WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
Nium and Payoneer side by side in the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index and Payouts and Mass Payments Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index, Payoneer scores higher overall: 3.5 out of 5 (70 out of 100) against 3.2 (64), ranking 4 and 5 of 11. Payoneer scores higher for SMEs and exporters and marketplaces and platforms; they tie for payment and e-money firms. In the Payouts and Mass Payments Index, Payoneer scores higher overall: 3.5 out of 5 (71 out of 100) against 3.4 (67), ranking 4 and 5 of 11. Nium scores higher for payment and fintech firms; Payoneer scores higher for marketplaces and gig platforms and firms paying contractors and creators.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Nium | Payoneer |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Score out of 100 | 64 | 70 |
| Overall rank | 5 of 11 | 4 of 11 |
| For SMEs and exporters (out of 100) | 56, rank 6 | 70, rank 4 |
| For payment and e-money firms (out of 100) | 70, rank 4 | 70, rank 5 |
| For marketplaces and platforms (out of 100) | 66, rank 5 | 70, rank 4 |
| Type | Cross-border payments infrastructure | Cross-border payments platform |
| Score | Nium | Payoneer |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
| Score out of 100 | 67 | 71 |
| Overall rank | 5 of 11 | 4 of 11 |
| For marketplaces and gig platforms (out of 100) | 66, rank 5 | 70, rank 4 |
| For firms paying contractors and creators (out of 100) | 53, rank 6 | 64, rank 4 |
| For payment and fintech firms (out of 100) | 83, rank 2 | 78, rank 4 |
| Type | Cross-border payouts infrastructure | Cross-border payments and mass payouts platform |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Nium | Payoneer |
|---|---|---|
| Payment reach | 5/5 190+ countries and 125+ currencies published. | 4/5 190+ countries and 70+ currencies published. |
| Published pricing | 0/5 Not published on the pages read. | 3/5 Full fee table published, but many fees are ranges or "up to" figures. |
| Payment speed | 2/5 "Real-time" settlement stated without delivery times. | 3/5 Withdrawals "typically within 24 hours" published; no share of payments. |
| Collection accounts | 3/5 Collection in 100+ currencies stated without a count of local account details. | 4/5 Receiving details in 22 currencies, local details in 13. |
| Integration | 4/5 API, sandbox and self-serve portal sign-up; no batch file or accounting connections published. | 3/5 Batch payments and ERP connections; no API or test environment on the pages read. |
| Regulatory standing | 5/5 Licences in more than ten regions published with regulator and licence numbers. | 4/5 Licences named in eight regions; only the FinCEN registration number published. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Cross-border Payments and Remittance Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
| Criterion | Nium | Payoneer |
|---|---|---|
| Global reach | 5/5 190+ countries and 100+ currencies published. | 4/5 190+ countries and 70 payout currencies published. |
| Published pricing | 0/5 Not published. | 2/5 Sending fees published only as "up to" figures; withdrawal and annual fees exact. |
| Payee onboarding and tax | 1/5 Beneficiary account checks in 50+ countries; recipient portal and tax forms not published. | 3/5 Hosted payee sign-up and recipient checks published; tax form collection not described. |
| Payout methods and speed | 5/5 Bank, card, wallet and stablecoin payouts with same-day and real-time delivery stated. | 5/5 Account, bank and e-wallet payouts with stated delivery times. |
| Integration | 4/5 API, SDK, web portal and a stated go-live time of days. | 2/5 API-enabled payouts and an embeddable sign-up page; no accounting integrations or self-serve set-up for payers on the pages read. |
| Regulatory standing | 5/5 Licences with numbers in 14 jurisdictions, ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2. | 5/5 Licences with numbers in nine jurisdictions, PCI DSS Level 1 and SOC 2 Type II. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Payouts and Mass Payments Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Nium | Payoneer |
|---|---|---|
| Payment reach | "Send funds to 190+ countries in local currencies and methods"; "Real-time conversion across 2,000+ currency pairs and 125+ currencies". | "receive, send, and manage cross-border payments across 190+ countries and territories and 70+ currencies". |
| Pricing | Not published on the pages read. | Receiving into a local-currency receiving account: "Free"; non-local currency: "1% (minimum fee of 1.00 USD or equivalent)". Withdrawal in same country and currency: 1.50 USD; cross-border withdrawal: 1.2% to 4%. Moving funds between balances: 0.50%. Annual account fee 29.95 USD under 6,000 USD received in 12 months. "Last updated on 1 January 2026." |
| Payment speed | "Add real-time global settlement without rebuilding your core infrastructure." No delivery times or shares published. | Withdraw "to your local bank typically within 24 hours" (receiving accounts page). |
| Collection accounts | "Hold, convert, and collect in 100+ currencies from one account." No count of local account details published. | "get receiving account details in 22 currencies", including local details in 13 currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, AUD, CAD, SGD, HKD, AED, MXN, BRL, KRW and IDR. |
| Integration | API documentation; "Sign up for the Nium Web Portal" and "start building with Nium Sandbox today"; beneficiary account validation "across 50+ countries". | "Preview and make up to 1000 payments in one action"; "ERP to data warehouse, Payoneer connects to your systems"; no-code payment links. No API or test environment on the pages read. |
| Regulatory standing | Licence page: Nium Fintech Limited, FCA reference 901024, and Nium Payments UK Limited, FCA 900800; UAB Nium EU, Bank of Lithuania EMI licence no. 14; NIUM Pte. Ltd., MAS Major Payment Institution PS20200276; ASIC AFSL 464627; HK MSO 16-01-01797; Kanto Local Finance Bureau licence 00073; FINTRAC M15669293. | FinCEN MSB Registration No. 31000288349183; e-money institution authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland; Payoneer Payment Services (UK) Limited, FCA e-money institution; HK MSO; Kanto Finance Bureau registration; ASIC; RBI; MAS Major Payment Institution. Only the FinCEN number is shown. |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Nium: pricing, payment speed, collection accounts and integration.
Not published or not stated by Payoneer: nothing in this profile is marked as not published or not stated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: nium.com, nium.com/global-coverage, nium.com/licenses; and payoneer.com, payoneer.com/about/pricing, payoneer.com/receiving-accounts, payoneer.com/legal/….
| Fact | Nium | Payoneer |
|---|---|---|
| Global reach | "Reach 190+ countries in fiat or stablecoin"; payouts "in 100+ local currencies". | Payees in "190+ countries and territories"; hold "up to 30 currencies" and pay out in "70 currencies". |
| Pricing | Not published; "Rates and fees are surfaced at the time of the transaction." | Sending to a recipient in the same country: "Up to 4.00 USD / EUR / GBP"; to another country: "Up to 1% + Up to 4.00 USD"; withdrawal to a bank, same currency: 1.50 USD; annual account fee 29.95 USD below 6,000 USD received. |
| Payout methods and speed | "Deliver to bank accounts, cards, or wallets, in fiat or stablecoin"; "100+ real-time corridors"; real-time markets "can settle same-day". | "Payoneer account, local bank account or eWallet"; to Payoneer accounts "within minutes"; bank transfers "up to 3 business days". |
| Integration | "Go live in days via API, SDK, or web portal"; "Validate beneficiary accounts instantly across 50+ countries". | Not listed in this index |
| Regulatory standing | NIUM Pte. Ltd. MAS Major Payment Institution PS20200276; Nium Fintech Limited FCA e-money institution 901024; UAB Nium EU Bank of Lithuania e-money licence No. 14; Nium, Inc. NMLS ID 1528562 with money transfer licences in 36 states; licences also listed for Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan and others. | FinCEN MSB 31000288349183; Central Bank of Ireland e-money authorisation 966835; FCA e-money authorisation 15-10-01734; Hong Kong MSO 00045; Kanto Finance Bureau 504803; RBI OPGSP PS20200604; MAS Major Payment Institution. |
| Security | Badges for PCI DSS, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2 Type 2 and SOC 1 Type 2. | "PCI DSS level 1 certified"; "SOC 2 Type II and SOC 1 Type II assessment conducted by independent audit firm". |
| Payee onboarding | Not listed in this index | Embeddable sign-up page or sign-up link for payees; "Entrust your KYC, AML, and other fraud prevention processes to us." Tax services mentioned in general terms only. |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Nium: pricing and payee onboarding and tax.
Not published or not stated by Payoneer: payee onboarding and tax.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: nium.com/products/global-payouts, nium.com/regulatory-disclosures; and payoneer.com/business/global-payouts, payoneer.com/fees, payoneer.com/legal/…, payoneer.com/security.
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
No award in this index.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Payment firms and platforms building payouts through an API.
Online sellers and service firms collecting from marketplaces and clients abroad.
Payment and fintech firms needing real-time payouts and licences in many markets.
Marketplaces paying sellers abroad into accounts, bank accounts or wallets.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.