Acquirer/acquiring bank

Acquirers and acquiring banks: What exactly are they?

An acquiring bank, also called an acquirer, is one that “acquires” merchants on behalf of credit card companies and then takes care of authorizing, processing and executing payments for them. As an acquirer, we ensure that you quickly and reliably receive payments for sales made in your shop by concluding licensing contracts with a long list of credit card organizations. So the moment you conclude a credit card acceptance agreement with us, your customers can begin paying for merchandise or services using any of a large collection of instruments. Every time a customer makes a payment, we establish a connection to their bank (the issuing bank) and make sure the payment is approved so the money arrives in your account without delay.

To sum up: As an acquiring bank, we “acquire” you as a credit card-accepting entity so you can consistently offer your customers the best possible range of payment methods.

Benefit from our all-in-one payment solutions

Every shop has a different customer mix. To help you master the associated challenges, we―as an international leader in the payment industry―offer you access to over 200 payment networks. You choose which modes you want to offer and configure them to create a customized overall solution.

Your benefits as a shop operator:

• One single point of contact for all relevant payment solutions, including risk management, banking and more
• The right payment mix increases your conversion rate and therefore your sales
• Fast, secure handling in compliance with current guidelines and standards
• No fixed costs; all fees are clearly and intuitively structured

Credit card payments at a glance: The inside story

Various players spring into action every time someone pays with a credit card. The process spans several steps. Here is a concise overview of the players and their roles:

Merchant
The payment process kicks off the moment a customer presents his or her credit card to pay for a product or service from a merchant.

Acquiring bank
The merchant’s acquiring bank immediately contacts the corresponding credit card company to verify its authorization to handle the transaction. If so, it instructs the customer’s bank (the issuing bank) to transfer the corresponding sum and credits all payments to the merchant’s bank account at regular intervals.

Credit card associations
The major international credit cards include American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard and Visa. Among the important regional credit cards are China UnionPay (People’s Republic of China), Discover Card (USA) and JCB (Japan Credit Bureau).

Issuing bank (credit card issuing customer bank)
It is with the issuing bank that the customer concludes a credit card agreement. The bank issues the credit card and handles all payments made with it.