Approval Code
Approval Code is a private SMB-focused payment processor based in Huntington Beach, California, operating under Sors Financial & Insurance Services LLC and powered by First Data. It serves single-location businesses, chains, restaurants, and eCommerce merchants with its proprietary ACGateway, merchant accounts, and processing add-ons.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersHuntington Beach, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Approval Code does
Approval Code is a private payment processing company headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, founded in 2005 and operating as a brand under Sors Financial & Insurance Services LLC. The company serves small and mid-sized merchants across the United States — including single-location businesses, chains, restaurants, and internet/eCommerce merchants — providing credit card, debit card, EBT, gift/loyalty card, electronic check, and Level II/III purchasing card processing. It is registered as an Independent Sales Organization of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and PNC Bank, N.A., and runs its processing on First Data infrastructure.
The company's core technology is its proprietary ACGateway payment gateway, which offers a virtual terminal, a platform-independent Web Services API with SDK, tokenization to eliminate card-data storage, and compatibility with Verifone, Hypercom, and Ingenico hardware. Around this gateway, Approval Code packages merchant account services, mobile payment solutions, recurring billing, gift and loyalty card programs, remote deposit capture, check verification, and Level III processing, with reporting delivered via First Data's ClientLine portal. AC Gateway supports Retail, Restaurant, and MOTO (mail-order/telephone-order) transaction types and integrates with third-party gateways including Authorize.Net, USA ePay, and PC Charge.
Approval Code generates revenue primarily through transaction-based fees on payment processing volume, with quote-based, transparent pricing and no disclosed application or setup fees. Distribution is sales-led: merchants are acquired via a direct phone sales line (800-535-6233), an online application portal, and referrals, supplemented by organic marketing through the company website, blog, email newsletter, and social channels (Twitter, Facebook). The company does not publicly disclose pricing tiers, merchant counts, or financial results.
Approval Code firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Approval Code
- Legal name
- Approval Code
- Website
- https://approvalcode.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Approval Code is a private SMB-focused payment processor based in Huntington Beach, California, operating under Sors Financial & Insurance Services LLC and powered by First Data. It serves single-location businesses, chains, restaurants, and eCommerce merchants with its proprietary ACGateway, merchant accounts, and processing add-ons.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Approval Code industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Services
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Merchant Acquiring & Card Processing (PSPs) (CRAFALAB)
Keywords
Where Approval Code is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Huntington Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Approval Code business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Services: Approval Code generates revenue through transaction fees charged to merchants for processing credit card, debit card, gift card, EBT, and electronic check transactions. The company operates as a payment processor offering competitive, transparent rates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Custom competitive pricing based on merchant profile and transaction volume |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Approval Code product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Approval Code provides merchant account services that enable businesses to accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club, Carte Blanche, JCB, EBT, electronic checks, and gift/loyalty cards across physical, mobile, and e-commerce channels. The company delivers these services through its proprietary ACGateway payment gateway and bank-grade processing infrastructure powered by First Data, with value-added modules for tokenization, recurring billing, remote deposit capture, Level III processing, and check verification.
Product overview
Approval Code is a payment processing company powered by First Data, offering a unified platform centered on its ACGateway payment gateway and merchant account services. The product portfolio includes proprietary gateway services (ACGateway with Virtual Terminal, tokenization, and SDK), payment hardware (Verifone VX 520, First Data FD 130, FD35, DejaVoo V8), and add-on services (mobile payments, gift/loyalty cards, recurring billing, Remote Deposit Capture, Level III solutions, check verification). Merchants access account management through ClientLine online portal and can integrate with third-party gateways including Authorize.Net, USA ePay, and PC Charge. The company serves retail, restaurant, MOTO, and eCommerce merchants with comprehensive electronic payment processing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Merchant Account Services
- ACGateway Payment Gateway
- Mobile Payment Solutions
- Gift and Loyalty Cards
- Recurring Billing
- Remote Deposit Capture
- Level III Processing
- Check Verification
- Payment Terminal Hardware
Quantifiable outcome
- Case studies show savings of $2,000/month for automotive equipment suppliers processing $500K/month
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Approval Code
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Approval Code technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature3 records
Approval Code partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Sors Financial & Insurance Services LLCcoreSors Financial & Insurance Services LLC is a registered Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (Concord, CA) and PNC Bank, N.A. (Pittsburgh, PA). This partnership enables Approval Code to offer merchant account services through established banking relationships.
- First DatacoreApproval Code is powered by First Data, one of the largest payment processing companies globally. This provides access to First Data's processing infrastructure, network connections, and technology platform.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Approval Code competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Clover (Fiserv): Fiserv's SMB POS and payments platform that runs on the same First Data rails Approval Code is powered by — represents the larger incumbent route into the same merchant that Approval Code serves.
- Stripe: Leading internet/eCommerce and now in-person payment platform with developer-first API-based gateway — directly comparable to Approval Code's ACGateway roadmap on the eCommerce side.
- Square (Block): Dominant integrated SMB payments and software platform with instant onboarding and flat-rate pricing — the primary competitive alternative for any SMB merchant Approval Code targets.
Direct peers
- Dharma Merchant Services: SMB and mid-market merchant acquiring specialist with transparent pricing — close functional and customer overlap with Approval Code, including similar gateway flexibility and vertical breadth.
- Flagship Merchant Services: Long-established SMB payment processor with sales-led acquisition and First Data-like backend partnerships, very similar in scale, target customer, and sales channel mix to Approval Code.
- Helcim: SMB-focused payment processor offering its own proprietary gateway and transparent interchange-plus pricing to merchants — overlaps directly with Approval Code's ACGateway + transparent rate value proposition.
- Payment Depot (Fortis): SMB merchant account reseller offering interchange-plus pricing with no hidden fees — competes head-to-head with Approval Code's transparent-rate positioning in the same SMB segment.
- Stax: Subscription-based payment processor targeting SMBs with transparent pricing and omnichannel support (retail, restaurant, eCommerce) — directly comparable to Approval Code's SMB acquiring focus and product breadth.
- CDG Commerce: Independent ISO offering transparent SMB and mid-market merchant accounts with comparable product breadth (gateways, Level 2/3, chargeback support) — analogous operator competing in the same verticals.
- North American Bancard: Direct competitor in SMB merchant acquiring operating a similar ISO model with bank sponsorship and multi-vertical sales-led distribution, comparable to Approval Code in target customer, business model, and tier of service.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Approval Code social profiles
Digital presenceApproval Code compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Approval Code financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Approval Code leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Approval Code funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Approval Code M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Approval Code
What does Approval Code do?
Approval Code provides merchant account services that enable businesses to accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Diners Club, Carte Blanche, JCB, EBT, electronic checks, and gift/loyalty cards across physical, mobile, and e-commerce channels. The company delivers these services through its proprietary ACGateway payment gateway and bank-grade processing infrastructure powered by First Data, with value-added modules for tokenization, recurring billing, remote deposit capture, Level III processing, and check verification.
Is Approval Code a public or private company?
Approval Code is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Approval Code founded?
Approval Code was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Approval Code based?
Approval Code is headquartered in Huntington Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Approval Code make money?
One revenue line is on record: payment Processing Services.
Who are Approval Code's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Clover (Fiserv), Stripe and Square (Block). Direct peers are Dharma Merchant Services, Flagship Merchant Services, Helcim, Payment Depot (Fortis), Stax, CDG Commerce and North American Bancard.
Does Approval Code have an API?
Yes. Approval Code offers a platform-independent Web Services API through ACGateway for integrating credit card processing into any application. Features include a comprehensive SDK, live test server available for immediate testing, and token-based transaction handling that eliminates credit card number storage. The SDK enables merchants to run Retail, Restaurant, and MOTO transactions. Developer documentation is at sandbox.approvalcode.com.
What industry is Approval Code in?
Approval Code's product category is Payment Processing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFALAB, Merchant Acquiring & Card Processing (PSPs). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6159.