KORT Payments to Acquire AptPay to Scale Real-Time Payouts and Orchestration Across North America

KORT Payments has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Toronto-based AptPay, a move that integrates real-time payout orchestration into KORT’s omnichannel offering. For fintech professionals, this acquisition signals a consolidation of card acceptance and account-to-account disbursements, providing a single-integration solution for high-growth sectors like iGaming and digital assets across North America.

What was announced

Under the terms of the agreement, KORT will acquire 100% of AptPay. While the financial terms remain undisclosed, the transaction is scheduled to close in Q4 2026, pending customary closing conditions. The acquisition is designed to bridge the gap between traditional card acceptance and modern account-to-account money movement, allowing KORT to offer a more comprehensive suite of services.

AptPay’s platform is built to provide businesses with a unified integration point for various payment rails. These include Mastercard Send, VISA Original Credit Transaction (OCT), Interac e-Transfer, and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). The technology also supports Automated Clearing House (ACH), Real Time Payments (RTP), FedNow, and cross-border transactions. Beyond simple movement, the platform incorporates compliance features such as Know Your Customer (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), and sanctions screening.

The deal specifically targets merchants and platforms operating in high-growth, high-regulation sectors such as online gaming, gambling, digital assets, and financial services. Once the transaction is finalized, AptPay will function as a dedicated division within KORT, retaining its brand identity. Shams Syed, the current CEO of AptPay, will continue to lead the business unit, ensuring continuity for existing customers and partners in Canada and the United States.

The companies involved

KORT Payments is a specialized omnichannel payments provider that focuses on delivering integrated solutions for merchants. The company operates within the North American market, positioning itself as a partner for businesses requiring robust card acceptance and payment processing capabilities across multiple channels.

AptPay Inc. is a Toronto-based payments technology firm that has carved out a niche in the real-time payments and orchestration space. The company’s primary value proposition lies in its ability to simplify complex payout workflows, allowing businesses to send funds instantly to users across different networks. AptPay has established a significant footprint in the United States and Canada, particularly among platforms that require rapid disbursement of funds, such as iGaming operators and digital asset exchanges. By focusing on the "push" side of payments—moving money from a business to a consumer or another business—AptPay addresses a critical friction point in the digital economy where traditional "pull" payments often fall short in terms of speed and transparency.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has tracked AptPay’s development as it expanded its technical capabilities and partnership network. In late 2026, the company made significant strides in the gambling sector, as seen in AptPay Launches Real-Time iGaming Payouts via Visa Direct Alias Integration. This move highlighted the company's focus on reducing friction for players and operators alike through direct card connectivity.

Earlier in its growth trajectory, the company focused on establishing its presence in the Canadian market. FF News reported on how EML Supports AptPay's Instant Payment Disbursement Product in Canada, a partnership that provided the foundational support for its instant disbursement products. These milestones reflect a consistent strategy of building out a multi-rail infrastructure prior to the acquisition by KORT.

What this means

This acquisition reflects a broader industry shift toward "full-stack" money movement where the distinction between pay-ins and pay-outs is disappearing. Merchants are increasingly weary of managing fragmented vendor relationships—one for their checkout page and another for their disbursements. By folding AptPay’s orchestration into its omnichannel stack, KORT is responding to a market demand for consolidated treasury and payment flows. This puts significant pressure on legacy gateways that lack native real-time payout capabilities. The move also highlights the growing importance of FedNow and RTP as competitive requirements rather than optional features, raising the stakes for providers still reliant on traditional batch processing.