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What We're About

Merchant Advice Service helps businesses understand their card payment options and find providers suited to the way they operate.

Merchant Advice Service is an independent UK business-to-business payments information, comparison, and provider-matching service, founded by Libby James in 2016.

We help businesses understand their payment requirements and identify relevant payment providers or specialist partners, from straightforward merchant accounts and payment gateways through to more complex requirements involving integrations, international acquiring, higher-risk sectors, and multiple payment providers.

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Our approach

Clear information

We aim to explain card payments, pricing and provider requirements in language that businesses can understand.

Relevant options

We consider more than the headline transaction rate. Business sector, payment method, software, geography and risk can all affect which provider is suitable.

Honest expectations

We cannot guarantee approval, and we will not pretend that every business has unlimited options.

Greater transparency

We clearly explain that MAS may receive referral commission and that we do not necessarily compare the whole market.

Continued learning

The payments market changes regularly. We review provider information, merchant enquiries and industry developments to keep our guidance useful and relevant.

Merchant-focused guidance

We start with the needs of the business rather than the products a provider wants to sell. Our aim is to understand how the merchant operates, what has already been tried and what is most likely to work before suggesting a possible route.

Transparency

The Payments Directory®, powered by Merchant Advice Service, where transparency leads the way. We believe in maintaining clear and open communication at every step, ensuring that you understand all aspects of payments, banking, and finance options. Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions streamlining your operations.

Education

We are committed to empowering business owners through education. By providing essential knowledge and resources, we help you navigate the complex world of payments and finance with confidence. Whether you're looking for information on integration, payment methods, or bank risk appetite, we strive to make every aspect of our platform an educational tool that enhances your understanding and decision-making.

Unbiased

Our platform is tailored to your business needs, free from any external influences or biases. At Merchant Advice Service we prioritise your interests, ensuring that the guidance and recommendations offered are impartial and focused on finding the best solutions for your specific requirements. This commitment to an unbiased service helps you trust that we have your best interests at heart.

Free

We believe that valuable information should be accessible to every finance department and business owner, regardless of their size or industry type. Our platform is free to use, making it easy for you to access the insights and support you need without any financial barriers. By removing these obstacles, we ensure that all business owners can benefit from the wealth of knowledge and resources available through The Payments Directory®.

What Our Customers Say...

Libby was fantastic in coming to the rescue to help me sort card machine for my business without any charge, would highly recommend.
I had a brief phone call with Libby to outline our needs and within an hour I was being called by a processing bank to get things moving. Our new provider has been set up within 48 hours and we are overjoyed and stress free. Thank you Libby, what a…
Great service 👍🏻
Great service, thank you
1st class service, nothing but good things to say about this business. From first contact nothing has been to much trouble.
Using merchant services has helped my business no end. Great service, really professional and nothing was ever too much trouble when asking questions. Thank you!
Great service from the team. Would highly recommend using them!
Great thanks to Merchant Advise Service and Libby James. We encountered a problem with our existing merchant that led us unable to process customer payments which as a small business was a disaster. Libby quickly matched us with a new merchant and…
I contacted Merchant Advice Service when our company received notice from a previous provider. We’re classed as “travel” due to the nature of our UK holiday business. At the time we reached out to a few providers - however the advice we received fr…
    Libby James, the founder, sitting at a desk, working.

    Meet Our Founder

    Libby James founded Merchant Advice Service in 2016 after identifying a need for clearer, more transparent information within the card-payments industry.

    Over the following decade, Libby has developed relationships across the payments market and built particular experience around merchant accounts, payment gateways, provider selection and businesses with more complex payment requirements.

    She oversees Merchant Advice Service's editorial content, provider relationships and approach to merchant matching, and is the founder behind The Payments Directory®.

    Read full bio
    Libby James, the founder, sitting at a desk, working.

    Why Merchant Advice Service was created

    Merchant Advice Service began with a simple idea: businesses should be able to understand their payment options before being expected to choose a provider.

    Card payment pricing, contracts, settlement terms and acceptance criteria are not always easy to compare. The provider offering the lowest headline rate may not be the provider best suited to the business.

    MAS was created to help businesses look beyond the sales pitch and consider the things that genuinely matter, including:

    • Whether the provider supports their sector
    • How and where payments are taken
    • Pricing and additional charges
    • Settlement times
    • Contract terms
    • Payment gateways and software integrations
    • Currencies and countries supported
    • Previous declines or account terminations
    • Chargeback and risk requirements

    Our aim is to make the research and application process clearer, particularly for businesses that are unsure where to apply.

    Find a Provider
    Find a Provider

    The Payments Directory®

    The Payments Directory® was created by Merchant Advice Service to make payment-provider research more accessible and transparent.

    It allows businesses to explore payment, banking and finance options according to practical requirements such as:

    • Business sector
    • Monthly processing volume
    • Payment method
    • Geographic coverage
    • Currency
    • Software integration
    • Risk profile
    • Product requirements

    The long-term aim is to give businesses more control over the research process while making it easier to identify providers whose services appear relevant.

    Speak to Merchant Advice Service

    Whether you are setting up card payments for the first time, reviewing your current provider or struggling with a more complicated application, Merchant Advice Service can help you understand the available routes.

    Get in Touch