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Why does a merchant need acquiring?
Acquiring for a merchant - the ability to accept non-cash payments and Don't lose customers who don't carry cash. According to the Bank Russia, share of non-cash payments in retail trade in 2025 exceeded 80%. A business without acquiring loses most of its audience.
In addition, acquiring merchants tend to record more high average bill: customers are more willing to spend when paying non-cash, than when paying in cash. For the merchant, this is a direct argument in favor connections.
In addition to card acquiring, modern payment aggregators offer the merchant access to SBP, payment by QR code, installments and electronic wallets - all through a single merchant account. It makes it easier manage payments and reduce the cost of connecting multiple services.
Paysido for merchants of any size
Paysido is an aggregator that opens a merchant account and provides access to several payment methods: cards, SBP, QR codes, installments. Everything it works through a single business dashboard without the need to sign separate agreements with each acquiring bank.
Small businesses and individual entrepreneurs connect to Paysido in one business day: a minimum of documents, without the requirement to open an account in a specific bank. Medium business gets flexible settings, API and integration with the cash register or CMS. Large merchants - individual conditions, dedicated manager and support 24/7. Paysido's clients include retail chains and marketplaces with thousands of transactions daily.
How to choose an acquiring provider for a merchant
Key selection criteria: amount of acquiring commission, speed crediting money to the merchant's account, a set of supported payment methods, quality of technical support and ease of integration.
For medium and small businesses, individual entrepreneurs and often for large businesses the best option is a payment aggregator like Paysido. The aggregator registers the merchant quickly, provides access to several acquirers and does not require opening an account at a specific bank. The merchant receives a single account, API documentation and support - and starts accepting payments on the first business day.
What else should you pay attention to? Make sure the service supports required payment methods - MIR cards, SBP, mobile wallets. Specify settlement currency: to work with foreign buyers, the merchant needs support for multi-currency transactions. Check availability of ready-made plugins for your CMS - this speeds up the connection without development. Smart choice provider from the very beginning relieves the merchant from the need to change payment service in the future.
FAQ - frequently asked questions
Who is a merchant?
Merchant (from the English merchant - “trader”, “businessman”) is legal or natural person who accepts payments from buyers using bank cards or other electronic means. In simple words: a merchant is a seller connected to a payment system.
In the context of acquiring, a merchant is a participant in the payment chain on seller's side. It is to him that the acquiring bank credits money after each successful transaction. The merchant can be an online store, offline point, restaurant, service company, individual entrepreneur or self-employed - any a business that accepts payment through a payment gateway or terminal.
In payment systems, each merchant is assigned a unique identifier - merchant ID (MID). This number is used every time transactions: the system records not only the amount, but also the MID to send money to the correct account.
It is important to understand: a merchant can be a large retail chain with thousands of transactions per day, and a small entrepreneur with several payments per week. For acquiring bank and payment aggregator, they are all merchants who undergo the same verification. When In this case, the conditions differ: a large merchant with a high turnover receives individual tariff and personal manager, small business - aggregator standard conditions.
How is the word "merchant" used?
The word “merchant” appears in different contexts.
In the banking agreement for acquiring: “The bank provides the merchant with access to payment infrastructure for transaction processing.” Here A merchant is a business that has entered into an agreement with a bank.
In the payment gateway settings: “Enter merchant ID and secret key to connect." We are talking about the seller identifier in the system aggregator.
In payment systems analytics: “The transaction was rejected by merchant." This means that the payment was not accepted due to technical or seller's business rules.
The term merchant account is also used: a special account for processing payment data. Merchant account opens at the acquiring bank or aggregator and is mandatory condition for accepting card payments.
What is a merchant in acquiring and how does the process work?
In the acquiring system, the merchant is the central participant on the side seller. Acquiring is a service that allows the merchant to accept payment by bank cards via a terminal or the Internet. Acquiring bank concludes an agreement with the merchant, provides equipment or API, and undertakes technical and financial processing of payments.
The merchant in acquiring is responsible for compliance with the rules payment systems: do not accept prohibited types of goods, do not exceed acceptable level of returns (chargebacks) and comply with requirements security (PCI DSS). Violation of these rules may result in fines or blocking of a merchant account.
How the acquiring process works
The buyer pays for the goods by card or phone. Terminal or the payment gateway transmits transaction data to the acquiring bank. That one processes the request and contacts the issuing bank - the buyer's bank. The issuer verifies the invoice and confirms or rejects the payment. Answer returns to the terminal, the buyer receives a check. At the end of the day the acquiring bank transfers money to the merchant’s business bank account minus acquiring commissions.
The merchant sees all transactions in his business dashboard: amounts, statuses transactions, payments and returns. This gives complete control over receipt of money and simplifies payment accounting.
Important nuance: the merchant is responsible for the correct description goods and services upon registration. If the declared activity is not corresponds to the real one - this is the basis for blocking the merchant account. Acquiring banks and payment systems regularly monitor activities of merchants.