Definition of the term acquirer or acquirer bank / acquirer
If an online merchant in e-commerce wants to offer credit card payments for his customers in the store, he needs a so-called acquirer or an acquirer bank. The acquirer settles the purchase amount with the customer via the customer’s credit card, which the customer / buyer has received from his card-issuing bank (the card issuer).
An acquirer always tries to find as many additional (preferably high-turnover) merchant acceptance points as possible, where payment can then be made using credit cards. The acquirer acts as a merchant bank and charges a commission based on the turnover of the payment made.
To make credit card payments possible in the store, the merchant needs certification according to PCI/DSS. This certification requires relatively high technical and administrative security standards. If an online store operator cannot or does not want to undergo this test separately, he can use a payment service provider that is already PCI/DSS-certified and has existing contracts for technical cooperation with one or more acquirers. The (I)PSP acts as a technical processor for the online store
