Merchant Services

What Merchant Services does

Merchant Services Etc. (legal entity: Payment & Processing Solutions) is a privately held payment processing consulting firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company acts as an intermediary connecting merchants with payment processors and programs, generating revenue through referral/affiliate commissions rather than direct processing margins. Its service portfolio spans credit card processing (domestic and international), ACH, Check 21, alternative payment methods, localized international payment solutions, a Cash Discount Processing Program that claims up to 90%+ fee reduction, and specialized solutions for high-risk verticals including consumer finance, fantasy sports, and online gambling.

The underlying technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary: the firm leverages partner processors and program providers to deliver ACH, Check 21, credit card processing, and alternative payment rails, supplemented by its Cash Discount software module and localized international payment routing. Core go-to-market is a consultation-led, sales-driven motion — free initial consultations, direct phone/contact-form engagement, and content marketing via the WordPress-based merchantservicesetc.com site and social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram). The team claims 75+ years of combined payments experience.

The business serves four primary customer segments — ecommerce businesses, high-risk and unique industries, fee-conscious merchants, and international/global businesses — with a stated footprint of 20+ countries. Adjacent business services (web design/hosting, ecommerce platforms, funding/factoring, fraud/risk, AML/KYC compliance, social media marketing) extend the offering beyond pure payments. No external funding, parent company, or named enterprise customers are disclosed, and the firm appears to be independently owned and operated at small scale.

Name

Merchant Services

Legal name

Payment & Processing Solutions

Website

https://merchantservicesetc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Merchant Services Etc. is a Cincinnati-based payment processing consulting firm founded in 1990 that connects merchants with payment processors via referral commissions, serving ecommerce, high-risk, fee-conscious, and international businesses across 20+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Acquiring & Card Processing (PSPs) (CRAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

High-Risk / Specialty Merchant Acquirers (FSAMABAE), Merchant Cross-Border Collections (Pay-ins) & Local Payment Methods (FSAGAKAD), Merchant Acquiring & Processing Platforms (BPAMAFAB)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• Credit card processing
• Ecommerce payment solutions
• High-risk merchant services
• International payment solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing Consulting: The company acts as a consulting firm connecting merchants with payment processors and payment solutions providers. Revenue appears to be generated through referral fees or commissions from processors they recommend. The company matches business needs with appropriate programs and earns compensation through these partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Merchant Services Etc. is a full-service payment processing and ecommerce consulting firm that connects merchants with appropriate payment processors and programs. It offers credit card processing (domestic and international), ACH, Check 21, alternative payment methods, localized international payment solutions, a cash discount program to reduce processing fees, and specialized solutions for high-risk verticals such as consumer finance, fantasy sports, and online gambling. Revenue is generated through referral fees and commissions from the payment processors it recommends.

Product overview

Merchant Services Etc. is a full-service payments and ecommerce consulting firm that offers a unified portfolio of payment processing solutions. The core offering is payment processing services, which includes credit card processing, ACH, and Check 21. This core platform is extended through specialized modules including International Payments (for localized global payment solutions), ECommerce Solutions (for online businesses), Credit Card Fee Reduction Program (for fee optimization), Business Services (for additional operational support), and High-Risk Industry Solutions (for challenging verticals). The company leverages over 75 years of combined experience serving clients in more than 20 countries since 1990.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Merchant Services Etc. Payment Processing Full-service payment processing and ecommerce consulting that provides merchants with credit card processing, ACH, Check 21, and related payment solutions matched to their business needs.
• International Payments Localized global payment solutions enabling merchants to accept payment methods preferred by international customers, including real-time bank transfers and country-specific regional methods, for online sellers expanding across borders.
• ECommerce Solutions Comprehensive ecommerce payment services covering ACH, Check 21, credit card processing (domestic and international), localized payment solutions, alternative payments, and tailored support for high-risk and unique ecommerce verticals.
• Credit Card Fee Reduction Program Program that enables merchants (online and brick-and-mortar) to reduce credit card processing fees by up to 90% or more through a legally compliant cash discount offering to cash-paying customers.
• High-Risk Industry Solutions Specialized payment solutions for challenging and high-risk industries including consumer finance, installment loans, student loans, buy here/pay here auto, fantasy sports, and international online gambling.
• Business Services Additional operational services for merchants including web design and hosting, ecommerce platforms, funding and factoring, fraud and risk control, social media marketing and management, PPC/PPV campaigns, reputation management, and AML/KYC compliance support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Potential reduction in credit card processing fees by 90% or more
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stripe: Dominant internet-first PSP serving eCommerce merchants with developer-friendly APIs and integrated checkout — the primary disintermediation threat to consultative ISOs like Merchant Services Etc.
• PayPal: Established digital payments incumbent providing online checkout, Braintree, and global payment methods — a comparable alternative for the cross-border eCommerce merchants Merchant Services Etc. targets.
• Global Payments: Large-scale payments technology company offering merchant acquiring at scale across SMB and enterprise — a broad incumbent that competes with ISOs for eCommerce merchant relationships.
• Square (Block): Broad, vertically integrated payment processor offering card acceptance, online checkout, and ecommerce tools; competes with Merchant Services Etc. for the same SMB merchant customers with a self-serve model.

Direct peers

• Host Merchant Services: Independent sales organization offering payment processing for SMB and eCommerce merchants via a consultative, agent-based model — directly comparable to Merchant Services Etc.'s referral/consulting approach.
• PaymentCloud: Specialist merchant services ISO focused heavily on high-risk verticals (similar to Merchant Services Etc.'s consumer finance, gambling, and installment lending exposure), making it the closest direct competitor for the same merchant profile.
• National Processing: Ecommerce-focused payment processing provider with a consultative sales motion and high-risk vertical expertise, overlapping directly with Merchant Services Etc.'s core offering.
• Dharma Merchant Services: Independent merchant services provider serving small and mid-market businesses with a relationship-driven, consultative model similar to Merchant Services Etc.'s.

Emerging players

• Stax (by Fattmerchant): Subscription-based payment processor targeting SMB and mid-market merchants with an emphasis on cost transparency — a growing alternative to consultative ISOs like Merchant Services Etc.
• Helcim: Direct merchant acquirer offering transparent interchange-plus pricing and a self-serve platform, competing for the same SMB eCommerce merchants that Merchant Services Etc. serves via referral.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Services