Merchant Payment Services

What Merchant Payment Services does

Merchant Payment Services (MPS) is a private, family-owned Independent Sales Organization (ISO) that provides payment processing services to small and mid-sized businesses across the United States, with a primary geographic focus on Ohio and Florida. Founded in 1989 by Tom Griffith in Dayton, Ohio, the company transitioned leadership to second-generation owners Lydia Valberg and Jeremy Keeton in 2021. MPS is registered as an ISO with multiple bank sponsors — BMO Harris Bank, Fresno First Bank, and Citizens Bank — and operates its merchant processing under the EPX DBA. The company is small in scale (1-10 employees per firmographic data) and has no disclosed funding, acquisitions, or institutional investment.

MPS offers an integrated payment acceptance platform spanning in-person card terminals, Bluetooth mobile readers, online payments (virtual terminal, gateway, invoicing, recurring billing, ACH/eCheck), Tap to Pay on iPhone via NFC, and touchscreen POS systems with inventory and employee management. Hardware is sourced from Payanywhere (A920 smart terminal) and PAX Technology (A920 Pro, A77, A80, Smart POS+ family). The portfolio includes the Edge Program cash discount model, which applies a 4% non-cash adjustment to card transactions to offset processing costs, plus ATM placement for convenience stores. Pricing is transparent with month-to-month terms, $0 monthly fees on entry-tier plans, and interchange-plus options for higher-volume merchants.

The business generates revenue from per-transaction fees (typically 2.69-3.8461% depending on program and acceptance method), monthly service fees, hardware sales, $199/year compliance fees for Edge Program users, and ACH processing. Go-to-market is direct: website-driven 60-second applications, phone sales at (800) 454-3158, and dedicated account management for multi-location accounts, with no third-party resellers. Marketing emphasizes SEO-optimized local pages, educational content, and customer referrals. The customer base is segmented vertically across restaurants, retail, auto repair, service businesses, doctors' offices, dental offices, optometrists, and convenience stores — each with tailored solution pages. Brand positioning leans on the BBB A+ rating, Integrity Award, 5-Star Google Rating, family ownership, and human support as differentiators from larger automated processors.

Name

Merchant Payment Services

Legal name

Merchant Payment Services Inc.

Website

https://www.choosemps.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Services

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

akta.pro primary industry

Card-Present Acquirers (Retail & POS Focus) (FSAMABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Integrated Payment Processors (PSP/Acquirer) (FSAMABAA), Merchant Acquiring & Card Processing (PSPs) (CRAFALAB)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• Merchant card processing
• POS systems
• Small business payments
• Cash discount program

Headquarters

HQ city

Dayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction Processing Fees: Percentage-based fees on each card transaction processed. Rates vary by payment method and program: 3.8461% flat for Edge Program, 2.69% for tap/chip/swipe, 3.49% + $0.19 for keyed-in/online transactions.
2. Monthly Service Fees: Monthly platform fees for POS systems and terminals, with $0/mo options available for basic programs.
3. Hardware Sales: Sale of payment terminals, card readers, and POS hardware including smart terminals, mobile readers, and PIN pads.
4. Annual Compliance Fees: $199/year regulatory and compliance fee for Edge Program users. PCI compliance included.
5. ACH Payment Processing: Lower-cost bank transfer processing for large transactions with reduced fees compared to credit cards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Merchant Payment Services provides payment processing solutions for small and mid-size businesses, accepting in-person card payments (tap, chip, swipe, mobile wallets), mobile payments via Bluetooth readers and Tap to Pay on iPhone, and online payments through a virtual terminal, payment gateway, invoicing, and ACH/eCheck. Offerings include POS systems, payment hardware, recurring billing, and the Edge Program cash-discount construct that offsets card processing costs to drive near-zero effective rates. Services are delivered through ISO-sponsored banking partnerships across Ohio, Florida, and the broader United States.

Product overview

Merchant Payment Services offers a unified payment processing platform comprising in-person payments (card terminals), mobile payments (Bluetooth readers), online payments (virtual terminal, payment gateway, invoicing, ACH), Tap to Pay on iPhone, full POS systems, and payment hardware. The portfolio also includes a Cash Discount Program (Edge Program) that offsets card processing costs. Solutions are sold both as standalone products and as industry-specific vertical bundles for restaurants, retail, auto repair, service businesses, doctors' offices, dentists' offices, eye doctors, and convenience stores.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• In-Person Payments Card payment acceptance via countertop, tableside, or handheld terminals supporting tap, dip, swipe, and mobile wallet for small businesses.
• Mobile Payments Portable Bluetooth card reader paired with a smartphone or tablet to accept chip, tap, and swipe payments for mobile and on-location merchants.
• Online Payments Virtual terminal, payment gateway, payment links, invoicing, recurring billing, and ACH/eCheck processing for e-commerce and remote transactions.
• Tap to Pay on iPhone Contactless payment acceptance using only an iPhone via NFC, with end-to-end encryption and no additional card reader required.
• POS Systems Full touchscreen point-of-sale platform with inventory management, employee management, customer loyalty programs, and detailed reporting, configured for restaurants, retail, and service businesses.
• Payment Hardware Range of payment terminals and card readers including Smart Terminal, Smart Terminal Mini, Smart Keypad, Smart PINPad Pro, Smart POS+, Smart Flex, and 3-in-1 Bluetooth Reader.
• Cash Discount Program (Edge Program) Program that offsets credit card processing costs by applying a small non-cash adjustment to card transactions, allowing merchants to pay near-zero effective rates while cash-paying customers pay the listed price.
• ATM Placement ATM placement and purchase programs for convenience stores, generating surcharge revenue for merchants.

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BMO Harris Bank N.A.coreOthersRegistered ISO (Independent Sales Organization) of BMO Harris Bank N.A., Chicago, IL. Part of the banking infrastructure enabling merchant payment processing services.
• Fresno First BankcoreOthersRegistered ISO of Fresno First Bank, Fresno, CA. Banking partner providing sponsorship for merchant payment processing services.
• Citizens Bank N.A.coreOthersRegistered ISO of Citizens Bank N.A., Providence, RI. Banking partner providing sponsorship for merchant payment processing services.
• EPXcoreTechnology or IntegrationEPX is the registered DBA (Doing Business As) entity for Merchant Payment Services. Integrated payment processing platform partner.
• Payanywhere (A920)coreTechnology or IntegrationPayanywhere A920 smart terminal offered as the Edge Program hardware solution. Bluetooth-enabled countertop terminal with built-in receipt printer.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Stripe is a global internet-first payment processor offering gateway, virtual terminal, recurring billing, ACH and Tap to Pay APIs. Competes with MPS's online, recurring and developer-adjacent offerings, but at much larger scale and primarily platform/developer led.
• PayPal / Zettle: PayPal (including Zettle) provides SMB card-present and online acceptance plus working-capital products. Overlaps with MPS's SMB merchant services proposition across online, mobile and POS, though from a much larger, more diversified platform.

Emerging players

• Toast: Toast is a restaurant-vertical POS and payments platform offering integrated hardware, software and processing for full-service and quick-service operators. Overlaps with MPS's restaurant vertical solution on payments and POS, but is single-vertical and software-led.
• Stax: Stax is a subscription-based SMB payment processor targeting small and mid-size merchants with transparent pricing and software integrations. Comparable to MPS in transparent-pricing SMB focus but more software/platform-led.

Direct peers

• Dharma Merchant Services: Dharma is an SMB-focused merchant services ISO with transparent interchange-plus pricing and POS integrations, serving restaurants, retail and service businesses. Comparable to MPS in ISO model, vertical SMB focus and pricing-led differentiation.
• Clover (Fiserv): Clover is a Fiserv-owned SMB payments and POS platform sold largely through ISO/merchant-services partners, with hardware, software and processing bundles similar to MPS's Edge Program + PAX/Payanywhere offering. Direct sales-channel competitor in restaurants, retail and service SMBs.
• Helcim: Helcim is a transparent-pricing, SMB-focused payment processor offering card-present, online and recurring/ACH acceptance, similar to MPS's no-hidden-fees, no-contract positioning. Closely comparable in size, target market and pricing transparency narrative.
• Payment Depot: Payment Depot is a membership-based, transparent-pricing SMB payment processor offering card-present and online acceptance. Closely mirrors MPS's value proposition of eliminating hidden fees for small/mid-size merchants.
• National Processing: National Processing is an SMB-focused ISO providing card-present, online and POS payment solutions to small and mid-size merchants. Directly comparable in go-to-market (ISO model, sales-led SMB acquisition), product scope and target verticals.
• Block (Square): Square by Block is the dominant integrated payments and POS provider for SMBs, offering card-present acceptance, mobile readers, online payments, and vertical POS software. Competes head-on with MPS for the same small/mid-size merchant base across Ohio, Florida and nationwide.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merchant Payment Services