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Merchant Accounts UK: Compare Providers, Fees & Payment Setups

Merchant Account Matching

Find merchant account providers for your business

Tell us a little about your business and how you want to take payments. We’ll use the information to understand which merchant account and acquiring providers may be suitable.

1 Business
2 Payment setup
3 About you
Step 1 of 3

Tell us about your business

This helps us understand the type of merchant account and payment setup you may need.

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A short description of what your business sells or provides is enough.
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Your business location can affect which acquiring providers are available.
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Where are your customers based?




Select all that apply.
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✓ We only ask for information that helps us understand your payment requirements.
Merchant Account Matching

Your payment setup

Tell us how you take payments now and what you need from your next provider.

✓ Business
2 Payment setup
3 About you
Step 2 of 3

Your payment requirements

Approximate figures are absolutely fine.

Do you currently accept card payments?
This helps us understand whether you are switching provider or setting up card payments for the first time.
Please tell us whether you currently accept card payments.
Your current provider
If you use more than one provider, please include the main provider or providers you currently use.
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Tell us anything relevant about your current provider, previous declines, account termination, held funds or why you are considering alternatives.
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Which payment methods do you need?
Select all that apply.
Please select at least one payment method.
Approximate monthly debit and credit card turnover.
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What is your average online transaction value?



Choose the range closest to your typical customer payment.
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✓ Your payment methods and transaction profile help us understand which merchant account arrangements may be appropriate.
Merchant Account Matching

Where should we send your results?

Add your details and we’ll review your merchant account requirements.

✓ Business
✓ Payment setup
3 About you
Your payment profile
Business —
Current setup —
Monthly card sales —
Payment methods —
Step 3 of 3

About you

We’ll use these details to discuss merchant account providers that may be suitable for your business.

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Optional: tell us anything else about your payment requirements that may help us.
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Partner contact consent
Please confirm that you agree to your enquiry being shared with selected merchant account and acquiring partners.
Free to businesses · No obligation
Your information is used to assess your requirements and, where you consent, may be shared with selected merchant account and acquiring partners.
Independent merchant account advice

Find the right merchant account setup for your business

Merchant accounts are not one-size-fits-all. How you take payments, your transaction volumes, business type and existing provider can all affect which acquiring setup may be suitable.

Merchant Advice Service helps you understand your requirements before introducing you to providers that may be suitable.

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New setup or switching

Whether you're taking card payments for the first time or looking to move from an existing provider, we can help you understand the options.

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Different ways to take payments

Face-to-face, online, telephone, payment links, subscriptions and recurring payments can require different merchant account setups.

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Pricing & settlement

We look beyond headline transaction rates to consider fees, settlement arrangements and the wider commercial setup.

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Acquiring & integrations

Your merchant account needs to work with the way you accept payments, including terminals, gateways and existing software.

Why Merchant Advice Service?
✓
Independent guidance

Understand your payment requirements before approaching providers.

✓
Provider matching

Matching based on your business, payment methods and transaction profile.

✓
Free to businesses

There is no charge to use our service and no obligation to proceed.

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Tell us how your business takes payments

We'll use your payment methods, transaction profile and current setup to understand which merchant account providers may be suitable.

Independent Merchant Account Advice

Find the right merchant account for the way your business takes payments

Merchant account providers differ in the businesses they support, how they price transactions and the payment technology they can work with. The right option depends on much more than the lowest advertised rate.

Merchant Advice Service helps UK businesses understand their requirements before comparing providers — including sector, card turnover, transaction values, payment channels, underwriting, settlement, integrations and existing payment infrastructure.

✓ Independent payment guidance ✓ Established since 2016 ✓ Free to businesses ✓ Straightforward & complex requirements
Quick Summary

Choosing a merchant account in the UK

  • A merchant account allows a business to accept card payments and receive processed funds into its nominated business bank account.
  • There is no single best merchant account provider. The right fit depends on your sector, card turnover, transaction values, payment channels, countries, currencies and risk profile.
  • Compare the total cost of processing, not only the advertised transaction rate. Gateway fees, card-machine rental, settlement, cross-border costs and contract terms can materially affect the overall price.
  • Provider fit should come before price. Different providers have different underwriting criteria and risk appetites .
  • Established businesses should check whether a new provider can work with existing card machines, gateways, EPOS, booking platforms, recurring payments and other payment integrations .
  • Businesses already processing cards can use real transaction data and merchant statements to make a more meaningful payment-provider comparison .
  • Merchant Advice Service can help you understand the requirement before exploring providers. You can also read how Merchant Advice Service works before submitting any details.
Start With Your Requirement

What do you need a merchant account for?

Start with how your business takes payments and what your next provider needs to support.

New Account

Compare Merchant Account Providers

Explore provider options for a new or first merchant account.

Compare providers →
Existing Merchant

Switching Payment Provider

Review costs, contracts and compatibility before moving provider.

Switching guide →
Face-to-Face

Card Machines & In-Person Payments

Countertop, portable, mobile and Tap to Pay options.

Explore card machines →
Online Payments

Ecommerce & Payment Gateways

Gateways, ecommerce, subscriptions and online payments.

Explore payment gateways →
Specialist Underwriting MAS Specialism

High-Risk Merchant Accounts

For businesses where sector, ownership or processing history limits provider choice.

Explore high-risk payments →
Complex Payments MAS Specialism

Integrated & Complex Payments

EPOS, software, gateways, APIs, multiple sites and existing infrastructure.

Explore integrated payments →
A Better Way to Compare

Understand your requirements before comparing merchant account providers

Merchant accounts are not one-size-fits-all. Provider fit depends on your business model, transaction profile, technology and underwriting requirements as well as price.

01
Understand

Define what your business actually needs

Start with your sector, turnover, average transaction, payment channels, customer geography, settlement needs and the systems your payments need to work with.

Understanding how providers assess a business can also help avoid applying to providers that are unlikely to be a good fit.

Understand merchant account underwriting →
02
Compare

Compare more than the headline rate

Transaction pricing matters, but so do settlement, contracts, card-machine costs, gateway fees, support, international charges and integration compatibility.

Existing merchants can often make a stronger comparison using current statements and real transaction data rather than relying on advertised pricing.

How to compare payment providers →
03
Find

Explore providers that may suit the requirement

Once the requirement is clear, MAS can help you explore merchant account providers that may be suitable for the business and payment setup.

We are not an acquirer and do not make underwriting decisions. You decide whether you want your details shared with a provider.

Do you already take payments?
How do you take payments?


Please select a payment type
Please let us know how you take payments
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Turnover(*)
Turnover




Please let us know your turnover
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Ever Had a Terminated or Declined Account?(*)
Ever Had a Terminated or Declined Account?
Please let us know if you've ever had a terminated or declined account
Please let us know who declined or terminated a previous account
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Please let us know where your company is based.
Please let us know the companies location
Please let us know about your goods or services
Please let us know your name
Please let us know your email address
Please let us know a contact number
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We'll need your permission to share your data with prospective banks!
Merchant Account Matching

Tell us what your payment setup needs to do

Tell us about your business, card turnover, how you take payments and anything your next provider needs to work with. We can use that information to help identify provider options that may fit the requirement.

This can include straightforward merchant accounts as well as high-risk businesses and more complex setups involving EPOS, gateways, booking systems, APIs, multiple locations or existing payment infrastructure.

✓ Free to businesses ✓ Independent payment guidance ✓ High-risk & complex payment experience ✓ Your details are only shared with permission
Compare the Complete Setup

What should you compare in a merchant account?

Look beyond the headline transaction rate and compare the full commercial and technical arrangement.

Costs

Fees & Pricing

Compare processing, interchange, scheme, gateway, terminal and other account costs.

UK merchant fees benchmark →
Provider Fit

Underwriting & Risk Appetite

Understand how sector, ownership and transaction profile affect provider suitability.

Understand underwriting →
Cash Flow

Settlement

Check when funds reach your bank account and what may delay settlement.

Understand settlement →
Commercial Terms

Contracts & Flexibility

Review minimum terms, notice periods, renewals and costs of changing provider.

Read the switching guide →
Technology MAS Specialism

Technology & Integrations

Check EPOS, gateways, software, APIs and existing payment infrastructure.

Explore integrated payments →
Service

Support & Provider Fit

Consider onboarding, technical support, disputes and how well the provider can support future growth.

Compare payment providers →
Price Matters. Provider Fit Matters More.

Merchant account fees and underwriting should be considered together

A low advertised processing rate is not useful if the provider is unsuitable for the business, while a provider that can support a complex requirement may price the account differently because of sector, risk, transaction profile or technical requirements.

Merchant Account Costs

Understand the real cost of accepting cards

Merchant account pricing can include much more than a single transaction percentage. The overall cost may be influenced by card mix, transaction value, international cards, pricing model, gateways, terminals and contractual charges.

  • Processing and acquiring charges
  • Interchange and scheme fees
  • Gateway or platform costs
  • Card-machine rental and hardware
  • International and cross-border transactions
  • Minimum charges, contracts and additional service fees
Merchant Underwriting MAS Specialism

Understand how providers assess your business

Payment providers do not all assess businesses in the same way. Their appetite can differ by sector, ownership structure, transaction profile, geography, trading history and previous processing experience.

  • Business model and sector
  • Company ownership and directors
  • Card turnover and average transaction value
  • Customer and transaction geography
  • Refund, dispute and chargeback history
  • Previous processing or provider history

Already processing card payments? Your current merchant statements can provide useful evidence of transaction volumes, card mix and existing costs when comparing alternative providers. See how to compare payment providers →

Your Payment Setup

What does your merchant account need to work with?

A merchant account rarely operates in isolation. Start with how you take payments today and the technology your next provider needs to support.

More than a straightforward merchant account?  MAS specialises in payment requirements where provider choice depends on existing software, hardware, integrations or other payment infrastructure.
Explore Integrated Payments →
Need Help Finding the Right Setup? High Risk & Complex Payments

Tell us what your next payment provider needs to support

Your requirement might be straightforward, or it may involve specialist underwriting, existing EPOS, gateways, software, multiple locations or other payment infrastructure.

Tell us about the business and how you take payments. We can help you understand the requirement before exploring providers that may be suitable.

Tell Us About Your Payment Setup
Free to businesses · No obligation
✓ New merchant accounts ✓ Existing payment reviews ✓ High-risk requirements ✓ Integrated & complex payments
Already Taking Payments?

Your current provider may not need replacing

Growth, higher costs or new technology can be good reasons to review your payment setup — but switching is not always the right answer.

Sometimes the better option is to renegotiate, restructure part of the setup or introduce another provider.

✓ Use existing merchant statements ✓ Review the complete payment cost ✓ Check integrations before switching ✓ Consider future requirements
How Merchant Advice Service Works

Understand the requirement first. Then explore suitable providers.

MAS is an independent payments information and provider-matching service. We are not a payment processor and we do not make underwriting decisions.

01

Tell us about your business

We look at how you take payments, your volumes, sector and anything a provider needs to support.

02

We review the requirement

We consider provider fit, underwriting, pricing structure, technology and any integration requirements.

03

Explore suitable provider options

Where appropriate, you can choose whether you want an introduction to providers that may suit the requirement.

Want to understand the process before enquiring?
Read how MAS selects providers, when information may be shared and how our commercial relationships work.
✓ Free to businesses ✓ You decide whether to proceed ✓ Provider acceptance is not guaranteed ✓ Details are shared with permission

What Our Customers Say...

Libby was fantastic in coming to the rescue to help me sort card machine for my business without any charge, would highly recommend.
I had a brief phone call with Libby to outline our needs and within an hour I was being called by a processing bank to get things moving. Our new provider has been set up within 48 hours and we are overjoyed and stress free. Thank you Libby, what a…
Great service 👍🏻
Great service, thank you
1st class service, nothing but good things to say about this business. From first contact nothing has been to much trouble.
Using merchant services has helped my business no end. Great service, really professional and nothing was ever too much trouble when asking questions. Thank you!
Great service from the team. Would highly recommend using them!
Great thanks to Merchant Advise Service and Libby James. We encountered a problem with our existing merchant that led us unable to process customer payments which as a small business was a disaster. Libby quickly matched us with a new merchant and…
I contacted Merchant Advice Service when our company received notice from a previous provider. We’re classed as “travel” due to the nature of our UK holiday business. At the time we reached out to a few providers - however the advice we received fr…

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a merchant account?

    A merchant account is part of the payment-processing setup that allows a business to accept card payments and receive processed funds into its nominated bank account. The exact arrangement varies by provider and payment method.

    How much does a merchant account cost in the UK?

    There is no single standard merchant account fee. Costs can include transaction charges, interchange and scheme fees, gateway fees, terminal rental, international-card charges and other contractual costs. The right comparison is the total cost of processing, not just the headline rate.

    How do providers decide whether to accept my business?

    Payment providers assess factors such as sector, ownership, trading history, card turnover, average transaction value, customer geography, payment channels and previous processing history. Different providers can have very different risk appetites.

    Can I change merchant account provider without changing my EPOS or software?

    Potentially, yes. However, compatibility should be checked before switching. A new provider may need to work with existing card machines, EPOS, gateways, booking systems, APIs or other payment infrastructure.

    Can Merchant Advice Service help with high-risk or complex merchant accounts?

    MAS has particular experience with high-risk payment requirements and more complex payment setups involving integrations, software, multiple locations or existing infrastructure. Provider suitability and final underwriting decisions remain with the provider.

    How does Merchant Advice Service choose payment providers?

    MAS first looks at the business requirement, including payment channels, transaction profile, sector, underwriting considerations and technical needs. Where appropriate, we can then help the business explore providers that may be suitable. The business decides whether it wants to proceed with an introduction.

    Ready to Compare?

    Find a merchant account provider that fits your business

    Tell us how your business takes payments, your transaction profile and anything your next provider needs to support.

    Whether you need a straightforward merchant account, specialist underwriting or a provider that can work with existing payment technology, we can help you explore options that may be suitable.

    Compare Merchant Account Providers
    Free to businesses · No obligation
    ✓ Independent payment guidance ✓ High-risk merchant accounts ✓ Complex & integrated payments ✓ Straightforward provider comparison