Compare
International Orders vs. a legacy acquirer
Bank-owned card acquirers are dependable and well established. Here is how they differ from a platform built for selling across borders, so you can judge which suits your business.
In short
- Both process card payments reliably. The difference is mostly in reach, pricing format and tooling.
- We publish our rates and process locally in many markets, so fewer payments are treated as foreign.
- An existing acquirer can still make sense if most of your sales are domestic and your contract works for you.
Side by side
| Dimension | Legacy acquirers | International Orders |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | Quoted after a sales process; terms vary by contract | Published rates on the pricing page, with volume discounts on request |
| Onboarding time | Varies; often involves paper forms and a credit review | Online application with business verification; see the published time-to-launch figure |
| Local payment methods | Mainly cards, with other methods added through partners | Cards plus wallets, bank transfers and instalments through one integration |
| Cross-border card fees | Foreign cards often attract an extra cross-border charge | Local acquiring in supported markets processes many foreign sales as domestic |
| Currency conversion | Set by the bank; the margin is not always shown separately | A published margin on top of the mid-market rate, shown on each statement |
| Settlement | Usually into an account at the same bank, in one currency | Settle in the currencies you choose, to accounts you already hold |
| Reporting | Statements and downloadable files, with some delay | Transaction-level reporting in the dashboard and through the API |
| Developer experience | Integration through a gateway or a specification document | A single API with test mode, client libraries and webhooks |
| Support | Relationship manager, typically for larger accounts | Named contacts for larger accounts and a support team for everyone else |
Which fits
When legacy acquirers may still suit you
- Most of your card volume is domestic and your current rates are competitive.
- You value having payments, lending and banking with a single institution.
- Your systems are already built around their files and settlement schedule.
When we fit better
- A growing share of your customers pay with cards issued abroad.
- You want to offer the payment methods shoppers use at home, not only cards.
- You would rather see rates, margins and fees in writing before you sign.
Switching, or running both
- 1
Compare a recent statement
Send us a recent statement and we will show what the same volume would have cost on published rates. Figures are illustrative until confirmed.
- 2
Start with one market
Route payments from a single country or channel through us while your acquirer handles the rest.
- 3
Move stored cards
Card data can be migrated between compliant vaults, so returning customers do not need to re-enter details.
- 4
Expand at your pace
Shift more volume once approval rates and reconciliation look right to your team. Keeping both providers is a valid end state.
Questions
Open the calculatorCompare with your own numbers
Run your volumes through the calculator, or send us a statement and we'll price it line by line.