Becoming a Visa-accepting merchant is a straightforward process, and we’ll help you succeed. However, there are a few requirements you’ll need to know: 

• All Visa accepting merchants have a responsibility to adhere to all federal and state laws. As it relates to accepting Visa products, merchants must accept Visa products for legal transactions only.
• Merchants that sell age-restricted products, such as alcohol and tobacco, must have in place processes and controls to ensure that all associated laws are honored.
• Merchants should be aware that possession of a Visa card or submission of Visa account information does not signify that the cardholder is of legal age to purchase age-restricted products.
• The issuance of Visa cards is not restricted to individuals over 18 years of age.

When a Visa account holder uses a Visa card to buy a pair of shoes, it's actually the acquirer—the merchant's bank—that reimburses the merchant for the shoes.

Then, the issuer—the account holder's bank—reimburses the acquirer, usually within 24 to 72 hours.

Lastly, the issuer collects from the account holder by withdrawing funds from the account holder’s bank account if a debit account is used, or through billing if a credit account is used.

Before you sign a processing contract with an acquirer, consider the following:  

• Compare the rates and fees offered by competing acquirers to find the best fit.
• Be sure your acquirer understands your business.
• Make sure the contract has the name of the acquirer clearly identified.

Have your info ready:

• Basic business information: Name, type of business, address, phone number and establishment date.
• Processing information: Estimate how much you expect to process, and how you’ll be processing (face-to-face, online, etc.).
• Identification numbers: Federal Tax ID (if you have one) and your social security number.
• Bank information: Business bank account and routing number.

Understanding Fees and Rates:

Merchants typically pay a "merchant discount" to their acquirer, which is negotiated between the two parties. The cost of processing services provided by the merchant’s acquirer may be included in the merchant discount rate, which is typically a percentage rate per transaction.

Let your customers know you take Visa

Visa has developed turnkey creative assets to help communicate the benefits of mobile point-of-sale, including video endorsements, web pages, how to guides and more.

Get free signage