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Financial Institutions and Payment Networks

Financial institutions and payment networks enable payment services. These entities work together to complete the full payment cycle.

Merchant Financial Institutions (Acquirers)

A merchant financial institution, also known as an acquirer
, offers accounts to businesses that accept payment cards. Before you can accept payments, you must have a merchant account from an acquirer. Your merchant account must be configured to process card-not-present, card-present, or mail-order/telephone-order (MOTO) transactions.

If excessive chargebacks or fraudulant changes occur, these actions might be taken:

You might be required to change your business processes to reduce the number chargebacks, fraud, or both.

Your acquiring institution might increase your discount rate.

Your acquiring institution might revoke your merchant account.

Contact your sales representative for information about products that can help prevent fraud.

Customer Financial Institutions (Issuers)

A customer financial institution, also known as an issuer, provides payment cards to and underwrites lines of credit for their customers. The issuer provides monthly statements and collects payments. The issuer must follow the rules of the payment card companies to which they belong.

Payment Networks

Payment networks manage communications between acquiring financial institutions and issuing financial institutions. They also develop industry standards, support their brands, and establish fees for acquiring institutions.

Some payment networks, such as Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay International, are trade associations that do not issue cards. Issuers are members of these associations, and they issue cards under license from the association.

Other networks, such as Discover

and American Express

, issue their own cards. Before you process cards from these companies, you must sign agreements with them.

Payment Processors

Payment processors connect with acquirers. Before you can accept payments, you must register with

a payment processor

Your payment processor

assigns one or more merchant IDs (MIDs) to your business. These unique codes identify your business during payment transactions.

This table lists the processors and corresponding card types that are supported for payment services.

IMPORTANT

Only the card types explicitly listed here are supported.

Payment Processors and Supported Card Types
Payment Processor	Supported Card Types	Notes
`Barclays`	Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Maestro (International), Maestro (UK Domestic)	If you support Maestro (UK Domestic), you must also support Maestro (International), and you must support Mastercard Identity Check for both card types. GBP currency is supported only for JCB and Maestro (UK Domestic).