Atlas - Choosing a model
How to Determine which Atlas Model suits your business use case.
Choosing the Right Atlas Model for Your Business
The Atlas Suite is Verto's embedded finance API product, designed to help businesses offer payments, collections, FX, and accounts to their underlying clients without building the underlying infrastructure from scratch.
Choosing the right model before you integrate is important — the two models have different compliance requirements, onboarding flows, currency coverage, and relationship structures.
⚡ Quick Decision Guide (Which one fits you?)
Answer these 3 questions to instantly find your model:
| Question | If YES... | Recommended Model |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Do you need sub-accounts in USD, GBP, or EUR? | You must use Platform. Fintech only supports emerging market currencies (NGN, KES, ZAR, etc.). | Atlas for Platform |
| 2. Do you want to earn revenue by adding a custom FX markup to user trades? | FX markups are only supported on Platform. | Atlas for Platform |
| 3. Are you an unlicensed business, OR a licensed business without a recent independent AML audit? | You cannot pass the Fintech Downstream Assessment. Verto must handle compliance directly. | Atlas for Platform |
If you answered "No" to all three, and you are a directly licensed Financial Institution (MSB, MTO, PSP) serving corporate clients in emerging markets, Atlas for Fintech is best suited for you.
🏛️ Atlas for Fintechs
Atlas for Fintech is designed for regulated financial institutions that want to embed Verto's payment and FX infrastructure to serve their own underlying clients. You retain the compliance relationship with your clients — Verto assesses your internal controls and places a level of reliance on your existing framework.
- Best for: Directly licensed financial institutions (Fintechs, Neobanks, PSPs, MSBs, MTOs).
- How Compliance Works: You keep full ownership of your end-clients. Verto relies on your existing KYB/KYC processes after completing a Downstream Compliance Assessment.
- Key Capabilities:
- Collect (COBO) for corporate clients only; Pay out (POBO) for both corporates and individuals.
- Access emerging market currencies (NGN, KES, ZAR, TZS, XOF, XAF).
- Key Limitations: Does not support major G10 currencies (USD, GBP, EUR) at the sub-account level or FX markups.
📖 Read the Full Atlas for Fintech Guide
🌐 Atlas for Platforms
Atlas for Platforms is designed for non-licensed, non-financial businesses that want to offer embedded cross-border financial services to their clients under Verto's licensing and infrastructure.
- Best for: Non-regulated businesses, marketplaces, SaaS/Payroll platforms, white-label brokers, or fintechs without an independent AML audit.
- How Compliance Works: Verto directly verifies each sub-account and holds the financial service relationship under Verto's licenses. Your clients accept Verto's Terms & Conditions.
- Key Capabilities:
- Full Currency Access: Includes G10 currencies (USD, GBP, EUR) alongside emerging markets.
- Monetization: Generate platform revenue by adding custom FX markups to client conversions.
- No License Needed: Operates entirely under Verto's regulatory licenses.
📖 Read the Full Atlas for Platform Guide
📊 At a glance
| Feature / Detail | Atlas for Fintech | Atlas for Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Sub-account type | SUB_CLIENT | PARTNER_REFERRED |
| Who it's for | Regulated financial institutions, fintechs, PSPs, MTOs, MSBs | Digital platforms, marketplaces, payroll companies, white-label brokers, non-regulated businesses |
| Compliance model | Reliance-based — Verto assesses your compliance framework and places reliance on your KYB/KYC processes | Non-reliance — Verto conducts full KYB/KYC on each sub-account directly |
| End-client relationship | End-client's relationship is with you (the FI) only | End-client has a direct financial services relationship with Verto and must accept Verto's T&Cs |
| Currency coverage | Emerging market currencies (NGN, KES, TZS, XOF, XAF, ZAR) — G10 currencies not supported at sub-account level | Broader coverage including G10 currencies (USD, GBP, EUR) plus emerging markets |
| FX markup | Not available | Available — apply markup to sub-account FX trades to generate platform revenue |
| Own licence required | Yes — you must be a directly regulated entity with a recent AML Audit | No — Verto's licensing covers your clients |
| Collections (COBO) | Supported for corporates only | Supported |
| Payouts (POBO) | Supported for corporates and individuals | Supported |
| Sweep to parent | Yes | Not available by default — requires compliance approval for use case |
🔀 Side-by-side use case examples
| Use case | Recommended model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Fintech offering NGN and KES collection accounts to corporate clients | Atlas for Fintech | Directly regulated, corporate clients only, emerging market currencies |
| Remittance provider paying out to individuals across Africa | Atlas for Fintech | Directly licensed, POBO for individuals supported |
| B2B marketplace wanting to offer USD accounts to merchant clients | Atlas for Platform | Non-regulated platform, USD sub-accounts required |
| Payroll platform disbursing salary to employees in multiple African markets | Atlas for Platform | Non-regulated, mass disbursement to individuals |
| White-label FX broker wanting to apply custom rates to clients | Atlas for Platform | FX markup only available on Platform model |
| Fintech without an independent AML audit | Atlas for Platform | Cannot pass Downstream Assessment — Verto handles compliance directly |
🚀 Getting started
Once you have identified the right model, contact your account manager or [email protected] to begin the qualification process. Your account manager will guide you through the Downstream Assessment (for Atlas for Fintech) or the partner setup process (for Atlas for Platform) before you begin your API integration.
If you are still unsure which applies to your use case, contact [email protected] or speak to your account manager before starting your integration.
Updated 20 days ago