GoPay

GoPay is the leading Czech-origin online payment gateway, serving merchants across Central Europe with a broad suite of payment methods that spans traditional banking rails, digital wallets, buy-now-pay-later, and cryptocurrency including Solana (SOL). Founded in 2007 and headquartered in South Bohemia, Czech Republic, GoPay operates as a licensed payment institution regulated by both the Czech National Bank (CNB) and the National Bank of Belgium (NBB). The company inclusion of Solana alongside six other cryptocurrencies makes it one of the few regulated European payment gateways to accept SOL at the point of checkout.

Problem It Solves

Merchants operating in Central Europe have historically been limited to bank card networks and national bank transfer schemes. Accepting cryptocurrency in a region where crypto adoption is growing but regulatory oversight is strict has meant either building a custom integration or relying on offshore processors. GoPay addresses this by embedding cryptocurrency acceptance directly into its regulated, PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment stack, so merchants gain exposure to crypto-paying customers without separately sourcing a crypto processor, managing wallets, or taking on exchange-rate risk.

For customers, GoPay removes the need to convert crypto to fiat before paying. Users can settle in SOL, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Tether USDt, Tronix (TRX), or USD Coin, and GoPay handles the exchange to Czech crowns or euros in real time.

How It Works

GoPay operates a hosted payment gateway integrated into merchant checkout flows via a REST API, or through ready-made plugins for popular e-commerce platforms including PrestaShop, Magento, and OpenCart. The merchant never directly handles cryptocurrency. The flow for a Solana payment is:

1. The customer selects a cryptocurrency payment option at checkout on a GoPay-enabled merchant site.
2. GoPay presents a payment address and amount denominated in the chosen cryptocurrency (SOL in this case) based on the current exchange rate.
3. The customer sends SOL to the displayed address. GoPay monitors the transaction for confirmation.
4. Upon confirmation, GoPay converts the received SOL to fiat (CZK or EUR) at the prevailing market rate and credits the merchant GoPay balance.

Merchants receive funds in fiat and settle to their bank accounts through normal channels. This architecture means crypto volatility risk is absorbed and eliminated at the point of payment, not carried by the merchant.

For Bitcoin specifically, GoPay has integrated Lightning Network support to enable faster settlement and lower fees on smaller transactions, handling Lightning as a second-layer option above on-chain Bitcoin.

Products and Features

GoPay payment gateway offers more than 55 distinct payment methods across 7 currencies and 19 languages, making it one of the most comprehensive Central European payment solutions. Its core product tiers include Entry, Standard, and Enterprise, differing in the breadth of payment methods and additional features enabled.

Key payment categories include:

• Card payments: Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, and Visa Electron with 3D-Secure authentication
• Digital wallets: Apple Pay and Google Pay, which GoPay reports have a 95% payment success rate on its network
• Bank transfers: Online bank transfers and QR-code payments from major Czech and Slovak banks, plus offline transfers
• Buy now, pay later: Deferred payment and Pay in Three installments
• Other: PayPal, Paysafecard, SMS premium payments, and GoPay internal wallet accounts
• Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin (including Lightning Network), Ethereum, Litecoin, Solana, Tether USDt, Tronix, and USD Coin

The merchant dashboard provides real-time transaction monitoring, reporting, role-based user management, and branded checkout customization to match the merchant visual identity.

Security and Compliance

GoPay achieved PCI DSS Level 1 certification in 2015, the highest tier in the Payment Card Industry data security standard. All card transactions use 3D-Secure (Verified by Visa and Mastercard SecureCode) to authenticate the cardholder.

On the regulatory side, GoPay holds:

• A CNB licence from the Czech National Bank, obtained in 2007, covering the Czech market
• NBB authorisation from the National Bank of Belgium, enabling passporting of payment institution services across the European Economic Area
• PSD2 provider status since 2019, allowing it to operate under the EU second Payment Services Directive framework

GoPay publishes audited annual financial statements available from 2020 through 2024 and describes its financial position as sustainably profitable.

Team and Background

GoPay was established in 2007 when it received its first CNB financial services licence. Key milestones: the electronic wallet launched in 2008; the payment gateway went live in 2010; electronic money issuer status was granted in 2012; the company became bank-independent in 2014. By 2018 GoPay had crossed 10,000 merchants, and by 2023 it had surpassed 19,000.

The leadership team includes CEO Petr Vanek (13+ years in tech and business), CTO Vaclav Novotny, COO Veronika Schreiberova, and Head of Technologies Zbynek Novak, a founding member of the company. The team of approximately 80 employees is based primarily in South Bohemia.

In 2020, GoPay completed a UI overhaul and brought in a new strategic investor described as a global giant, though the investor has not been publicly identified.

How GoPay Fits the Solana Ecosystem

GoPay represents a regulated, established mainstream payment rail where Solana functions as one of the accepted settlement assets. For Solana holders in Central Europe, GoPay-enabled checkouts are a practical way to spend SOL at real merchants without having to first sell SOL on an exchange.

GoPay is not a native Solana protocol and does not use on-chain programs for its core gateway logic. Solana is integrated as an inbound payment asset alongside other cryptocurrencies. Nevertheless, its regulatory standing and merchant footprint give it significance as a real-world crypto acceptance point in a region where regulated pathways for spending crypto remain uncommon. Merchants do not need to manage SOL addresses or wallets directly, reducing the operational barrier to accepting the asset.

For users holding SOL and wishing to spend it with online or physical merchants in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, or Hungary, GoPay is one of the clearest regulated paths to do so.