Merchant Acquiring Market Report 2026

The merchant acquiring market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $28.2 billion in 2025 to $31.24 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growth of card-based transaction volumes, expansion of e-commerce platforms, increasing merchant digitization, wider availability of POS infrastructure, rising consumer preference for cashless payments.

The merchant acquiring market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $46.54 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to expansion of real-time payment processing, growing adoption of embedded finance solutions, increasing regulatory focus on transaction security, rising demand from SMEs for digital payments, continued innovation in payment authentication technologies. Major trends in the forecast period include increasing adoption of omnichannel payment acceptance, rising integration of contactless and nfc payments, growing demand for secure payment gateways, expansion of subscription and recurring billing models, enhanced focus on fraud detection and risk management.

The increasing demand for digital payments is expected to drive the growth of the merchant acquiring market going forward. Digital payments involve the electronic transfer of funds between parties using digital technologies, eliminating the need for physical cash or checks. Rising demand for digital payments is fueled by factors such as the growth of e-commerce, the adoption of contactless payment methods, and widespread internet access. Using digital payments in merchant acquiring streamlines transactions, reduces cash handling, and enhances payment security, resulting in greater efficiency for businesses. For instance, in July 2025, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, a Philippines-based central banking authority, digital retail payments accounted for 57.4% of total transaction volume in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 4.6 percentage points from 2023. Therefore, growing digital payment adoption is driving the expansion of the merchant acquiring market.

Leading companies in the merchant acquiring market are focusing on strategic partnerships to strengthen their competitive position. Such partnerships involve collaborations between financial institutions, payment processors, and technology providers to enhance payment solutions and expand market reach. For instance, in July 2024, Shift4 Payments, Inc., a US-based payment processing company, partnered with Phos, a Bulgaria-based software company, to enhance Phos' acquiring capabilities and boost adoption of its SoftPOS solution among merchant customers across Europe. This collaboration enables Phos customers to access Shift4's global acquiring and payment processing services, allowing payments through international card networks and digital wallets.

In February 2024, GTCR LLC, a US-based private equity firm, acquired a majority stake in the Worldpay Merchant Solutions business from FIS for $18.5 billion. This acquisition enables GTCR to strategically capitalize on the significant growth potential and value creation opportunities in the rapidly evolving merchant acquiring market, positioning the firm for long-term success. Worldpay Merchant Solutions is a US-based payments technology and solutions company that provides merchant acquiring services.

Major companies operating in the merchant acquiring market are Commercial and Industrial Bank of China,JPMorgan Chase & Co.,Bank of America Merchant Services,Citi Merchant Services,American Express Company,Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A.,Fiserv Inc.,Fidelity National Information Services Inc.,Global Payments Inc.,Shift4 Payments Inc.,Worldpay Group plc,Heartland Payment Systems Inc.,Adyen N.V.,Paysafe Group,Elavon Inc.,Crédit Agricole S.A.,Zettle by PayPal,Chase Paymentech Solutions LLC,Barclays Merchant Services,Wells Fargo Merchant Services,PayU,Square Inc.,Stripe Inc.,First Data Corporation.

North America was the largest region in the merchant acquiring market in 2025. The regions covered in the merchant acquiring market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the merchant acquiring market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The merchant acquiring market includes revenues earned by entities by providing services such as merchant account setup, integration services, and payment processing. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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