Mews Financial Services has secured an e-money licence, to process payments on its own infrastructure across the EEA, rather than relying solely on third-party payment providers.
Until now, Mews has run the operational side of hotel management, while the financial record of transactions has originated in separate, third-party systems. The EMI licence allows the company to bring both functions into a single system, positioning payment processing alongside the operational data already generated on its platform. According to Mews, this is intended to give hotels more control over how funds move within the system they use to run daily operations, and to form the basis for additional financial capabilities built on the company's existing infrastructure.
According to the official press release, the industry has long managed money through separate processors, banks, and reconciliation tools rather than as a single connected system. With this in mind, the company described the licence as a step towards integrating financial management directly into hotel operating software.
As a licensed EMI, Mews Financial Services is now subject to the governance, safeguarding, and compliance requirements applicable to payment institutions operating in the EEA, including the segregation of customer funds from the company's own operational accounts. The company said it will also integrate risk management, fraud monitoring, sanctions screening, and anti-money laundering controls into its operating system as part of the regulated service.
The move follows a broader trend of software providers in vertical markets seeking direct regulatory status to embed payment services, rather than distributing this functionality solely through third-party financial institutions.
Phased rollout across the EEA
Mews Financial Services plans to introduce its regulated payment capabilities gradually from late 2026, starting with a pilot group of properties in the Netherlands before extending the service across other EEA markets. Furthermore, the company has framed the licence as a long-term step towards developing financial products derived from the operational data already flowing through its platform, aimed at supporting hotel revenue management and financial operations.
The rollout will be closely watched by other software providers in the hospitality and broader vertical software sectors that are exploring embedded finance as a way to extend their platforms beyond operational management into regulated financial services.
