Placeholder

At its core, the 4-box model involves four stakeholders, each with distinct roles:

  • Cardholder: The individual or entity using a credit, debit, or prepaid card to make a purchase or access funds. They initiate transactions and rely on issuers for account management.
  • Merchant: The business or platform accepting the card payment. Merchants process transactions via POS, ATMs, or online gateways and receive funds from acquirers.
  • Issuer: The financial institution issuing the card. Issuers authenticate cardholders, authorize transactions, and manage credit or funds.
  • Acquirer: The bank or processor enabling merchants to accept card payments. Acquirers route transactions and deposit funds into merchant accounts.

Card schemes (e.g., Visa, Mastercard) act as the glue, connecting issuers and acquirers through standardized rules and networks.

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What is Authorisation?

Summary

What is Clearing?

Summary

What is Settlement?

Summary

What is an Issuer?

Summary

What is an Acquirer?

Summary

What is a Card Scheme?

Summary

Explore the Future of Payments

The global payment ecosystems continues to evolve with technologies like AI, tokenisation, and real-time payments.

Stay ahead of the game by diving deeper into the world of payment processing.

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