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Trusted by Fintechs & Financial Institutions

Payments Compliance

Payments companies operate in one of the most complex and closely watched corners of the financial services regulatory landscape. High transaction volumes, diverse customer bases, and evolving regulatory expectations create compliance challenges that require specialized expertise. Pillars FinCrime Advisory helps payments companies build compliance programs that manage financial crime risk effectively, satisfy bank partner requirements, and keep pace with a regulatory environment that never stops moving.
Fractional Compliance Services

What Payments Compliance Actually Requires

Payments compliance goes well beyond standard AML and BSA obligations. The speed, volume, and complexity of payments activity creates unique financial crime risks that demand a specialized approach.

Payments-Specific Risk Assessment

We conduct risk assessments that are built around the specific risks inherent in payments activity, including transaction velocity, cross-border exposure, merchant risk, and the financial crime typologies most relevant to how your platform operates.

Transaction Monitoring for Payments

We design transaction monitoring frameworks calibrated to the speed and volume of payments activity, making sure your detection rules are built for how payments actually flow rather than applied from a generic template that misses what matters.

Merchant & Customer Due Diligence

We build due diligence frameworks for onboarding and monitoring both individual customers and merchant relationships, applying the right level of scrutiny based on risk and making sure your processes meet regulatory and bank partner expectations.

Bank Partner Compliance Support

Payments companies typically depend on banking relationships that come with significant compliance obligations. We help you meet those obligations, manage the ongoing relationship, and make sure your program gives your bank partner the confidence it needs to keep doing business with you.

Regulatory Program Development

We build the AML, BSA, and fraud risk programs your payments company needs to satisfy FinCEN requirements, state money transmitter obligations, and the compliance expectations of the banking partners your business depends on.

Ongoing Program Management

The payments regulatory environment changes constantly. We provide ongoing compliance support that keeps your program current with evolving guidance, emerging typologies, and the changing expectations of regulators and bank partners in the payments space.

Built for the Payments Industry

Payments Move Fast. Your Compliance Program Needs to Keep Up.

The compliance challenges facing payments companies are different from those facing traditional financial institutions. The transaction volumes are higher, the customer base is broader, the fraud typologies are more varied, and the regulatory and bank partner expectations are increasingly demanding. Generic compliance frameworks don't address those realities. Pillars builds payments compliance programs that are specifically designed for how payments businesses operate, the risks they actually face, and the regulatory environment they're navigating right now.

payments-compliance
What's Included

The Core Elements of a Payments Compliance Program That Works

Payments compliance requires a specific set of capabilities that map to the unique risk profile of your business. Here's what Pillars makes sure you have in place.

Payments-Specific Risk Controls
Controls designed around the financial crime risks specific to payments activity, including transaction velocity, cross-border exposure, and the fraud typologies most relevant to how your platform processes money.
High-Volume Transaction Monitoring
Monitoring frameworks built to handle the speed and volume of payments activity, with rules and thresholds calibrated to detect meaningful risk without generating alert volumes your team can't manage.
Customer & Merchant Onboarding
Due diligence processes for both individual customers and merchant relationships that apply risk-based scrutiny at onboarding and maintain ongoing oversight as those relationships evolve.
Regulatory Program Alignment
AML, BSA, and fraud programs built to satisfy the specific regulatory obligations that apply to payments companies, including FinCEN requirements and the compliance expectations of your banking partners.

Payments Compliance From Someone Who Understands How Payments Actually Work

Payments compliance advice is only useful when it comes from someone who understands the operational realities of the payments industry. Pillars brings that understanding to every engagement.

Joshua Douglas has worked inside payments companies and with payments companies long enough to understand what makes compliance in this space uniquely challenging. The transaction volumes are different. The fraud patterns are different. The regulatory expectations are different. And the stakes of getting it wrong are significant because payments companies sit at the intersection of technology, finance, and regulation in a way that draws close scrutiny from regulators and bank partners alike. When Pillars builds or advises on your payments compliance program, we bring that industry-specific knowledge to bear on every decision. We understand your business model, we know the risks that matter most for payments, and we build programs that address those risks without treating your organization like a traditional bank that happens to process payments.
12+ Years
Payments Compliance Experience
Industry Specific
Built for How Payments Work
Bank Ready
Programs That Satisfy Banking Partners
Client Impact

Built for the Challenges Fintechs Actually Face

From first-time compliance builds to regulatory remediation and bank partner readiness — see how Pillars FinCrime Advisory helps organizations move forward with confidence, clarity, and programs that hold up under scrutiny.

Pillars helped us navigate a complex regulatory review with confidence. Their hands-on approach and deep understanding of fintech compliance made all the difference. Our program is now scalable and audit-ready.

JD

James Donovan

Chief Compliance Officer

The fractional CCO service provided exactly what we needed—senior-level expertise without the overhead. Joshua and his team integrated seamlessly with our operations and gave us the strategic guidance to grow safely.

SW

Sarah Wagner

Head of Risk

From transaction monitoring optimization to KYC redesign, Pillars delivered measurable improvements. Alert quality is up, operational friction is down, and we're better prepared for regulatory exams.

MT

Michael Thompson

VP, Compliance Operations

Pillars helped us navigate a complex regulatory review with confidence. Their hands-on approach and deep understanding of fintech compliance made all the difference. Our program is now scalable and audit-ready.

JD

James Donovan

Chief Compliance Officer

The fractional CCO service provided exactly what we needed—senior-level expertise without the overhead. Joshua and his team integrated seamlessly with our operations and gave us the strategic guidance to grow safely.

SW

Sarah Wagner

Head of Risk

From transaction monitoring optimization to KYC redesign, Pillars delivered measurable improvements. Alert quality is up, operational friction is down, and we're better prepared for regulatory exams.

MT

Michael Thompson

VP, Compliance Operations

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes payments compliance different from standard financial institution compliance?
Payments companies face a distinct combination of high transaction volumes, diverse customer types, cross-border activity, and fraud patterns that don't map neatly onto traditional bank compliance frameworks. Regulators and bank partners also scrutinize payments companies more closely because of the financial crime risk inherent in moving money at scale. A compliance program built for a community bank won't address those realities and that's exactly why payments companies need expertise that's specific to their industry.
What regulatory obligations apply specifically to payments companies?
Payments companies are typically subject to FinCEN's AML and BSA requirements, state money transmitter licensing obligations, and the compliance expectations of any banking partners they work with. The specific obligations depend on your business model, the states you operate in, and how your platform processes money. Pillars helps you map your regulatory obligations accurately and build a program that addresses all of them.
How do bank partners evaluate the compliance programs of payments companies they work with?
Bank partners conduct ongoing due diligence on the payments companies they sponsor or work with, reviewing your compliance program, your controls, your risk assessment, and your transaction monitoring. They want to see a program that is well-documented, actively managed, and capable of identifying and reporting financial crime. Pillars helps you build and maintain the kind of program that keeps your bank partner confident in the relationship.
Our transaction volumes are growing rapidly. How do we make sure our compliance program keeps pace?
Rapid growth is one of the most common triggers for compliance program gaps in the payments space. As volume increases, your monitoring rules, staffing, and controls need to scale accordingly. Pillars helps you build a compliance infrastructure that is designed to grow with your business so that increasing transaction volume doesn't outpace your program's ability to manage the risk that comes with it.

Who We Work With

Pillars FinCrime Advisory partners with a range of organizations across the financial services ecosystem — from early-stage startups to established institutions managing complex compliance demands.

Houston, Texas

Headquarters

United States

Remote & On-Site Engagements

Founded 2025

By Joshua Douglas

Fintechs

Payments Companies

Sponsor Banks

Financial Institutions

Why Pillars
Why Payments Companies Choose Pillars for Compliance
We Know the Payments Space
Joshua Douglas has worked directly with payments companies and understands the compliance challenges that are unique to this industry. Our advice is grounded in payments-specific expertise, not generic financial services compliance principles applied to a different business model.
Built to Scale With Volume
Payments compliance programs need to handle growth without breaking down. Every program Pillars builds is designed with scalability in mind so your compliance infrastructure stays effective as your transaction volume and customer base expand.
Bank Partner Focused
Your banking relationships are essential to your business and we treat them that way. Pillars builds payments compliance programs with your bank partner's expectations clearly in mind so your program gives them every reason to maintain and strengthen the relationship.
Ready to Strengthen Your Financial Crime Program?
Let's discuss your compliance needs today
Reach out to Joshua Douglas and the Pillars team at 281-825-1603 or pillarsfincrimeadvisory@gmail.com . Whether you're launching a new product, preparing for regulatory review, or scaling your compliance program—we're here to help.
Headquarters: Houston, Texas (Serving clients nationwide)
Contact Us Today