excel merchant services

Name

excel merchant services

Legal name

Excel Merchant Services

Website

https://excelmerchantservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Processing Services

NAICS

Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers (423430), Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers (42344)

akta.pro primary industry

Vertical-Specific Merchant Acquirers (e.g., Hospitality, Healthcare, Education) (FSAMABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Card-Present Acquirers (Retail & POS Focus) (FSAMABAC), Merchant Acquiring & Card Processing (PSPs) (CRAFALAB)

Keywords

• Payment processing services
• Merchant account services
• Credit card processing
• POS systems
• Online ordering platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Bakersfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction Processing Fees: Percentage-based fees charged on each credit/debit card transaction processed. Rates start at 1.69% per transaction with no hidden fees. Primary revenue stream from merchant services.
2. Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchise opportunities where entrepreneurs pay to own and operate Excel Merchant Services franchises in designated territories
3. POS Equipment & Funding Services: Free equipment provided with merchant accounts; potential revenue from funding services at no extra charge with 12-hour funding availability

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Excel Merchant Services provides credit card and debit payment processing for U.S. merchants, bundled with merchant accounts, POS systems (restaurant, retail, salon), PCI-compliant terminals (including free mobile/EMV equipment), real-time fraud monitoring, and e-commerce integration. It also operates Bon Appétit To Go, a commission-free online ordering, delivery, loyalty, and retention marketing platform for restaurants, and sells a franchise program that lets entrepreneurs resell its merchant services in designated territories.

Product overview

Excel Merchant Services operates as a payment processing company offering a unified suite of merchant services. The core offerings consist of POS systems (Restaurant POS, Retail POS, Salon POS), credit card processing with EMV and mobile terminal integration, merchant account setup, fraud and risk management with real-time monitoring, and e-commerce integration for seamless online/offline payment sync. The portfolio includes an online ordering platform called Bon Appétit To Go for restaurants with commission-free ordering, delivery solutions, and loyalty programs. The company also offers a franchise program enabling entrepreneurs to build businesses in the merchant services industry. All services are tied to PCI compliance and Visa/MasterCard regulation adherence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems Vertical-specific POS bundles (Restaurant POS, Retail POS, Salon POS) that merchants can adopt through Excel Merchant Services to run in-store checkout and integrate with payment processing.
• Credit Card Processing Credit and debit card acceptance service for U.S. merchants with rates starting at 1.69% per transaction, no contracts, free equipment, and 12-hour funding available at no extra charge.
• Bon Appétit To Go — Online Ordering Platform Restaurant-focused digital ordering platform that lets operators offer pickup and delivery without paying third-party aggregator commissions, with built-in POS integration, loyalty program, and retention marketing tools.
• Excel Merchant Services Franchise Program Franchise offering that lets entrepreneurs license Excel's merchant services brand, systems, and training to acquire and service merchants in a defined U.S. territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• $4.5B in transactions processed
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Square (Block): Direct peer — Square provides card-present and mobile payment processing, POS hardware/software, and online ordering for SMBs and restaurants, overlapping directly with Excel's core offering including hardware, mobile acceptance, and restaurant vertical.
• Toast: Direct peer — Toast is a restaurant-focused POS and payments platform with integrated online ordering, loyalty, and same-day funding features; one of Excel's primary competitors in the restaurant vertical where Bon Appétit Go is positioned.
• Clover (Fiserv): Direct peer — Clover provides SMB-focused POS hardware and payment processing through a large ISO/reseller network, directly competing with Excel's merchant account, terminal, and POS offerings.
• PayPal Zettle: Direct peer — PayPal's Zettle (formerly iZettle) offers mobile card readers, POS, and payment processing for SMBs and retailers, directly overlapping Excel's mobile/EMV acceptance and POS value proposition.
• Stripe: Direct peer — Stripe processes payments online and in-person (Stripe Terminal) and serves SMBs and platforms, overlapping Excel on e-commerce integration, payment APIs, and modern POS hardware.
• SumUp: Direct peer — SumUp provides low-cost card readers and mobile POS to micro and small merchants globally, directly overlapping Excel on simple, contract-free mobile acceptance for SMBs.

Broad incumbents

• Heartland Payment Systems (Global Payments): Broad incumbent — Heartland is a large legacy acquirer/ISO serving SMBs and restaurants with processing, POS, and payroll; competes in Excel's verticals but at materially larger scale and as part of Global Payments' broader portfolio.
• Fiserv: Broad incumbent — Fiserv (owner of Clover and former First Data merchant acquiring) is one of the largest US acquirers, competing with Excel for SMB and enterprise merchants through a broad portfolio including Clover and Carat.
• Global Payments: Broad incumbent — Global Payments is a top-tier payments processor and acquirer (including Heartland and TSYS), serving SMBs through partners/ISOs in the same verticals Excel targets.

Emerging players

• Lightspeed Commerce: Emerging player — Lightspeed provides POS and integrated payments to retail and restaurant SMBs, overlapping Excel on verticalized POS-plus-payments but with a more software-led, subscription-heavy model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 excel merchant services