// definition
Card acquirer
The merchant’s payment service provider
Short definition
A provider that processes card transactions for the merchant and handles the payment of funds. In the offline process described by the Riksbank, it receives the transactions stored by the terminal after reconnection, pays the merchant and receives payment from the card issuer. Payout timing depends on the applicable terms.
risk atlas
Knowledge map
Intuition
Goods can reach the customer before the funds reach the merchant.
Related analyses
- Blackouts: who pays for service continuity?Local authorisation, transaction storage and payment after reconnection.
Primary sources
- Riksbank, how an offline payment worksSteps 1–4: acquirer, issuer and processing after reconnection; page updated 6 July 2026.