Note 1 - Organization and Operations	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Notes to Financial Statements
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	NOTE 1. ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS Net Element, Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries, “Net Element”, “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company”) is a financial technology-driven group specializing in payment acceptance and value-added solutions across multiple channels in the United States and selected international markets. We are differentiated by our proprietary technology which enables us to provide a broad suite of payment products and end-to-end transaction processing services. Our transactional services business enables merchants to accept credit cards as well as other forms of payment, including debit cards, checks, gift cards, loyalty programs and alternative payment methods in traditional card-present or swipe transactions, as well as card- not -present transactions, such as those conducted over the phone or through the Internet or a mobile device. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, we operated in two reportable business operating segments: (i) North American Transaction Solutions, and (ii) International Transaction Solutions. We are able to deliver our services across multiple points of access, or “multi-channel,” including brick and mortar locations, software integration, e-commerce, mobile operator billing, mobile and tablet-based solutions. In the United States, via our U.S. based subsidiaries, we generate revenues from transactional services and other payment technologies for small and medium-sized businesses. Through PayOnline, we provide transactional services, mobile payment transactions, online payment transactions and other payment technologies in emerging countries in the Russian Federation, Eurasian Economic Community ("EAEC"), Europe and Asia. Our transactional services business enables merchants to accept credit cards as well as other forms of payment, including debit cards, checks, gift cards, loyalty programs and alternative payment methods in traditional card-present or swipe transactions, as well as card- not -present transactions, such as those conducted over the phone or through the Internet or a mobile device. We market and sell our services through both independent sales groups (“ISGs”), which are non-employee, external sales organizations and other third -party resellers of our products and services, and directly to merchants through electronic media, telemarketing and other programs, including utilizing partnerships with other companies that market products and services to local and international merchants. We have agreements with several banks that sponsor us for membership in the Visa ® , MasterCard ® , American Express ® and Discover ® card associations and settle card transactions for our merchants. These sponsoring banks include Citizens Bank, Esquire Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. From time to time, we may enter into agreements with additional banks. We perform core functions for merchants such as application processing, underwriting, account set-up, risk management, fraud detection, merchant assistance and support, equipment deployment and chargeback services. Our Mobile Solutions business, PayOnline, provides relationships and contracts with mobile operators that gives us the ability to offer our clients in-app, premium SMS (short message services, which is a text messaging service), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)-click, one click and other carrier billing services. We also had marketed our own branded content as a separate line of business for our mobile commerce business from offices in Russia and Kazakhstan. In August 2017, we substantially reorganized this business, and combined its operations into PayOnline and TOT Group Russia. We currently are not generating revenues from new mobile content and we continue to explore partnership opportunities that can monetize our relationships and contracts with mobile operators. PayOnline provides flexible high-tech payment solutions to companies doing business on the Internet or in the mobile environment. PayOnline specializes in integration and customization of payment solutions for websites and mobile apps. In particular, PayOnline arranges payment on the website of any commercial organization, which increases the convenience of using the website and helps maximize the number of successful transactions. In addition, PayOnline is focused on providing online and mobile payment acceptance services to the travel industry through direct integration with leading Global Distribution Systems (“GDS”), which include Amadeus® and Sabre®. Key geographic regions that PayOnline serves include Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Western Europe, North America and Asia major sub regions. PayOnline offices are located in Russia, Kazakhstan and in the Republic of Cyprus. Also part of our transactional services business, Aptito is a proprietary, cloud-based payments platform for the hospitality industry, which creates an online consumer experience in offline commerce environments via tablet, mobile and all other cloud-connected devices. Aptito’s easy to use point-of-sale (“POS”) system makes things easier by providing a comprehensive solution to the hospitality industry to help streamline management and operations. Orders placed tableside, curbside, or take-out by customers directly speed up the ordering process and improve overall efficiency. Aptito's mobile POS system provides portability to the staff while performing all the same functions as a traditional POS system.

NOTE

ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS

Net Element, Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries, “Net Element”, “we”, “us”, “our” or the “Company”) is a financial technology-driven group specializing in payment acceptance and value-added solutions across multiple channels in the United States and selected international markets. We are differentiated by our proprietary technology which enables us to provide a broad suite of payment products and end-to-end transaction processing services. Our transactional services business enables merchants to accept credit cards as well as other forms of payment, including debit cards, checks, gift cards, loyalty programs and alternative payment methods in traditional card-present or swipe transactions, as well as card-

not

-present transactions, such as those conducted over the phone or through the Internet or a mobile device. For the years ended

December 31, 2019

and

2018,

we operated in

two

reportable business operating segments: (i) North American Transaction Solutions, and (ii) International Transaction Solutions.

We are able to deliver our services across multiple points of access, or “multi-channel,” including brick and mortar locations, software integration, e-commerce, mobile operator billing, mobile and tablet-based solutions. In the United States, via our U.S. based subsidiaries, we generate revenues from transactional services and other payment technologies for small and medium-sized businesses. Through PayOnline, we provide transactional services, mobile payment transactions, online payment transactions and other payment technologies in emerging countries in the Russian Federation, Eurasian Economic Community ("EAEC"), Europe and Asia.

Our transactional services business enables merchants to accept credit cards as well as other forms of payment, including debit cards, checks, gift cards, loyalty programs and alternative payment methods in traditional card-present or swipe transactions, as well as card-

not

-present transactions, such as those conducted over the phone or through the Internet or a mobile device. We market and sell our services through both independent sales groups (“ISGs”), which are non-employee, external sales organizations and other

third

-party resellers of our products and services, and directly to merchants through electronic media, telemarketing and other programs, including utilizing partnerships with other companies that market products and services to local and international merchants. We have agreements with several banks that sponsor us for membership in the Visa

, MasterCard

, American Express

and Discover

card associations and settle card transactions for our merchants. These sponsoring banks include Citizens Bank, Esquire Bank, N.A. and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. From time to time, we

may

enter into agreements with additional banks. We perform core functions for merchants such as application processing, underwriting, account set-up, risk management, fraud detection, merchant assistance and support, equipment deployment and chargeback services.

Our Mobile Solutions business, PayOnline, provides relationships and contracts with mobile operators that gives us the ability to offer our clients in-app, premium SMS (short message services, which is a text messaging service), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)-click,

one

click and other carrier billing services. We also had marketed our own branded content as a separate line of business for our mobile commerce business from offices in Russia and Kazakhstan. In

August 2017,

we substantially reorganized this business, and combined its operations into PayOnline and TOT Group Russia. We currently are

not

generating revenues from new mobile content and we continue to explore partnership opportunities that can monetize our relationships and contracts with mobile operators. PayOnline provides flexible high-tech payment solutions to companies doing business on the Internet or in the mobile environment. PayOnline specializes in integration and customization of payment solutions for websites and mobile apps. In particular, PayOnline arranges payment on the website of any commercial organization, which increases the convenience of using the website and helps maximize the number of successful transactions. In addition, PayOnline is focused on providing online and mobile payment acceptance services to the travel industry through direct integration with leading Global Distribution Systems (“GDS”), which include Amadeus® and Sabre®. Key geographic regions that PayOnline serves include Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Western Europe, North America and Asia major sub regions. PayOnline offices are located in Russia, Kazakhstan and in the Republic of Cyprus.

Also part of our transactional services business, Aptito is a proprietary, cloud-based payments platform for the hospitality industry, which creates an online consumer experience in offline commerce environments via tablet, mobile and all other cloud-connected devices. Aptito’s easy to use point-of-sale (“POS”) system makes things easier by providing a comprehensive solution to the hospitality industry to help streamline management and operations. Orders placed tableside, curbside, or take-out by customers directly speed up the ordering process and improve overall efficiency. Aptito's mobile POS system provides portability to the staff while performing all the same functions as a traditional POS system.