MADFIN taps Tribe Payments for processing and 3D Secure

MADFIN has partnered with Tribe Payments to operate transaction processing and 3D Secure authentication for its merchant acquiring operations across the UK. The agreement covers processing services, authentication and scheme connectivity.

Under the deal, Tribe will provide Processing Centre services and Merchant Plug-In (MPI) technology to handle transaction authorisation, clearing, fraud prevention and card scheme compliance for MADFIN’s acquirer operations.

MADFIN was founded in late 2024 by payments specialists Irina Litvinova and Kristina Sestaka. The company selected Tribe to support a compliance-led acquiring business from launch as it expands in the UK market.

MADFIN completed its Mastercard integration in under two months, with Visa onboarding expected within the year. Since launch, transaction volumes processed through Tribe’s platform have increased by an average of 20% month-on-month, the firms reported.

Kristina Sestaka, MADFIN director, commented: “We wanted to build an acquiring business the right way – with strong infrastructure, deep scheme expertise, and a genuine focus on trust, compliance, and merchant support. Tribe stood out immediately because of its experience with Visa and Mastercard, but also because of its reputation for structured, professional onboarding and delivery. The team has been responsive, knowledgeable, and easy to work with throughout the process, and that level of support has made a significant difference as we continue scaling MADFIN across the UK market.”

Robin Anderson, head of product at Tribe Payments, added: “MADFIN represents the next generation of acquirers entering the market with compliance, merchant experience, and operational resilience built in from day one. We’re delighted to support their growth with scalable processing infrastructure and 3D Secure authentication capabilities, and we look forward to expanding the partnership further as the business grows.”

The companies said the partnership will be expanded in the coming months as MADFIN evaluates additional capabilities, including Apple Pay and Google Pay integrations through Tribe, to support merchant onboarding and meet card network requirements.