MerchantScout

MerchantScout Payment Gateway Overview

MerchantScout is a payment service provider that focuses on eCommerce, point of sale and high risk credit card processing through a network of acquiring banks and integrated payment gateways. Its payment gateway is positioned as a central component of this offering, providing card and alternative payment processing, multi currency support, built in fraud prevention and multiple integration models for online merchants in a wide range of industries.

Who MerchantScout Serves

MerchantScout provides services to online and omnichannel merchants that need card processing in Europe, the United Kingdom and internationally. It works with both low risk and high risk merchants, including sectors such as adult and gambling, via a global acquiring network of more than 20 banking partners.

Key positioning points include:

• Merchant accounts and payment gateway for eCommerce and POS merchants

• Focus on both low risk and high risk merchant sectors

• Solutions available for EEA and UK companies as well as non EEA businesses through offshore and international merchant accounts

MerchantScout indicates that it has been active since 2005 and highlights metrics such as thousands of merchants and significant card volume processed through its network.

MerchantScout Payment Gateway Features

The MerchantScout payment gateway is described as a modern online payment gateway for eCommerce merchants, high risk merchants and POS related use cases. It is used together with merchant accounts arranged through multiple acquiring banks but is presented as a standalone component with its own capabilities.

Core functional features include:

• Support for more than 150 processing currencies

• More than 30 integrated payment methods

• Recurring payments and subscriptions

• Tokenization and card storage

• Real time and batch processing options

• Built in anti fraud checks and filters

• Mobile friendly hosted checkout

• Integration with 15 plus shopping cart plugins

The gateway is used for both standard eCommerce and high risk sectors, with recurring billing and tokenization confirmed as available for the eCommerce package.

Payments, Methods And Currencies

MerchantScout positions its gateway as a single platform that supports card payments and a range of alternative payment methods.

Supported Payment Methods

On the eCommerce merchant account description, MerchantScout lists a detailed set of integrated payment methods, including:

• Card schemes: Visa, Visa Debit, Visa Electron, MasterCard, MasterCard Debit, Maestro, American Express, JCB, Diners, Discover, UnionPay

• Regional and local cards and schemes: Carte Bancaire, Dankort, CartaSi, Bancontact MisterCash, PostePay

• Alternative payment methods and wallets: PayPal, PaysafeCard, Giropay, Sofort, Alipay, Afterpay, P24, Paytrail, POLi, Trustly, TrustPay, Yandex

• Bank based methods: SEPA Direct Debit, EPS, Entercash

Currencies And Settlement

MerchantScout highlights the ability to accept payments in more than 150 processing currencies and to settle in over 20 settlement currencies.

For the eCommerce package, the list of settlement currencies includes:

• Major global currencies such as EUR, GBP, USD, CHF, CAD, JPY, AUD, HKD, NOK, NZD, RMB and SEK

• Additional currencies including TRY, ZAR, SGD, MXN, PLN, CZK, HUF, AED, MAD and SAR

This structure allows merchants to accept cross border transactions in local currencies while settling to one of the supported settlement currencies through the connected acquirers.

Merchant Accounts, Acquiring And Settlement

The eCommerce package is built around direct registration with a principal member of Visa and Mastercard, combined with the MerchantScout payment gateway and dedicated support.

Key aspects:

• Direct merchant accounts within the EU, UK or international locations

• Use of Interchange plus style pricing, with examples from IC++ 0.7 percent for EU and UK low risk merchants

• Global card processing through a combination of EU acquiring and international acquiring for non EEA merchants

For settlement timing, the eCommerce rate example specifies settlement to the merchant bank account on a daily or weekly basis, depending on configuration with the acquiring bank.

Pricing And Fees

MerchantScout publishes example pricing for its eCommerce package when using a direct MID through an EU acquiring bank at 100 000 EUR per month in domestic EU volume. In this example:

• Percentage fee for Visa and Mastercard is shown as 1.65 percent

• Transaction fee is 0.20 EUR

• Gateway fee is shown as free

• Setup fee is shown as free

In a more general context, the company describes rates for low risk EU or UK merchants starting from Interchange plus 0.7 percent and offers both Interchange plus and blended pricing models.

The eCommerce example also specifies ranges for operational fees:

• Chargeback fee in the range of 15 to 25 EUR

• Refund fee in the range of 0.50 to 1.50 EUR

These figures are examples rather than a complete public tariff and are framed within the context of specific volumes and acquiring arrangements.

Integration Options And Developer Experience

MerchantScout describes several integration models for its payment gateway that address different merchant technical requirements.

The main integration types are:

• Hosted payment page: customers enter order details on the merchant site, then are redirected to the gateway payment page to input card details, and finally redirected back to a thank you page after payment completion.

• Server to server API: card details are captured via a merchant controlled form and transmitted securely to the gateway via a background server process without customer redirection.

For implementation, MerchantScout mentions:

• Server to server and reporting APIs

• Comprehensive APIs with SDK libraries for Mobile, Java, PHP and Node.js

• Real time and batch processing options

In addition, the gateway is integrated with more than 15 shopping cart and content management systems, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, WP eCommerce, Drupal, Oxid, PrestaShop, Shopware, Ubercart, OpenCart, Joomla Aceshop and Jigoshop.

Risk Management And Compliance

MerchantScout presents risk management and compliance as central characteristics of its payment gateway. The gateway package is described as PCI compliant, with integration to Level 1 PCI DSS compliant gateways and support for key card security standards.

Security and risk features highlighted include:

• PCI compliant gateway infrastructure using Level 1 PCI DSS compliant gateways

• 3D Secure verification such as Verified by Visa and Mastercard SecureCode, with 3D Secure v2 support in the eCommerce package

• CVV and Address Verification Service checks as part of transaction screening

• Built in fraud prevention filters and monitoring tools, including detection of multiple card usage patterns, mismatched issuing country, risky email domains and other behaviours

The company emphasises its ability to work with high risk merchants through its acquiring network, including sectors that typically face stricter scrutiny from acquirers.

Onboarding And Support

MerchantScout describes a structured onboarding process that combines pre approvals with multiple banks, underwriting support and go live assistance for the gateway and merchant account.

The typical eCommerce example states a setup time of around seven days from approval to live processing, with pre approval targeted within 48 hours after application.

The onboarding flow is outlined in three stages:

1. Application and pre approvals with several acquiring banks

2. Underwriting and account setup with the chosen acquirer

3. Integration and ongoing processing, including risk management and backup solutions

For support, MerchantScout highlights:

• Dedicated assistance from a personal agent for faster approval and ongoing operational support

• Availability of support via Skype, WhatsApp and Telegram, along with published contact email and telephone numbers for London and Amsterdam offices

• Ongoing availability to address account, integration and processing issues

Conclusion

MerchantScout provides a payment gateway that combines card and alternative payment processing, multi currency support and global acquiring coverage, with particular attention to high risk industries alongside standard eCommerce use cases. The gateway supports more than 150 processing currencies, 20 plus settlement currencies and a broad list of card schemes and local payment methods, all within a single platform.

From a technical perspective, merchants can integrate through a hosted payment page, server to server API or shopping cart plugins, supported by SDK libraries in several common programming environments. Risk management is addressed through PCI compliant infrastructure, 3D Secure, CVV and AVS checks and configurable fraud filters. Pricing examples indicate a combination of Interchange plus and blended models, with specific sample rates published for EU acquiring scenarios.