“Credit card processing companies” is a broad search that returns hundreds of results, from global banks to single-person ISOs. The companies using this language include direct acquirers, technology processors, payment facilitators, ISOs, and aggregators. Understanding the difference between these models is the first step to choosing the right partner.
Category 1: Direct Acquirers
Companies that are registered members of Visa and Mastercard and can hold merchant accounts directly at the card network level. Direct acquirers include: Adyen, JPMorgan Chase Merchant Services, Fiserv, Global Payments, and Worldpay. Direct acquirers typically require significant volume minimums ($5M+ annually) and go-live timelines measured in weeks.
Category 2: Technology Processors
Companies that provide the technology layer, APIs, gateways, fraud tools, reporting, often on top of a direct acquiring relationship. The line between processor and acquirer is increasingly blurred; companies like Stripe and Adyen are both.
Category 3: Payment Facilitators (PayFacs)
PayFacs are registered with card networks as master merchants and onboard businesses as sub-merchants under their MID. PayFacs combine technology and a simplified acquiring relationship, enabling fast merchant onboarding without direct bank underwriting.
Who to know: ConvesioPay (WooCommerce-focused, Adyen-powered), Stripe, Square, Shopify Payments, Lightspeed Payments
Category 4: ISOs (Independent Sales Organizations)
ISOs resell acquiring services from a sponsoring bank without being acquirers themselves. They focus on merchant acquisition, onboarding, and relationship management. ISOs were the dominant distribution model for traditional retail merchant services and remain significant in the in-person payment market.
Category 5: Aggregators
Aggregators pool many merchants into a shared master account, offering the fastest onboarding but least account stability. Early Stripe and Square operated as aggregators; most have evolved toward the PayFac model as they’ve scaled.
How to Choose the Right Category for Your Business
| Business Stage | Best Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New, <$100K annual | PayFac (ConvesioPay, Stripe) | Fast onboarding, no minimums |
| Growing, $100K–$5M | PayFac with direct acquiring infrastructure | Speed + authorization rate performance |
| Enterprise, $5M–$50M | Direct acquirer or high-tier PayFac | Volume pricing, dedicated support, account stability |
| Traditional in-person retail | ISO or direct acquirer | Terminal hardware relationships, in-person optimization |
ConvesioPay sits at the intersection of PayFac accessibility and direct acquiring performance, Adyen’s institutional infrastructure through a WooCommerce-native interface. Flat rate: 2.9% + $0.30, no monthly fees.
Ready to get started? Learn more about ConvesioPay or view pricing.