The global merchant acquiring market has changed fundamentally as a result of the digitalisation of commerce and the demand for new payment solutions for both the offline and online environments. Merchants are looking for global solutions that allow their consumer clients to pay conveniently and securely through any channel, using their preferred method of payment, and in their own currency. New players have entered the value chain, opening up card acceptance for micro merchants through MPOS and online merchant aggregation services.

While the global e-commerce market is still growing rapidly, profit margins in lower-risk segments are under pressure, encouraging acquirers to look for growth opportunities in new markets and merchant segments. With the growth of e-commerce, card-not-present fraud is also on the rise. To protect customers and stakeholders, regulators and card networks mandate and evolve rules and regulations that have to be implemented by card acquirers and their agents to avoid hefty fines.

All these vectors have a significant impact on the payments industry. This white paper outlines the key trends and issues that acquirers face and includes recommendations for navigating the space successfully.