Acquiring agreement

What is an acquiring agreement?

An acquiring agreement is the contract between your store and an acquirer (acquiring bank) that grants you the right to accept card payments from networks like Visa and Mastercard. The acquirer settles the approved transactions and pays the funds into your account after deducting the agreed fee (the merchant service charge). The agreement typically defines fees, payout frequency, chargeback handling, and in some cases a security deposit or rolling reserve.

Why does an acquiring agreement matter?

Without an acquiring agreement — or a PSP that bundles acquiring — your store cannot accept card payments at all. The terms hit your bottom line directly: fee rates eat into the margin on every order, and the payout schedule determines how fast you get liquidity. Reserve requirements can also lock up part of your revenue until the account is established. That makes the terms worth reading as carefully as the price of a payment gateway.

Common use cases

• New store. You need acquiring in place before checkout can complete a real card payment.
• Switching payment providers. Compare fees and payout schedules across acquirers and PSPs.
• High chargeback rate. The acquirer may raise fees or require a reserve if too many payments are reversed.
• Selling internationally. New card brands or currencies can require an addendum to the agreement.

Shopify perspective

If you use Shopify Payments, Shopify acts as a payment facilitator and onboards you under its own acquiring agreement — so you do not need to sign a separate contract with a bank. If you choose a third-party gateway instead, you typically need your own acquiring agreement or a PSP that bundles acquiring. Always check the actual fee rates and payout schedules in your Shopify agreement rather than assuming the default setup is the cheapest.