Global acquiring explained: optimise cross-border payments

Expanding internationally opens doors—and exposes cracks. For international businesses, global acquiring is more than a back-end function. It shapes how customers pay, how revenue flows, and how businesses scale across borders. So how do you gain control while growing reach? This guide breaks it down.

Global acquiring vs. local acquiring

Key definitions and business impacts

Global acquiring means working with acquirers connected to card networks and payment systems beyond your home market. In contrast to local acquiring, where transactions are processed through a regional acquirer, global acquiring gives you wider access but comes with trade-offs.

The choice between them affects more than just authorisation rates. It touches how you manage currency, structure fees, and streamline business operations. With global acquiring capabilities, you can centralise reporting, simplify compliance, and reduce the need for multiple banking relationships.

Why many merchants use a hybrid approach

It's not always a case of either-or. Many businesses pair local acquirers with global acquirers to balance cost, acceptance, and coverage. For local cards, domestic routing helps reduce decline rates. For international shoppers, global acquirers ensure reach.

Take the example of an e-commerce retailer operating in both Europe and Asia. They might use a local acquiring setup in France to handle domestic card payments, resulting in higher authorisation rates and fewer chargebacks, while relying on a global acquirer to process sales from buyers in Japan, Singapore, or the US – to achieve a high overall payment success rate.

This blended approach supports a consistent payment experience and business in new markets. It also gives the flexibility to route payments based on currency, customer location, or card network—all without rebuilding the stack from scratch.

The role of global acquiring in cross-border payment processing

Challenges in cross-border payments

Cross-border payments introduce variables: different card networks, payment methods, regulations, and fraud models. Without the right structure, decline rates creep up and reconciliation gets harder. Currency conversion becomes a guessing game. Global acquiring capabilities help stabilise this complexity.

Benefits of using a global acquirer like Antom

A global acquirer like Antom gives you one point of access to multiple local markets. That means you can process payments locally while viewing everything globally. You get fewer declined transactions, better authorisation rates, and a more cohesive payment experience for customers.

Inside the merchant acquiring business

Acquiring banks vs. payment processors

Acquiring banks handle the funds. Payment processors handle the flow. The former settles transactions and connects to card schemes. The latter integrates the checkout and keeps transactions compliant, fast, and secure.

How they collaborate in global transactions

For cross-border commerce, acquirers and processors need to work together tightly. That includes routing transactions across different payment networks, adapting to local payment preferences, and keeping chargeback rates under control.

Payment methods and the power of localisation

Alternative payment methods (APMs) by region

APMs are not add-ons. In many regions, they are primary. From QR-based wallets in Southeast Asia to bank-linked payments in Europe, offering preferred payment methods can be the difference between a sale and a cart abandonment.

Why offering local payment options boosts conversion

When buyers see familiar options at checkout, they stay. It builds customer trust, reduces drop-offs, and delivers a smoother experience. Supporting local payment helps businesses increase conversion and reduce costs from failed payments.

Optimising authorisation rates with smart routing

Benefits of intelligent payment routing

Intelligent routing means more than choosing a provider. It means dynamically selecting the path most likely to succeed, based on currency, issuer, and risk level. This leads to improved authorisation rates, especially for credit and debit transactions across different card networks.

Local acquiring as a lever to reduce declines

Acquirers that operate locally understand issuer preferences. They apply local fraud filters, interpret signals accurately, and process payments with a higher chance of success. Businesses that route to local acquirers when it matters see fewer declined transactions.

Multi-currency settlement and currency risk management

How global acquiring simplifies settlement

With global acquiring, managing multiple currencies doesn't need to involve multiple accounts. You can process payments in one place, convert only when needed, and settle funds where they’re most useful. That supports smoother reconciliation and faster cash flow.

Strategies for managing FX risk

To manage FX exposure, businesses apply several practical strategies:

• In-market fund holding: Retaining revenue in the currency it was received until a favourable exchange rate becomes available.
  
  
• Timed conversion: Deliberately scheduling currency conversion to coincide with strategic financial moments, such as quarter-end or peak exchange rates.
  
  
• Transparent FX pricing: Working with acquirers that offer predictable and clearly defined currency conversion rates with limited markups.
  
  
• Multi-currency accounts: Using bank or platform accounts that allow funds to be received and held in various currencies to minimise forced conversion.
  
  
• Automated hedging tools: Partnering with providers that offer currency hedging options to protect against adverse movements.
  
  

Compliance and risk management in a global context

KYC, AML, and data localisation considerations

Every market has its rules. From sanctions screening to local data laws, the burden is growing. A capable global acquirer brings regulatory coverage that aligns with your risk posture and helps maintain compliance as you grow.

How Antom supports regulatory requirements

Antom aligns with local laws while providing global reach. With built-in KYC checks, AML monitoring, and data localisation support, it helps you reduce risk without slowing growth. It also supports dispute resolution and chargeback rules tailored to local norms.

The strategic value of unified commerce

Combining online and in-store payments seamlessly

Unified commerce is an operational shift. When you integrate in-store and digital payments through a shared acquiring layer, you get consistent data, simpler reporting, and a better understanding of how customers pay.

Advantages of a consolidated global acquiring solution

Running multiple acquirers might work short-term, but long-term it fragments data, duplicates costs, and complicates reconciliation. A consolidated setup brings together different payment methods, fraud and security controls, and market-specific requirements.

Why choose Antom for global acquiring

Regional coverage and local expertise

Antom supports acquiring in 40+ markets and offers access to hundreds of local payment methods. It helps you process payments locally while managing them centrally, with fewer handoffs, faster onboarding, and stronger regional guidance.

Scalable, secure, and compliant infrastructure

Antom handles high transaction volumes with low latency and high uptime. It supports credit or debit card payments, bank transfers, and wallets, with compliance built in from the start.

Revenue-boosting tools and analytics

Antom doesn’t just route payments. It applies smart decision-making to retry failed transactions, analyse payment behaviours, and deliver insights you can act on. With the right tools, you get fewer declines, higher conversion, and more control. Furthermore, Antom Payment Orchestration uses AI to find the most cost-effective ways to process transactions, helping you achieve even better payment efficiency.

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