Head-to-head · 2026

Clearhaus vs First Data

Clearhaus is a European alternative to First Data: same payments & finance use case, headquartered in Denmark and governed by EU GDPR, while First Data (Fiserv) is based in the United States.

By the EU Alternatives team Last updated 7 August 2026

European alternative

Clearhaus

Denmark

Jurisdiction: EU / EEA
Primary privacy law: EU GDPR
US CLOUD Act exposure: No
Open source: No
Free tier: No

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Non-EU

First Data

Fiserv · United States

First Data ceased to exist as a company in 2019, absorbed into Fiserv in a 22 billion dollar deal; the brand now survives mostly on legacy terminals and contracts. What merchants actually get today is Fiserv's card-acquiring stack, sold on negotiated pricing with no public rate card. Fiserv is publicly listed in the US and run from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Jurisdiction: United States
GDPR by default: Requires DPA + TIA
US CLOUD Act exposure: Yes

All European alternatives to First Data

Clearhaus vs First Data at a glance

	Clearhaus	First Data
Headquarters	Denmark	United States
Data jurisdiction	EU / EEA	United States
Primary privacy law	EU GDPR	Requires DPA + transfer assessment
US CLOUD Act exposure	No	Yes
Best for	Teams that need payments & finance built for European data-protection requirements	Teams already invested in the Fiserv ecosystem

Choose Clearhaus if…

You want a provider governed by a European privacy regime
GDPR or public-sector data-protection requirements apply to you
You'd rather back the European tech ecosystem

Stick with First Data if…

You depend on integrations only available in the Fiserv ecosystem
Your organisation has no EU data-residency constraints
Migration costs outweigh the jurisdiction benefits for now

Why choose Clearhaus over First Data?

The decisive argument is data jurisdiction. First Data is headquartered in the United States, which means personal data processed through it can be subject to non-EU legal regimes: the US CLOUD Act, FISA 702, or similar laws depending on the provider. After the 2020 Schrems II ruling, EU organisations must carry out a transfer impact assessment for every such data flow.

Clearhaus removes that overhead. As a Denmark-based provider, it operates under EU GDPR, and data stays inside the EU/EEA by default. For regulated sectors such as health, public administration, and finance, that's not a nice-to-have but a requirement. For everyone else, it's concentration-risk insurance: you avoid depending on a single jurisdiction that can change the rules without warning.

Frequently asked questions

Is Clearhaus a good alternative to First Data?

Yes. Clearhaus is one of the top-ranked European alternatives to First Data in our directory, covering the same payments & finance use case. It is headquartered in Denmark, where EU GDPR applies.

What's the main difference between Clearhaus and First Data?

The biggest difference is jurisdiction: Clearhaus is based in Denmark, where EU GDPR applies, while First Data is headquartered in the United States and may transfer data outside Europe. For regulated industries or organisations following Schrems II guidance, this difference is decisive.

Is Clearhaus GDPR-compliant?

Clearhaus is based in Denmark, where EU GDPR applies. EU customers should still verify the provider's hosting and subprocessors, but the service is designed for European data-protection requirements.

How do I migrate from First Data to Clearhaus?

Start by exporting your data from First Data (most providers offer an export in their settings). Then import into Clearhaus using its native import tool or migration guide. Running both in parallel for a week catches any feature or workflow gaps before you fully switch.