ISO 27001 · Fintech & Payments
ISO 27001 for Fintech & Payments
ISO 27001 is expected across European fintechs and increasingly required by US bank partners.
Why this matters
European PSD2 and fintech buyers require ISO 27001 by default.
Bank third-party risk teams accept ISO 27001 or SOC 2 — with ISO scoring higher on structured ISMS.
ISO's Annex A controls map cleanly to fintech transaction-integrity requirements.
Typical timeline
6–10 months to certification.
Typical cost
$40k–$95k for fintech scope.
What bites hardest in Fintech & Payments
Frequently asked
Is ISO 27001 recognized by US bank partners?
Yes — most US bank third-party risk teams accept ISO 27001 in lieu of SOC 2, though some require both.
How much does ISO overlap with SOC 2?
About 80% of controls overlap. The ISMS governance layer (Clauses 4–10) is unique to ISO.
SOC 2 or ISO 27001 — which first?
US-heavy customers → SOC 2 first. International or European customers → ISO 27001. Selling to both? Do them in parallel — 80% of the work overlaps.
How often do I recertify?
Certification lasts three years with annual surveillance audits. Recertification audit at year three.
SOC 2 or PCI first?
If you handle cardholder data — PCI is non-negotiable. If your buyers are enterprises — SOC 2 unblocks revenue. Most fintechs pursue both in parallel.
Does Scarlet Risk replace a specialized AML vendor?
For SMB-scale operations, it covers the governance and diligence layer. For high-volume transaction monitoring you'll want a specialized vendor alongside Scarlet Risk.
Ready to shortcut ISO 27001 for Fintech & Payments?
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Framework
ISO/IEC 27001
The international standard for information security management.
Industry
Fintech & Payments
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