Financial Institutions and Payment Networks

Financial institutions and payment networks enable payment services. These entities work together to complete the full payment cycle.

Merchant Financial Institutions (Acquirers)

A merchant financial institution, also known as an
acquirer
, offers accounts to businesses that accept payment cards. Before you can accept payments, you must have a merchant account from an acquirer. Your merchant account must be configured to process card-not-present, card-present, or mail-order/telephone-order (MOTO) transactions.
Each acquirer has connections to a limited number of payment processors. You must choose a payment processor that your acquirer supports.
You can expect your acquirer to charge these fees:
  • Discount rates: your acquirer charges a fee and collects a percentage of every transaction. The combination of the fee and the percentage is called the
    discount rate
    . These charges can be
    bundled
    (combined into a single charge) or
    unbundled
    (charged separately).
  • Interchange fees: payment networks, such as Visa or Mastercard, each have a base fee, called the
    interchange fee
    , for each type of transaction. Your acquirer and processor can show you ways to reduce this fee.
  • Chargebacks: when cardholders dispute charges, you can incur
    chargebacks
    . A chargeback occurs when a charge on a customer’s account is reversed. Your acquirer removes the money from your account and could charge you a fee for processing the chargeback.
Take these precautions to prevent chargebacks:
  • Use accurate merchant descriptors so that customers can recognize the transactions on their statements.
  • Provide good customer support.
  • Ensure rapid problem resolution.
  • Maintain a high level of customer satisfaction.
  • Minimize fraudulent transactions.
If excessive chargebacks or fraudulant changes occur, these actions might be taken:
  • You might be required to change your business processes to reduce the number chargebacks, fraud, or both.
  • Your acquiring institution might increase your discount rate.
  • Your acquiring institution might revoke your merchant account.
Contact your sales representative for information about products that can help prevent fraud.

Customer Financial Institutions (Issuers)

A customer financial institution, also known as an issuer, provides payment cards to and underwrites lines of credit for their customers. The issuer provides monthly statements and collects payments. The issuer must follow the rules of the payment card companies to which they belong.

Payment Networks

Payment networks manage communications between acquiring financial institutions and issuing financial institutions. They also develop industry standards, support their brands, and establish fees for acquiring institutions.
Some payment networks, such as Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay International, are trade associations that do not issue cards. Issuers are members of these associations, and they issue cards under license from the association.
Other networks, such as Discover and American Express, issue their own cards. Before you process cards from these companies, you must sign agreements with them.

Payment Processors

Payment processors connect with acquirers. Before you can accept payments, you must register with
a payment processor
.
An acquirer might require you to use a payment processor with an existing relationship with the acquirer.
Your payment processor
assigns one or more merchant IDs (MIDs) to your business. These unique codes identify your business during payment transactions.
This table lists the processors and corresponding card types that are supported for payment services.
Only the card types explicitly listed here are supported.
Payment Processors and Supported Card Types
Payment Processor
Supported Card Types
Notes
Visa Platform Connect
Different card types are supported for each
Visa Platform Connect
acquirer. See Visa Platform Connect Acquirers.
The Visa Electron card type is processed the same way that the Visa debit card is processed. Use card type value 001 (Visa) for Visa Electron.

Visa Platform Connect
Acquirers

The following acquirers and card types are supported for
Visa Platform Connect
:
Supported
Visa Platform Connect
Acquirers and Card Types
Raw Processor Name
Processor Name
Supported Card Types
vdcabsa
Absa Bank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club
vdcagbkchina
Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
Visa Platform Connect
cannot process domestic transactions in China.
Visa Platform Connect
can process only cross-border transactions. A crossborder transaction is a transaction for which the payment card is issued in another country and accepted by a merchant in China.
networkintluae
Ahli United Bank in Bahrain, BLOM Bank, Network International
Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club
vdcaaib
Arab African International Bank (AAIB) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcacbvietnam
Asia Commercial Bank (ACB) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcasb
Auckland Savings Bank (ASB) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcanzbank
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. (ANZ) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcaxis
Axis Bank Ltd. of India on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club
vdcbanamex
Banco Nacional de México (Banamex) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club
vdcbcosafrabr
Banco Safra on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
vdcbbl
Bangkok Bank Ltd. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcbankmuscat
Bank Muscat of Oman on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club
vdcbay
Bank of Ayudhya (BAY) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcbocmacau
Bank of China in Macau on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcbocom
Bank of Communications on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcbksinarmasid
Bank Sinarmas (Omise Ltd.) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcbcellao
Banque Pour Le Commerce Exterieur Lao (BCEL) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB
vdcbarclaysbw
Barclays Bank Botswana on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
vdcbarclaysmu
Barclays Bank Mauritius Ltd. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
vdcbarclaysghtzug
Barclays Bank of Ghana Ltd., Barclays Bank of Tanzania Ltd., and Barclays Bank of Uganda Ltd. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
vdcbarclayske
Barclays Bank of Kenya on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
vdcbarclayszm
Barclays Bank of Zambia on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
vdcbarclayssc
Barclays Bank Seychelles on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express
vdcbccardkr
BC Card Co., Ltd. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB
vdccubtw
Cathay United Bank (CUB) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdccitihkmo
Citibank Hongkong and Macau on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, JCB
vdccitimy
Citibank Malaysia on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdccitisg
Citibank Singapore Ltd. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdccbq
Commercial Bank of Qatar on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdccredimax
CrediMax (Bahrain) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdcctbc
CTBC Bank Ltd. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcfdmsbn
First Data Merchant Solutions in Brunei on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcfdmshk
First Data Merchant Solutions in Hong Kong on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcfdmsmy
First Data Merchant Solutions in Malaysia on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcfdmssg
First Data Merchant Solutions in Singapore on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcfnb
FirstRand Bank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club
vdchsbcbank
Global Payments Asia Pacific on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
In India, the only supported card types are Visa and Mastercard. All three card types (Visa, Mastercard, JCB) are supported in all other countries that Global Payments Asia Pacific covers.
vdchabibltd
Habib Bank Ltd. (HBL) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdchdfc
HDFC Bank Ltd. of India on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club
vdcimbank
I&M Bank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcicici
ICICI of India on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdckeb
Korea Exchange Bank (KEB) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
Visa Platform Connect
cannot process domestic transactions in Korea.
Visa Platform Connect
can process only cross-border transactions. A crossborder transaction is a transaction for which the payment card is issued in another country and accepted by a merchant in Korea.
vdcmashreqbk
Mashreq on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdcmaybankmy
Maybank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB
vdcnbad
National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club
vdcnbk
National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club
vdcnacombk
National Commercial Bank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, mada
vdcnijo
Network International (NI) Jordan on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdcocbc
Overseas Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcpromerica
Promerica in Honduras and Nicaragua on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcbni
PT Bank Negara Indonesia on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcqnbqa
Qatar National Bank (QNB Group) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdcsacomb
Sacombank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcsmcc
Sumitomo Mitsui Card Co. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa
vdctaishintw
Taishin Bank Ltd. on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB
vdcuob
United Overseas Bank (UOB) in Singapore and Vietnam on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB
vdcuobth
United Overseas Bank (UOB) in Thailand on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcvantiv
Vantiv on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club
vdcvietcombk
Vietcombank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdcvietin
VietinBank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club
vdctechcomvn
Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard, American
Express, JCB, Diners Club
vdcguatemala
Visa Guatemala on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa
vdcvisanetuy
VisaNet Uruguay on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa
vdcwestpac
Westpac on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcwhb
Wing Hang Bank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard
vdcwinglung
Wing Lung Bank on
Visa Platform Connect
Visa, Mastercard