Whether you run a subscription service or sell worldwide, reliable payment acceptance can make or break your business. Every card swipe, wallet tap, or online checkout depends on an ecosystem of banks, card networks, and processors working together. A payment service provider (PSP) simplifies that process, giving you the technology and support to handle transactions across different methods, markets, and currencies.
A payment service provider (PSP) acts as the bridge between your business, your customers, and the financial institutions that move funds. When you accept payments online, in-store, or through a mobile app, the PSP handles the secure transfer of payment details from your customer to the acquiring bank, the card network, and finally to your merchant account.
Because the PSP bundles these steps into one service, you don’t need to manage separate relationships with gateways, processors, and banks. Instead, you get one integration that allows you to offer multiple payment methods across multiple channels, while ensuring security and compliance are handled.
Every PSP combines three critical elements:
Provide the secure channel that connects your website or app to the payment network. This ensures customer payment details are captured and transmitted safely, whether the transaction happens online, in-app, or in-store.
Manage the full payment flow (authorisation, clearing, and settlement) so money moves reliably from the customer’s issuing bank to the merchant’s acquiring bank and account.
Support a broad mix of options: credit and debit cards, digital wallets, mobile banking apps, local bank transfers, and alternative methods. Many PSPs also enable one-click, split, or deferred payments for convenience.
Use rule engines, machine learning, and card network data to spot unusual activity. Apply strong customer authentication (SCA) where required, and minimise chargeback exposure with built-in monitoring tools.
Take on the burden of regulatory standards such as PCI DSS, AML, and KYC. Encrypt or tokenise sensitive data to keep transactions safe and aligned with regional requirements like GDPR.
Enable payments in multiple currencies, offer local acquiring to improve approval rates, and settle in the currency of your choice. This helps businesses expand internationally without losing efficiency.
Provide dashboards and data feeds that give clear visibility into transaction volume, settlement timing, and customer behaviour—helping businesses optimise payments and revenue.
Offer integration assistance, dispute handling, and troubleshooting so merchants can keep payment operations running smoothly.
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Payment Service Provider (PSP) |
Merchant Account Provider |
Payment Gateway |
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Primary role |
All-in-one solution that bundles gateway, processing, and merchant account services |
Provides the merchant account that temporarily holds funds before settlement |
Securely captures and transmits payment details between customer, merchant, and processor |
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What it does |
Handles authorisation, processing, settlement, compliance, fraud checks, and reporting |
Supplies and manages the account where approved transactions are deposited |
Encrypts and tokenises payment data; routes details to the processor |
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User interaction |
Merchant-facing platform with reporting dashboards, APIs, and support tools |
Largely back-office, with limited merchant interaction after setup |
Customer-facing during checkout; merchant-facing for configuration |
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Integration complexity |
Usually a single integration covers multiple services |
Requires separate setup alongside gateway and processor |
Needs to be integrated with both merchant site/app and processor |
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Settlement of funds |
Transfers funds directly into merchant account after processing |
Releases funds from the merchant account to the business bank account |
Does not handle money movement |
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Best for |
Businesses wanting a simple, consolidated solution with global scalability |
Larger merchants with tailored, high-volume needs |
Any business that needs to securely accept payments online or in-store |
A payment service provider combines the essential functions of both a merchant account provider and a payment gateway into one platform. Instead of setting up each piece separately, businesses can handle authorisation, processing, settlement, and compliance through a single partner.
This all-in-one model simplifies integration, reduces administrative overhead, and helps businesses scale faster across markets. In practice, a PSP gives you the secure transaction capture of a gateway, the fund-holding capability of a merchant account, and the processing power to move money between banks—all without the need for multiple contracts or complex setups.
With support for hundreds of payment methods and direct acquiring in multiple regions, Antom offers a broad range of services that help merchants accept payments faster and with fewer failed transactions.
Integrating with a PSP like Antom means you can support credit or debit card, e-wallets, and local payment methods without separate technical projects.
You can add new payment methods or markets without replacing your existing setup, while still meeting compliance requirements and securing payment details.
Whether you need a full API integration or a quick SDK deployment, PSPs like Antom provide the tools to launch payment processing quickly and reliably.