PRACTICAL TIP SHEET
Why 96% of merchants are adding acquirers
Improve approval rates, cut risk, and unlock better performance with a smarter acquiring strategy.
Three reasons why merchants are adding acquirers
96% of merchants plan to add one in the next 12 months. Here’s what’s driving the shift:
You don’t have to solve it all at once
For many merchants, these benefits are clear, but making a change can feel complex or risky. The trick is to start small: Focus on a specific use case, test it, prove the value before you scale and validate impact without disrupting your existing setup.
Common starting points:
Add a second acquirer
Protect revenue with failover and see how your current acquirer is really performing.
Enter a new market
Improve entry success with acquirers that understand local payment behaviors and requirements.
Test performance across providers
Surface hidden performance gains by testing, comparing, and routing transactions to the best -performer.
Expert tip: Switching even a small portion of volume for a test (e.g., ~30%) is enough to prove value before you expand.
ACI makes adding acquirers simple
The ACI ISO Acquirer Program lets you optimize your acquiring strategy without taking on the complexity to create a more resilient, flexible, and performance-driven acquiring strategy. The program helps merchants and PSPs:
- Introduce and manage additional acquirers
- Access pre-integrated, high-performing acquirers
- Compare performance and optimize routing
- Run it all through a single commercial and operational interface
Ready to improve your acquiring strategy?
Let’s evaluate your current setup, uncover performance gaps, and identify where smarter routing and additional acquirers can unlock measurable gains.
Sources
- ACI internal data