first
- ✓12-24 months to real coverage
02 - PARTNERSHIP · EXEMPTION ROUTES
The structural shortcutsBank partnerships & exemptions
A chartered bank holds the regulated activity while you run the product; agent-of-payee exemptions carve out payment-collection models; licensed-entity acquisitions buy time. Real routes, real constraints - mapped precisely.
Bank partnerships; agent-of-payee by state; licensed-entity acquisitions; hybrid sequencing.
- ✓Bank-partnership program structures
- ✓Agent-of-payee exemptions by state
- ✓Payroll and bill-pay carve-outs
- ✓Acquisition of licensed transmitters
- ✓Constraint mapping before commitment
- ✓Hybrid: partnership now, MTLs in waves
Costs and timelines are confirmed for your case before any work begins. State fees, bonds and capital vary widely; the programme budget is itemised state by state in your quote.
Why the USA
The market that justifies the map.
Nobody licenses in America because it is easy. They do it because the volumes are unmatched and the map, read correctly, is navigable.
✓
The deepest market on earth
US payment volumes dwarf every alternative. A licensed foothold here outweighs whole regions elsewhere, which is the entire business case.The volumes justify the map.
✓
MTMA harmonisation
The model law keeps spreading. Common definitions, coordinated exams, aligned exemptions, so the fifty doors increasingly accept one key.One key, more doors yearly.
✓
NMLS coordination
One platform carries every application, licence and filing. A well-built core file amortises across the whole programme.One file, every application.
✓
Partnership infrastructure
America's bank-partnership ecosystem is the world's most developed. Sponsor banks, program managers and counsel who do this daily.The developed shortcut.
✓
Our own Miami desk
Prifinance runs US mandates from its own Americas office. The programme managed from inside the market, not across an ocean.Run from inside the market.
✓
The staircase logic
Partnership first, anchor states next, waves after. Revenue funds the programme instead of preceding it. We sequence it deliberately.Revenue funds the waves.
How it compares
How the USA differs from other routes.
America trades a state patchwork for unmatched volumes. The side-by-side comparison is below.
USA vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  USA | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | FinCEN + state MTLs | Single national licences |
| Coverage | State by state | National / passported |
| Alternatives | Bank partnerships, exemptions | Rare |
| Market | The world's deepest | Smaller everywhere |
Regime
USAFinCEN + state MTLs
Other jurisdictionsSingle national licences
Coverage
USAState by state
Other jurisdictionsNational / passported
Alternatives
USABank partnerships, exemptions
Other jurisdictionsRare
Market
USAThe world's deepest
Other jurisdictionsSmaller everywhere
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | State MTLs + FinCEN | 21% + state 0-9% | Phased programme, bonding |
 Canada | RPAA + MSB | ~23-27% combined | Registration-based, months |
 United Kingdom | EMI/PI (FCA) | 25% CIT · 19% small | PSRs/EMRs regime |
 Lithuania | EMI (Bank of Lithuania) | 17% CIT (2026) | CENTROlink, EU passport |
United StatesLicense typeState MTLs + FinCEN
Taxation21% + state 0-9%
RequirementsPhased programme, bonding
CanadaLicense typeRPAA + MSB
Taxation~23-27% combined
RequirementsRegistration-based, months
United KingdomLicense typeEMI/PI (FCA)
Taxation25% CIT · 19% small
RequirementsPSRs/EMRs regime
LithuaniaLicense typeEMI (Bank of Lithuania)
Taxation17% CIT (2026)
RequirementsCENTROlink, EU passport
Before you apply
Requirements for the US programme.Requirements for the programme.
Each state reads the same core file through its own statute. The craft is building that file once, MTMA-grade. The checklist below is what a passing programme contains.
01
US entity. Typically a Delaware corporation with the operating footprint mapped to customer states.
02
FinCEN MSB registration. Filed before operations, renewed on cycle, with the AML programme behind it.
03
The state map. Customer geography translated into licence obligations, exemptions and sequencing.
04
Core application file. MTMA-aligned business plan, financials, policies and biographical sets serving every state.
05
Capital and bonding. State-by-state net-worth and surety-bond schedules, modelled across the programme.
06
AML/BSA programme. A named officer, risk assessment, monitoring and SAR reporting built for examination.
07
Control-person clearances. Fingerprints, biographies and disclosures for every control person, NMLS-ready.
08
Financial reporting. Audited statements and the quarterly call-report discipline states expect.
09
Permissible-investment compliance. Outstanding liabilities covered by qualifying assets, tracked live.
10
Examination readiness. Multistate MMLA exam protocols anticipated in the compliance architecture.
01
US corporation, mapped footprint.
02
FinCEN MSB before operations.
03
The state map, in writing.
04
MTMA-grade core file, built once.
05
Capital and bonds per state.
06
BSA officer + exam-ready AML.
07
Control-person clearances (NMLS).
08
Audited financials, call reports.
09
Permissible-investment coverage.
10
Multistate exam readiness.
Reflects the Bank Secrecy Act, state money transmission statutes and the MTMA model law as of 2026.BSA + state statutes + MTMA, as of 2026.
How it works
From the state map to national coverage.
01
The state map
Customer geography, exemptions and partnership options. The programme designed in writing with budget.Geography → obligations → budget.
02
US entity and people
Delaware formation, control-person clearances and the BSA officer regulators vet.Delaware, clearances, BSA officer.
03
FinCEN and the core file
MSB registration filed; the MTMA-grade core application built once for every state.Registered; built once for all.
04
Anchor states and waves
First licences in anchor states, expansion waves after - 12-24 months to meaningful coverage.12-24 months to coverage.
05
Coverage and examination
Licences live, bonds posted, multistate exam readiness running. The deepest market, entered properly.Licensed, bonded, exam-ready.
Quick facts
Federal registerFinCEN MSB
Operating permissionState MTLs
PlatformNMLS
HarmonisationMTMA model law
AlternativesPartnerships · exemptions
Programme timeline12-24 months
Corporate tax21% + state 0-9%
Our presenceOwn Miami office
FinCEN registration authorises nothing by itself. The states do. Knowing exactly which, in what order, is the entire game and our job.
On the ground in the USA
Run from our Miami office.
Prifinance - USA
Miami · USA
Miami, Florida
01
US company formation
Delaware incorporation, the operating footprint and the corporate layer state regulators expect. Structured for the programme from day one.Delaware + footprint, structured.
02
The core file, built once
MTMA-grade business plan, policies, financials and biographical sets. Engineered to serve every state application through NMLS without rework.Serves every state via NMLS.
03
Sequencing strategy
Anchor states chosen by customer geography and regulator speed, partnership bridges where they fit. The programme phased so revenue funds expansion.Anchors, bridges, waves.
04
Substance and staffing
BSA officer, licensing manager and examination-ready compliance. Assembled from our own Miami office inside the market.From our own Miami office.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Dubai
UAE
33 Level, Al Saqr Business Tower
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of payment companies in the USA.
21% federal with state layers of zero to nine points, and no VAT anywhere. The modelling is in the state choices.
Federal 21%
The flat federal corporate rate on a transmitter's fee and float income. Stable since 2018 and the anchor of every model.Stable anchor since 2018.
State layers 0-9%
State corporate taxes range from zero (Texas franchise aside, Wyoming, others) to roughly nine points. The seat and nexus map are genuine decisions.Seat and nexus modelled.
No VAT
The US levies no value-added tax. Pricing and margin mechanics run without a consumption-tax layer entirely.Margins without the layer.
R&D credits
Federal and state research credits reward platform build-out. Payment companies with US engineering claim them routinely.US build-out rewarded.
Dividends 30% - treaty relief
Outbound dividends carry 30% withholding, cut sharply by the treaty network. Holding-structure design does the work.Treaties do the work.
Treaty network 60+
A deep treaty network across every major economy. Group structures above the US entity model cleanly.Every major economy.
Tax summary
Federal corporate tax21%
State corporate tax0-9%
VATNone
Dividend withholding30% · treaty relief
R&D creditsFederal + state
Tax treaties60+
*Figures as of 2026 per the IRS and state schedules. Nexus and apportionment are modelled with the licensing map.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: US corporation, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed programme.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Money Transmitter (MTL) and MSB licensing in the USA
USA · FinCEN & state regulators
Launch your payment project in the USA with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from Delaware formation to FinCEN registration, the state licensing programme and ongoing compliance - from our own Miami office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is the USA the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The US payment licences: quick answers.
Is there a federal payments licence in the USA?+
No - FinCEN's MSB registration is a federal AML register, not an operating licence. Permission to transmit money lives state by state through money transmitter licences. Anyone selling a 'federal US payments licence' is selling the distinction they hope you won't check.
How many states do we actually need?+
Where your customers are, which for national products means most of them, and for corridor or B2B models can mean far fewer. The state map against your actual geography is the first document we produce.
How long does a multi-state programme take?+
Realistically 12-24 months to meaningful coverage, phased: anchor states first, waves after. The MTMA-aligned core file through NMLS is what keeps fifty applications from being fifty projects.
What do the states require?+
Capital and net-worth minimums, surety bonds, control-person clearances, audited financials, AML programmes and permissible-investment coverage of outstanding liabilities - each per statute, increasingly MTMA-aligned. Budgeted state by state in your quote.
What is a bank-partnership model?+
A chartered bank holds the regulated activity while you operate the product under a program agreement - America's most developed shortcut, with real constraints on economics and control. We map whether it fits before you commit either way.
What is agent-of-payee?+
A state-level exemption where collecting payment as the payee's agent takes you outside transmission - powerful for payout and bill-pay models in the states that recognise it. The map varies; we chart it.
What substance is expected?+
A US corporation with a named BSA officer, examination-ready AML architecture, audited financials, posted bonds and the reporting discipline states enforce through multistate exams.
How are payment companies taxed?+
21% federal plus state layers of 0-9%, no VAT, R&D credits for US build-out and 30% dividend withholding cut by treaties - with nexus following the licensing map.
Is buying a licensed transmitter faster?+
Sometimes - an acquisition brings licences with change-of-control approvals in each state, which is its own programme. Faster when done well, ruinous when the target's compliance history is dirty. We diligence before you pay for time.
Why the USA rather than Canada first?+
Canada's federal stack lands in months and builds operating history; the US is the destination market that justifies years. The standard sequence is exactly that - Canada or an EU/UK licence first, the US programme funded by revenue. We run both tracks.
Federal licence?+
None - FinCEN is a register, states license.
How many states?+
Where your customers are - mapped first.
How long?+
12-24 months, phased.
State asks?+
Capital, bonds, clearances, AML.
Partnerships?+
Bank holds the layer - real constraints.
Agent-of-payee?+
State exemption - charted per model.
Substance?+
BSA officer, exam-ready everything.
Taxes?+
21% + state; no VAT.
Buy a licensee?+
Faster if clean - diligenced first.
Sequence?+
Canada/EU first, US on revenue.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
“I had their assistance in company registration and I would recommend them. They were answering all my clarification during the process and offering all their supportThank you Daniel and Irinia”
Google
“We found PRIFINANCE COMPANYvia the Internet and asked for help in organizing the opening of their company in Estonia. PRIFINANCE COMPANY specialists helped us a lot with this. Their professional, competent approach and knowledge of their business left us with only the best impressions.”
Google
“I'm thrilled with my experience with PriFinance! They helped me obtain a crypto license in Estonia without any hassle. The team was super understanding and always available to answer my questions and assist. It was great to see how they put effort into preparing the documents to ensure everything went smoothly. I'm delighted with the outcome and highly recommend PriFinance to anyone looking to get a license…”
Google
“Opening an account with Prifinance in a Swiss bank was such an easy and quick process that I was shocked. It all started with the first call, where I received detailed guidance on the required documents and the entire procedure.One of the key highlights was their attention to detail. As someone who usually gets tangled up in paperwork, I was pleasantly surprised when they sent me all the documents and…”
Google
“I recently had the pleasure of working with Boris.. and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Boris went above and beyond to assist me with my residency needs. His professionalism, knowledge, and dedication truly stood out. I highly recommend working with Boris and the team!”
Google
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which US route fits your project and what it will cost.
✓Written legal opinion within 2-5 business days - free of charge✓A clear recommendation on the right licence scope, not a sales pitch✓Transparent fixed fees, confirmed up front✓EN · RU · ES speaking team
Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of FinCEN or any state financial regulator or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.