Navigating the Payment Industry Alphabet - A is for Acquirer

A is for Acquirer

In the payments world, terminology can be fluid—and “Acquirer” is a prime example. At its core, an Acquirer is a bank or financial partner that enables businesses (merchants) to accept, process, and settle credit and debit card payments. The term comes from the fact that they “acquire” the transaction from the merchant and initiate its journey through the payment ecosystem.

But here’s where it gets tricky: the term “Acquirer” is often used loosely. In the U.S., Acquirers are banks—think BMO, U.S. Bank, and Chesapeake Bank. Outside the U.S., entities with financial licenses (like Adyen, Nexi, and Worldpay) can also be considered Acquirers. This global distinction leads to broad generalizations. For example, industry reports from TSG and Nelson list top U.S. Merchant Acquirers, including Fiserv, Worldpay, and Global Payments!

Let’s take Worldpay as a case study. In the U.S., Worldpay is not a bank and doesn’t hold a financial license—so technically, it’s not an Acquirer here. However, globally, Worldpay holds various finance licenses, making them an Acquirer in those jurisdictions. So when performance metrics label Worldpay as an Acquirer, they’re likely aggregating global data—which can be misleading from a U.S. compliance standpoint. To add another layer, in the U.S., Worldpay partners with actual Acquirers like Fifth Third and Citizens Bank. These banks are the entities Visa and Mastercard hold accountable for compliance with their rules and standards.

🔍 The takeaway: Be cautious when using the term “Acquirer” broadly. From a compliance and risk perspective, precision matters.