The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) has selected Adyen (AMS: ADYEN) as its new payment services provider (PSP) for non-Crown card transactions and pay-by-bank options. This partnership positions Adyen to support around 1,000 public sector services, spanning local authorities, the armed forces, and police forces, while paving the way for meaningful tech advancements in UK government payments.
GOV.UK Pay, developed by GDS, serves as the central online payment gateway for public sector organizations.
Since its introduction in 2016, the platform has facilitated more than £9 billion in transactions across over 135 million payments.
It enables government bodies to collect fees, fines, bills, and other charges in a secure, user-friendly, and accessible manner.
The service currently supports over 1,700 individual services used by more than 600 organizations, including those in central and local government, the NHS, military, and law enforcement.
Under the new arrangement, public sector entities will gradually shift their GOV.UK Pay processing from the current provider, Stripe, to Adyen’s advanced platform.
The decision emerged from a competitive tender process and represents a key step in GOV.UK Pay’s strategy to update its payment infrastructure and expand available methods, particularly open banking-style pay-by-bank solutions.
Adyen, a global fintech platform leveraged by corporations, offers a unified system that integrates payments, data analytics, and financial tools.
By adopting this technology, GOV.UK Pay gains access to robust infrastructure capable of handling large-scale volumes, accelerating the rollout of new features, and adapting to changing user preferences.
The platform’s design simplifies operations by reducing the fragmentation common in traditional payment setups, thereby boosting security, efficiency, and overall reliability.
The migration process will unfold in stages, with Adyen leveraging its proven expertise in transitioning high-volume clients without interrupting service.
GOV.UK Pay teams will work with individual service providers to ensure a smooth handover, minimizing any impact on consumers and organizations.
Users can expect no changes in functionality or downtime during the transition. GOV.UK Pay will continue overseeing supplier management, regulatory compliance, and core technical operations.
Nicole Olbe, Adyen’s Managing Director for the UK and Ireland, highlighted the importance of the collaboration: public sector bodies face increasing demands to provide smooth digital interactions while upholding trust and operational effectiveness.
She emphasized that citizens interacting with government services—whether paying routine bills, settling penalties, or purchasing essentials—deserve straightforward and dependable experiences.
Adyen aims to support the modernization of public payments and enable scalable, citizen-centric solutions.
This partnership underscores a broader push toward digital transformation in UK public services.
By integrating Adyen’s capabilities, GOV.UK Pay is equipped to meet evolving needs, reduce administrative burdens on government departments, and deliver cost efficiencies.
Interested public sector organizations can explore further details through the GOV.UK Pay roadmap or by reaching out to the dedicated team.
Adyen enables payments for global brands including Meta, Uber, H&M, eBay, and Microsoft. Its end-to-end solution helps organizations scale rapidly through integrated technology and insights.
As governments prioritize seamless all-digital services, initiatives like this highlight how fintech collabs can strengthen public infrastructure, improve user satisfaction, and drive long-term innovation in essential services. The transition to Adyen marks a key milestone in making government payments more accessible and inclusive.
