Finance & Moneyintermediate
Merchant Services
Definition
The financial infrastructure enabling businesses to accept electronic payments, including card processing, point-of-sale systems, online payment gateways, and related services.
Why it matters
Choosing the right merchant services affects transaction fees, payout speed, and which payment methods you can accept. Small differences in fees compound significantly at scale.
Example
A founder compares merchant services: Stripe (1.4-1.7% per transaction), PayPal (2.9%), and a bank merchant account (0.8% + monthly fee). At high volume, the bank account is cheapest.
Related terms
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