Overview
The statement “The merchant services business isn’t really about payments” is truer today than ever. Developers of integrated payments software have rapidly broadened the availability of sophisticated processing solutions across industry verticals. And firms that would never before have been considered “payments” companies are now earning substantial payments revenue. Leading merchant acquirers have already set the course for their integrated payment strategies, but independent sales organizations are looking increasingly vulnerable to this new competition.
Mercator Advisory Group’s research note, Merchant Acquiring in 2014: Integration, Integration, Integration, discusses how acquirers and ISOs should be responding to the integrated payments revolution occurring in the United States.
“Integrated point-of-sale solutions are expanding the market for merchant services in the United States,” comments Michael Misasi, Senior Analyst, Credit Advisory Service at Mercator Advisory Group and the author of the research note. “These solutions help small businesses justify the cost of payment acceptance and are facilitating card acceptance in industries with relatively low rates of bank card acceptance. The firms that successfully manage the transition to integrated payment applications will be rewarded with larger payment volumes and more profitable business.”
This note contains 12 pages and 5 exhibits.
Companies mentioned in this research note include: APT, Bank of America Merchant Services, Blackbaud, CardConnect, Chase Paymentech, Century Payments, Clover, Cynergy Data, Elavon, Element Payment Technologies, EVO Payments International, First Data, Global Payments, Heartland, Leaf, Mercury Payments, MCS, Merchant Warehouse, Micros, NCR, Oracle, PayPros, ProPay, Priority Payments, Phreesia, TouchNet, TransFirst, TSYS, Vantiv, WorldPay, and Xpient.
Members of Mercator Advisory Group’s Credit Advisory Service have access to these reports as well as the upcoming research for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access, and other membership benefits.
One of the exhibits included in this report:

Highlights of the research note include:
- Estimated 2014 market shares of leading acquirer processors
- An explanation of the emergence of independent software vendors as a delivery channel for merchant services and what that means for acquirers’ industry vertical strategies
- Analysis of how ISOs, acquiring banks, and processors can respond to the new integrated payments environment
- An overview of integrated payment offers from leading acquirer processors
- Examples of software companies successfully delivering payments as a service
Book a Meeting with the Author
Related content
Klarna Gets Its Wrist Slapped Again: BNPL Brings Volume, but Not Credit Quality or Profits
Klarna’s buy-now, pay-later model is colliding with global regulation. A Netherlands court has invalidated consumer debts, ruling BNPL creates credit obligations—despite zero inter...
Co-Branded Credit Cards Smoke, Private Labels Choke
Co‑branded credit cards thrive when financial institutions and consumer brands join to create value neither could deliver alone. When designed well, these partnerships fuel custome...
2026 Credit Card Risk: Happy Days are Here Again (For Top Issuers)
The year bodes well as 2026 approaches the end of the first quarter. Economic indicators are strong, the credit card market is growing at a healthy rate, and credit cards rem...
Make informed decisions in a digital financial world