Tokenization as a Service: enables NFC payments with Pomelo, without migrating from your processor

We launched Tokenization as a Service so that companies in Latin America can incorporate tokenization without redoing their card program or migrating their current infrastructure. It is an independent module within our architecture, designed as a gateway to our ecosystem. Learn all about this technology that helps to compete in an increasingly digital market.

The value of tokenization in payments

When talking about tokenization, it is often immediately associated with Apple Pay or Google Pay. But tokenization is much more than enabling a wallet. It is an infrastructure layer that replaces the sensitive data of the card with a unique identifier used in each transaction.

From the user's point of view, it means being able to pay from the cellphone or smartwatch without exposing the real data of their card. From the business point of view, it means having:

• Security by design: protects data from the origin and drastically reduces the risk of fraud or breaches. This mitigates economic losses for users and companies.
• Expanding digital payments: wallets, contactless payments, and new experiences like agentic payments grow on tokenized infrastructure.
• Better experience, more conversion: higher approval rate in digital channels, thanks to faster payments with less friction.
• Competitive advantage: tokenizing is not just about meeting standards: it's about scaling future-ready products.

How does our Tokenization as a Service solution work?

One of the main differentiators of our Tokenization as a Service solution is its modular nature: it was designed as a decoupled layer within our architecture, allowing it to be integrated without altering the client's existing core, that is, without the need to issue and process cards with our technology.

Integration is done directly and simply via APIs, with immediate impact on both physical and virtual cards. This allows users to add them to digital wallets like Google Pay or Apple Pay and start operating without friction.

Let's take a detailed look at the step-by-step for the go-live of tokenization as a service:

1. The relationship with the networks: tokenization requires specific network authorizations. Therefore, to assist companies that hire tokenization as a service, our role will be to absorb the technical complexity of that integration, anticipate requirements, and support the process.
2. Token provisioning: Not all flows are the same. There are methods such as manual provisioning from the wallet, push provisioning from the bank app, or tap to add via NFC on Apple devices. Each requires authentication logic, validations, and coordination. Properly designing that flow is key to ensuring the user experience is simple and consistent.
3. Token lifecycle: Tokenization doesn't end when the user adds their card to the wallet. There are suspensions, reinstatements, status changes, and events that must remain synchronized with the original card. In Tokenization as a Service, since the card may be issued and processed by another provider, we provide a clear mechanism to replicate those events. This design prevents inconsistencies and protects the operation.
4. Daily operation: we enable real-time notifications, traceability, and reports that allow monitoring token activity and managing critical events, ensuring from the start that the operation is monitorable and auditable.

The industry no longer evaluates whether to tokenize, but what to build on tokenization. Lacking that technological layer limits the evolution of products.