Launching a Fintech MVP: Security, Compliance & 99.99% Uptime

Launching a Fintech MVP: Security, Compliance & 99.99% Uptime

Build payment platforms fast. PCI-DSS compliance, FCA requirements, redundancy architecture, and proven launch strategy from 150+ fintech projects.

PCI-DSS Compliance

**Level 1**: Handle >6M transactions/year **Level 2**: Handle 1-6M transactions/year **Level 3**: Handle <1M transactions/year

**Minimum Requirements**: - Network segmentation - Encryption (TLS 1.2+) - Access control - Regular security testing - Incident response plan

FCA Requirements (UK)

- Authorisation or exemption application - Money Handling Rules (MLR) - FSMA compliance - Consumer credit requirements - Complaints handling procedure

**Timeline**: 6-12 months for FCA approval

High Availability Architecture

**99.99% Uptime** requires: - Multi-region deployment - Load balancing - Database replication - Automatic failover - Real-time monitoring

Real Launch Timeline

**Weeks 1-4**: Architecture + security setup **Weeks 5-8**: MVP development **Weeks 9-12**: Security audit + testing **Weeks 13-16**: FCA submission + approval **Week 17+**: Public launch

Cost Breakdown

- Infrastructure: £3K-5K/month - Security audit: £5K-10K - Compliance consulting: £10K-20K - Team: £15K-30K/month

**Total MVP Cost**: £40K-60K

Key Success Factors

✅ Start compliance work immediately (not at end) ✅ Use payment processor (Stripe, Wise) vs building yourself ✅ Implement fraud detection from day 1 ✅ Monitor SLA religiously ✅ Have incident response plan ready

**Ready to launch fintech?** [Book fintech strategy session](/contact).