Cross-border acquiring
International High-Risk Merchant Accounts
An international merchant account can describe domestic acquiring through a foreign subsidiary, cross-border acquiring for customers outside the merchant’s home country, or an offshore acquiring relationship. Those structures are not interchangeable. The contract should identify the merchant entity, acquirer, acquiring country, permitted customer locations, presentment currencies, settlement currency, and movement of funds.
Last reviewed
15 company profiles
Reviewed international acquiring products
Each listed product combines international acquiring with a merchant-account arrangement supplied by the provider or its acquiring setup. A dedicated MID is not implied. Confirm the acquiring entity, account structure and settlement route market by market.
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Adyen
Adyen combines a payment gateway, risk tooling, processing, acquiring and merchant settlement for online and in-person payments. Adyen for Platforms adds user onboarding, split payments, balances and payouts, while Adyen Issuing supports physical and virtual card programs. Product access depends on the customer model, country, regulated activity, underwriting and contract.
International acquiring products
Adyen Payments
- Adyen Payments
Why this option is listed
Adyen Payments is identified for global acquiring, and Adyen Payments includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Check approval
Merchant underwriter not specified
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Adyen
- Approval
- Merchant underwriter not specified
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- Adyen Payments
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
BlueSnap
BlueSnap, Powered by Payroc, provides payment-facilitator processing through partner acquirers, a bank-agnostic gateway and Payment API, embedded payments for software platforms, and a transaction-specific merchant-of-record route under its current merchant agreement. BlueSnap is not a universal direct acquirer; the contracting BlueSnap entity, acquirer or sponsor bank, merchant account, underwriting, reserve, funds flow and settlement route depend on the merchant location, product and agreement.
International acquiring products
Global payment processing through BlueSnap PayFac routes
- BlueSnap PayFac with partner-acquirer processing
Why this option is listed
Global payment processing through BlueSnap PayFac routes is identified for global acquiring, and BlueSnap PayFac with partner-acquirer processing includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Payment facilitator and merchant services provider
- Account / MID
- Included: BlueSnap
- Approval
- BlueSnap performs submerchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- BlueSnap merchant payout after acquirer funding or Acquirer-direct merchant settlement when required
- BlueSnap PayFac with partner-acquirer processing
BlueSnap Embedded Payments
- Embedded Payments for software platforms
Why this option is listed
BlueSnap Embedded Payments is identified for global acquiring, and Embedded Payments for software platforms includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Embedded payment processing merchant verification and payout provider
- Account / MID
- The approved software platform embeds the workflow; each platform merchant applies for processing and payout access
- Approval
- BlueSnap approves the software platform and separately verifies each merchant for processing and payouts
- Funds / settlement
- The acquirer or sponsor bank for the applicable merchant and transaction supplies acquiring access; BlueSnap processes each approved merchant's payments, applies configured splits and manages merchant payouts
- Embedded Payments for software platforms
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Checkout.com
Checkout.com provides merchant acquiring and online payment processing, a separate payment-gateway route for merchants that keep another acquirer, platform payments for marketplaces and payment facilitators, card and bank payouts, and card issuing. The contracting entity, sponsor bank, merchant approval, settlement route and permitted business activity depend on the country, product and agreement.
International acquiring products
Checkout.com Online Payments
- Checkout.com Online Payments
Why this option is listed
Checkout.com Online Payments is identified for global acquiring, and Checkout.com Online Payments includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Payment service provider
- Account / MID
- Included: Checkout.com contracting entity or sponsor bank, depending on the country and agreement
- Approval
- Merchant approval is shared by Checkout.com, the applicable sponsor bank and payment method, as required
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- Checkout.com Online Payments
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Ecommpay
Ecommpay combines direct card acquiring, a proprietary payment gateway, local and alternative payment methods, open-banking payments, orchestration, recurring billing and merchant-funded payouts. Ecommpay Limited is the disclosed UK contracting and regulated payment-services entity; the exact acquiring route, external payment-method provider, settlement terms and payout rail remain product- and agreement-specific.
International acquiring products
Ecommpay full-stack payments
- Ecommpay direct card acquiring
Why this option is listed
Ecommpay full-stack payments is identified for global acquiring, and Ecommpay direct card acquiring includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Direct card acquirer and payment processor
- Account / MID
- Included: Ecommpay
- Approval
- Ecommpay performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- Ecommpay direct card acquiring
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Elavon
Elavon is the merchant-payments product line of U.S. Bank. Its documented U.S. merchant-processing route is supplied by Elavon, Inc. with a designated Member that is initially U.S. Bank, N.A. or Elavon, Inc.; Elavon processes transactions and provisional merchant funding while the Member facilitates settlement through the banking rails. Converge is separately documented as a hosted gateway that can send transactions to Elavon or a third-party destination, so the gateway alone does not establish who supplies the merchant account, underwriting or settlement. In the UK, the regulated entity is U.S. Bank Europe DAC, formerly Elavon Financial Services DAC, operating through its registered UK branch and trading as Elavon Merchant Services.
International acquiring products
UK regulated acquiring
- UK acquiring through U.S. Bank Europe DAC
Why this option is listed
UK regulated acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and UK acquiring through U.S. Bank Europe DAC includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: U.S. Bank Europe DAC
- Approval
- Elavon performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- UK acquiring through U.S. Bank Europe DAC
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
emerchantpay
emerchantpay provides card acquiring, payment gateway technology, payment processing, merchant accounts, risk and chargeback management, reporting and customer payouts. The commercial and funds-flow model depends on whether the merchant uses direct acquiring, gateway technology, the UK referral and collection service, or US ISO processing.
International acquiring products
Global card acquiring
- Global card acquiring
Why this option is listed
Global card acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and Global card acquiring includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Check funds / settlement
Settlement schedule not specified
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: emerchantpay
- Approval
- emerchantpay performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Settlement schedule not specified
- Global card acquiring
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Global Payments
Global Payments sells merchant payment processing and commerce technology through different legal and bank structures. In the documented U.S. sponsorship model, Global Payments Direct, Inc. is the processor and registered ISO while a member bank sponsors the card activity, retains control of network settlement funds until the merchant is funded and participates in merchant acceptance. In the UK, GPUK LLP is the FCA-authorised payment-services entity behind the Global Payments trading name. European materials describe both financial-institution processing capabilities and merchant card-acceptance contracts with Global Payments s.r.o.; the public sources reviewed do not establish one universal responsibility split for every s.r.o. relationship.
International acquiring products
UK card acquiring and online payments
- UK regulated card acquiring
Why this option is listed
UK card acquiring and online payments is identified for global acquiring, and UK regulated card acquiring includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: GPUK LLP
- Approval
- Global Payments performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- UK regulated card acquiring
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Nuvei
Nuvei provides acquiring, processing, gateway, orchestration, merchant accounts, payouts, platform payments, issuing, banking and crypto services.
International acquiring products
Nuvei Acquiring
- Nuvei Acquiring
Why this option is listed
Nuvei Acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and Nuvei Acquiring includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included with this product
- Approval
- Nuvei performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Nuvei handles merchant funds at one or more stages
- Nuvei Acquiring
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Paysafe
Paysafe combines card acquiring and merchant processing with a payments API, Skrill and Neteller wallet acceptance, PaysafeCard eCash and a single-integration iGaming payment platform. The contracting entity, merchant account, regulatory permission and funds flow depend on the selected product and region.
International acquiring products
European card acquiring
- European card acquiring
Why this option is listed
European card acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and European card acquiring includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Check funds / settlement
Funds holder and settlement provider not specified
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Paysafe
- Approval
- Merchant underwriter not specified
- Funds / settlement
- Funds holder and settlement provider not specified
- European card acquiring
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Planet
Planet combines online and in-person payment acceptance, acquiring, a payment gateway, tokenization, Dynamic Currency Conversion and Multi-Currency Pricing with hospitality software. Planet Merchant Services Limited provides the documented UK regulated route and Planet Merchant Services SAS provides the documented EU acquiring route. Availability outside those entity scopes may involve another Planet entity or an acquiring partner and must be confirmed by product, country and contract.
International acquiring products
Planet UK acquiring and payment acceptance
- UK acquiring through Planet Merchant Services Limited
Why this option is listed
Planet UK acquiring and payment acceptance is identified for global acquiring, and UK acquiring through Planet Merchant Services Limited includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Planet Merchant Services Limited
- Approval
- Planet performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Planet handles merchant funds at one or more stages
- UK acquiring through Planet Merchant Services Limited
Planet EEA acquiring and payment acceptance
- EEA acquiring through Planet Merchant Services SAS
Why this option is listed
Planet EEA acquiring and payment acceptance is identified for global acquiring, and EEA acquiring through Planet Merchant Services SAS includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Planet Merchant Services SAS
- Approval
- Planet performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Planet handles merchant funds at one or more stages
- EEA acquiring through Planet Merchant Services SAS
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Shift4
Shift4 combines online, in-person and hospitality payment technology with card processing, tokenization, reporting and currency-conversion products. The documented U.S. merchant-processing route is a joint agreement with Citizens Bank, N.A.; Shift4 Limited provides regulated EEA acquiring and Shift4 Payments UK Limited provides regulated UK acquiring. Gateway availability and merchant reach must not be read as direct Shift4 acquiring in every country.
International acquiring products
Shift4 UK acquiring
- UK acquiring through Shift4 Payments UK Limited
Why this option is listed
Shift4 UK acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and UK acquiring through Shift4 Payments UK Limited includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Shift4 Payments UK Limited
- Approval
- Shift4 performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- UK acquiring through Shift4 Payments UK Limited
Shift4 EEA acquiring
- EEA acquiring through Shift4 Limited
Why this option is listed
Shift4 EEA acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and EEA acquiring through Shift4 Limited includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Shift4 Limited
- Approval
- Shift4 performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- EEA acquiring through Shift4 Limited
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Trust Payments
Trust Payments combines UK and EEA merchant acquiring with the TRU Connect online gateway, hosted and embedded checkout, mobile SDKs, tokenization, fraud controls, payment links, reporting and in-person terminals. TrustUK Payments Ltd is the documented UK acquiring entity and Trust Payments (Malta) Limited is the documented Malta-regulated acquiring entity. Gateway and POS technology can be contracted separately, so gateway status must not be confused with settlement by the merchant's acquirer.
International acquiring products
TrustUK merchant acquiring
- UK acquiring through TrustUK Payments Ltd
Why this option is listed
TrustUK merchant acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and UK acquiring through TrustUK Payments Ltd includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: TrustUK Payments Ltd
- Approval
- Trust Payments performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- UK acquiring through TrustUK Payments Ltd
Trust Payments Malta acquiring
- EEA acquiring through Trust Payments (Malta) Limited
Why this option is listed
Trust Payments Malta acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and EEA acquiring through Trust Payments (Malta) Limited includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Trust Payments (Malta) Limited
- Approval
- Trust Payments performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- EEA acquiring through Trust Payments (Malta) Limited
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Unlimit
Unlimit provides card acquiring and payment processing, a gateway and checkout stack, local payment methods, tokenized recurring payments and merchant-funded payouts. The operating route is regional rather than one global licence: Unlimit EU Ltd is a Cyprus electronic-money institution, Unlimit UK Ltd is a UK electronic-money institution, Unlimint IN Private Limited is an Indian payment aggregator, and Brazil separates the authorised payment institution and merchant acquirer from the technology and integration company.
International acquiring products
Unlimit EU payment services and acquiring
- Cyprus EMI payment services and merchant-acquiring route
Why this option is listed
Unlimit EU payment services and acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and Cyprus EMI payment services and merchant-acquiring route includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Licensed electronic money institution and merchant acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Unlimit
- Approval
- Unlimit performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- Cyprus EMI payment services and merchant-acquiring route
Unlimit UK payment services and acquiring
- UK EMI payment services and merchant-acquiring route
Why this option is listed
Unlimit UK payment services and acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and UK EMI payment services and merchant-acquiring route includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- UK electronic money institution and merchant acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Unlimit
- Approval
- Unlimit performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- UK EMI payment services and merchant-acquiring route
Unlimit Brazil direct acquiring
- Brazil licensed merchant-acquiring route
Why this option is listed
Unlimit Brazil direct acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and Brazil licensed merchant-acquiring route includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Licensed Brazilian payment institution and merchant acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Unlimit
- Approval
- Unlimit performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- Brazil licensed merchant-acquiring route
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Worldline
Worldline combines regulated card acquiring with online and in-person payment technology. The documented UK route contracts through Worldline Merchant Services UK Limited, an FCA-authorised payment institution that underwrites the merchant, processes transactions, safeguards merchant funds and settles the approved card activity. Its Online Payments Gateway is a separate non-regulated SaaS service that can route to Worldline acquiring or to a third-party acquirer; on the latter route it does not supply that acquirer’s merchant account, underwriting or settlement.
International acquiring products
Worldline UK Acquiring Services
- UK regulated acquiring
Why this option is listed
Worldline UK Acquiring Services is identified for global acquiring, and UK regulated acquiring includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Worldline Merchant Services UK Limited
- Approval
- Worldline performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- UK regulated acquiring
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Worldpay
Worldpay provides direct card and alternative-payment acquiring, payment processing and gateway services. Corporate Gateway can connect a merchant to a separate acquirer. Worldpay Integrated Payments combines U.S. processing, merchant underwriting and a Worldpay-issued MID with a Member Bank relationship. Access Worldpay also supports card and bank-account payouts as a separate service.
International acquiring products
Global Acquiring
- Global Acquiring
Why this option is listed
Global Acquiring is identified for global acquiring, and Global Acquiring includes acquiring or merchant-account responsibility.
Role, account, approval and funds
- Role in this product
- Acquirer
- Account / MID
- Included: Worldpay
- Approval
- Worldpay performs merchant underwriting
- Funds / settlement
- Custom acquirer to merchant settlement
- Global Acquiring
Product categories
Merchant accounts & acquiring · Gateways
Decision brief
Map each market to its acquiring and settlement entity
Use this page when
The merchant, customers, acquirer and settlement bank may sit in different countries.
Entity map
Identify the contracting merchant entity and the provider or partner entity serving each market.
Acquiring model
Separate local acquiring, cross-border acquiring, gateway connectivity and platform account structures.
Currency path
Compare presentment, settlement, conversion, repatriation and reserve currencies together.
Build a country-by-country matrix
- Merchant entity, customer market and permitted activity
- Acquirer, account or MID structure and card-scheme region
- Settlement bank, currency, timing, conversion and tax obligations
Name the merchant and acquirer in each country
A provider’s global footprint does not mean one contract covers every market. The merchant may need a local entity and bank account for domestic acquiring, while another market is served cross-border or through a separate PSP. Ask for the legal and funds flow by country.
Determine which entity signs the merchant agreement, which acquirer connects to the card networks or local payment method, where funds are received, and which entity pays the merchant. A referral or gateway connection should not be presented as the provider’s own acquiring license.
Separate presentment, processing, and settlement currency
Presentment currency is what the customer sees and pays. Processing currency is used in the transaction messages. Settlement currency is what reaches the merchant’s account. Currency conversion can occur at more than one point, and the contract should identify the rate source, markup, timing, and party performing each conversion.
Compare cross-border assessments, local-method fees, conversion spreads, settlement-bank charges, minimums, reserve currency, refund conversion, and the treatment of exchange-rate differences on chargebacks. A multicurrency checkout does not guarantee like-for-like settlement.
- Customer-facing prices and permitted presentment currencies
- Settlement currencies and eligible bank-account countries
- FX rate source, spread, cutoff, and conversion owner
- Refund and chargeback currency treatment
Check country, product, and customer restrictions together
A lawful business in one country may face licensing, product, consumer-protection, sanctions, card-network, or provider restrictions in another. Approval should specify where the merchant entity is established, where customers may be located, where the product is delivered, and which jurisdictions are excluded.
For activity subject to US jurisdiction, sanctions controls should reflect the business’s products, counterparties, customers, and geographic exposure. OFAC states that there is no single compliance program suitable for every circumstance; screening alone is not a complete cross-border operating plan.
Model cross-border settlement and reserve access
International settlement adds bank cutoffs, holidays, correspondent banks, conversion timing, and potential transfer charges. Confirm when settlement becomes due and where reserves are held. Then ask about the currency of the reserve, whether negative balances can be debited, and what law governs release after termination.
Review tax withholding, invoicing, local bank requirements, and repatriation with qualified legal and tax advisers. A payment provider’s commercial availability is not legal or tax advice for the merchant’s business.
Compare one country-and-currency route at a time
Global provider lists hide material differences. Build the comparison around a defined merchant entity, customer market, product, payment method, currency pair, and settlement destination, then repeat it for the next route.
- Merchant entity, acquiring entity, acquirer, and governing law
- Permitted customer countries, products, MCCs, and payment methods
- Presentment, processing, settlement, refund, and reserve currencies
- FX rates, cross-border fees, settlement timing, and bank charges
- Data location, support hours, disputes, termination, and reserve release
FAQ
Common questions
Is an international merchant account the same as an offshore account?
No. International can include local acquiring through a foreign entity or cross-border acquiring. Offshore usually refers to an acquiring relationship outside the merchant’s home jurisdiction. Ask for the exact entities and countries.
Does multicurrency acceptance provide local acquiring?
No. A checkout can show many currencies while transactions are still acquired cross-border. Confirm the acquiring country, domestic or cross-border status, and fees for each route.
Can settlement be received in the customer’s currency?
Sometimes, but only for supported settlement currencies and bank-account locations. Otherwise the provider or banking chain converts the funds. The agreement should state the rate source and markup.
Does a provider’s country coverage mean every industry is accepted there?
No. Country availability, product availability, industry policy, merchant entity, payment method, and underwriting approval are separate conditions.