The merchant-acquiring side of the payment card industry; structure, operations, and challenges

On January 19, 2007, the Payment Cards Center of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia sponsored a workshop led by Marc Abbey, managing partner at First Annapolis Consulting, to discuss the merchant-acquiring side of the payment cards industry. Abbey described the often overlooked acquiring industry as a dynamic growth business that is an integral part of the payment cards industry. He outlined several factors that have affected the evolution of the industry and described the current state of industry dynamics in terms of growth, competition, and business economics. In addition, Abbey discussed two recent developments: the emergence of data security standards and the new public structure of payment networks, which have drawn the focus of lawmakers, policymakers, and consumers to the merchant-acquiring business