Objectives On completion of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Recognize the competitive pressures on fees
• List the various initiatives acquirers do to take on clients
• Define the day-to-day operations of an acquirer
• Name the various add-on services provided by acquirers

Tutorial Overview Merchant acquirers play a critical role in the cards and payments model. As intermediary between the merchant and the card issuer, they are central to card and payments acceptance. Merchant acquirers primarily provide payment technology solutions to merchants. With the explosion of card not present (CNP) transactions on the back of strong internet penetration, the rise of e-commerce and mobile commerce and alternative payment types, payment solutions and their fee structures have had to adapt. This tutorial provides a high-level overview of merchant services. Prerequisite Knowledge Payment Cards Tutorial Level: Introductory Tutorial Duration: 45 minutes