Merchant Acquirer

A Merchant Acquirer, often referred to as an acquiring bank, is a licensed financial institution or organization that contracts with merchants to process credit and debit card transactions, establishing and maintaining the merchant account and assuming the financial risk associated with the transaction lifecycle. The acquirer serves as the critical intermediary in the four-party payment model, facilitating the secure and compliant transfer of funds from the cardholder's issuing bank to the merchant's designated bank account.