Gov.uk has replaced Stripe with Dutch provider Adyen
UK government replaces Stripe with Dutch provider Adyen for GOV.UK Pay local authority and police payments under a £25.3 million contract.
The UK's Government Digital Service has switched payment processor for GOV.UK Pay from Stripe to Adyen, a Dutch provider. The three-year contract is worth up to £25.3 million and covers around 17 percent of GOV.UK Pay's transaction volume but over 70 percent of its 1,000 organizations, including local authorities and police forces. The migration will introduce "pay by bank" functionality, allowing direct bank transfers via open banking rather than card payments. GDS stated the change will involve no service disruption or loss of functionality for users. WorldPay continues processing central government and NHS payments. GOV.UK Pay has handled 137.5 million transactions worth £9.2 billion since 2016 across 1,718 services.
What HN community is saying
The highest-ranked comment questions the contract's modest size relative to typical tech spending, noting that Brazil operates its Pix instant payment system for roughly $10 million annually. A detailed subthread argues the disparity reflects regulatory capture in the US payment ecosystem rather than technical necessity. Commenters note Brazil achieved rapid Pix adoption by requiring government benefit recipients to use it, while the US private payment system maintains high margins despite lower-cost alternatives like FedNow existing. One correction notes Brazil's Pix relies on bank-to-bank interoperability rather than centralized infrastructure, keeping operating costs minimal.