Trying to understand the payments process can feel like entering a hall of mirrors.

Things are not always what they seem. Everywhere you turn, there are similar terms, confusing entities, and overlapping functions.

Understanding what a merchant acquirer and a payment processor is, and the differences between them, can help clarify things. Let's take a closer look.

What is a merchant acquirer?

A merchant acquirer (also known as an acquiring bank or acquirer) is a financial institution that processes transactions for merchants.

It enables merchants to accept credit and debit card payments and online payments by interacting with other payment parties, such as cardholders and issuing banks.

And it also manages merchants' chargebacks, disputes and cardholders' requests for information.

Usually, merchant acquirers are also merchant account providers. A merchant must have a merchant account in order to access merchant acquiring services. It is a separate account from their business banking account.

Examples of merchant acquirers

Examples of merchant acquirers include: Barclaycard Business, Lloyds Bank Cardnet, and Nuvei.

What is a payment processor?

A payment processor is a financial entity that authorizes and settles transactions between cardholders and merchants.

They act as a third-party intermediary service provider via card networks to carry out their tasks.

There are two types of payment processor.

Issuer processors

An issuer processor is a financial institution that authorizes (or declines) and manages transactions between issuing banks and card networks.

It also performs a number of other tasks as part of the payments process. These include issuing cards, maintaining a system of record for cardholder data, and communicating with clearing and settlement entities.

Acquiring processors

An acquiring processor (also known as a merchant processor) is a financial institution appointed by merchants to handle transactions for them.

This involves a number of tasks, including authorizing and settling transactions, settling daily 'batches' (a collection of transactions), handling chargebacks, and more.

Examples of payments processors

Some well-known payment processors include: WorldPay, Mastercard, Visa and Nuvei.

What are the similarities between merchant acquirers and payment processors?

1. Certification

Both merchant acquirers and payment processors must be certified by a major card network, such as Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay (in China). Without this, they cannot be a payment service provider.

2. Overlapping functions

Merchant acquirers and payment processors' roles can sometimes overlap. Some companies even function as both a merchant acquirer and a payment processor.

What are the differences between merchant acquirers and payment processors?

1. Relationship with merchant

Each merchant has a direct relationship with its merchant acquirer. The latter acts on behalf of the former for all card transactions, enabling it to accept card payments and linking it to card schemes.

Payment processors, on the other hand, only have indirect relationships each merchant. They are like middlemen acting on behalf of the transaction process itself.

Each transaction a cardholder makes at different stores will involve payment processors. The issuing processor will be the same for the cardholder, but the merchant acquirer and acquirer processor might be different.

And for merchants, the merchant acquirer will be the same for each payment, but the issuer processor might change.

What is a card scheme?

Card schemes are payment networks that enable debit or credit card transactions to happen. They transfer card transaction data between merchants and consumers.

Visa, Mastercard and American Express are three major card schemes.

2. Liability for transactions

作为商户的银行,收单银行对商户的付款承担责任。支付处理商不承担财务责任。

3.在付款过程中的作用

商户收单银行 在支付流程中的作用主要体现在交易工作流程的早期。他们代表商户批准交易并维护商户账户。

相比之下,支付处理商处理的是交易的 "后期 "阶段并实际处理支付。它们不直接与商户打交道,也不代表商户,但会传输支付数据、授权交易并从持卡人账户中扣款。

4.与支付网关连接

支付处理商直接与支付网关连接。这样,他们就可以访问基础设施,从而接受在线支付。

虽然收单机构也依赖支付网关,但它们之间的联系并不直接。唯一的例外是当收单银行同时也是交易的收单处理商时。

什么是支付网关?

支付网关是一种用于持卡人与商户交易(包括店内和在线交易)的技术。它将参与支付流程的主要各方相互连接起来。

它的工作原理是首先向收单处理器发送加密的持卡人数据和交易信息。

然后,它从收单处理器(从发卡处理器接收信息)那里接收授权信息,并将其转发给商户和持卡人。

商户收单机构和支付处理商的行动范例

在销售点 (POS),持卡人在商家的终端机上刷卡购买商品。

1.第一个支付处理器:数据加密和启动授权

收单处理器通过支付网关从商户终端接收银行卡交易详情和持卡人信息。

然后,它(通过支付卡计划)将这一信息传递给发卡处理器。

2.第二个付款处理器:授权交易

发卡机构处理器收到交易信息后,会与持卡人的银行或金融机构核对。

如果信息正确无误,发卡机构处理员就会通过相同的卡片方案将信息发回收单机构处理员。

3.第一个支付处理程序:与持卡人和商户确认

收单处理器通过支付网关向商户终端发回授权确认。现在,持卡人和商户都知道交易已经完成。

4.商户收单机构:接受付款

持卡人的银行授权交易。这些信息通过银行卡方案传回 商家收单机构,然后在 POS 机上传回商家和持卡人。

持卡人的账户会被扣留。当收单银行提出申请时,持卡人的账户就会随同一批付款一起被扣留。

努维的收单和处理服务

Nuvei 提供高效可靠的支付平台,可与主要支付卡计划直接连接。

它允许无缝在线、店内和移动支付。它还支持 700 多种其他支付方式,包括近 150 种常规货币和加密货币。

其功能包括

  • 促进转换的结账
  • 轻松集成购物车
  • 内置欺诈保护

通过与主要支付卡计划的直接连接,它可以实现在线、店内和移动支付。

使用 Nuvei,企业可以进行全球扩张,提供各种本地和替代支付选择,而无需担心合规问题。

结论

商户收单 银行(又称收单银行或收单机构)是允许商户接受付款并管理扣款、争议和持卡人信息请求的金融机构。

支付处理商是金融实体,负责授权和结算持卡人与商户之间的交易,并通过银行卡网络(在商户与消费者之间传输交易数据)进行。

支付处理商分为两类: 发卡处理商 收单处理商。前者负责授权和管理发卡银行与银行卡网络之间的交易。后者负责管理资金结算过程。它们就像一枚硬币的两面。

这两类处理商有一些相似之处。不过,它们在与商家的关系、交易责任、在支付流程中的作用以及与支付网关的连接方面有所不同。

维萨卡、万事达卡和美国运通卡等银行卡计划是银行卡交易的支付网络。它们在商家和消费者之间传输交易数据。

在支付过程中,收单处理器进行加密并启动授权,而发卡处理器则授权交易并与持卡人的银行进行核对。

收单处理器确认授权,商户收单机构接受付款,并与一批付款一起结算。

希望这能澄清支付处理商和数字支付领域的角色和术语,使其不再像镜花水月。

更多见解

准备好在各地拓展业务了吗?

立即开始使用 Nuvei——适用于任何支付场景、覆盖全球的增长基础设施。一个智能系统,专为扩展而设计。