Acquiring Bank
A financial institution that processes card payments on behalf of a merchant, acting as the bridge between the customer's bank and the seller's account during every transaction.
When a customer pays by card, the acquiring bank receives the transaction request, routes it through the card network (Visa, Mastercard), communicates with the customer's issuing bank for authorization, and ultimately transfers the funds to the merchant's account minus processing fees.
How Does an Acquiring Bank Work?
Every card transaction follows the same sequence. The customer taps or enters their card details. The acquiring bank receives the payment request and forwards it through the card network to the issuing bank the bank that issued the customer's card. The issuing bank approves or declines the transaction based on available funds and fraud checks. The acquiring bank relays the decision back to the merchant in real time, and if approved settles the funds into the merchant's account within one to three business days.
Acquiring Bank vs. Payment Processor
These two terms are closely related but describe different roles:
The acquiring bank holds the merchant account and assumes the financial risk of the transaction. It is the regulated financial entity that ultimately guarantees the funds.
The payment processor is the technology layer that facilitates the data exchange between all parties the merchant's checkout system, the card network, and the issuing bank. In many cases, the same institution acts as both acquirer and processor, but they remain distinct functions.
Key Responsibilities of an Acquiring Bank
Transaction authorization: forwarding payment requests to the relevant card network and issuing bank, and relaying approval or decline decisions in real time.
Settlement: transferring approved transaction funds into the merchant's account, typically within one to three business days after the transaction date.
Chargeback management: handling dispute resolution when a customer contests a transaction with their issuing bank. The acquiring bank acts as the merchant's representative in the chargeback process.
Risk and compliance oversight: monitoring merchant activity for fraud patterns, excessive chargebacks, or regulatory violations. A merchant whose chargeback rate consistently exceeds 1% risks account suspension or termination by their acquirer.
FAQ
You'll find a list of frequently asked questions. Should you have any additional queries, don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to help!
Yes. Unlike traditional PSPs, Inflow operates on self-custody infrastructure : your funds never touch our balance sheet eliminating the risk of arbitrary account freezes. That's why globally-traded companies and unicorns trust us with their payment flows. When you control your money, nobody can block you.
Simple, transparent pricing with no hidden fees. Check out our pricing page for the full breakdown.
Spoiler: low fees all-in with no surprises.
Years ago, selling internationally was complex and expensive. Today, with AI translation and social media, businesses launch globally without even realizing it. Then MoRs (Merchants of Record) arrived promising easy global payments, but with brutal terms: 10%+ fees, terrible acceptance rates, unoptimized checkouts, and random account blocks. It worked for some, but limited many more.
With Inflow, you're global from day one with best-in-class terms from the start: transparent pricing, highest acceptance rates, and zero risk of sudden suspensions.
Absolutely. We handle the entire migration, your customers won't even notice the switch. Zero downtime, zero disruption, and your recurring revenue keeps flowing uninterrupted.
Step Into Your Inflow Journey Today
We are limiting access to ensure quality service for each merchant and to guarantee the security of customers purchasing through Inflow