Libby James – Merchant Payments and Provider Matching Expert

Libby James is the founder and Managing Director of Merchant Advice Service, a UK business established in 2016 to help companies understand card payments and identify providers suited to their requirements.

Her work focuses particularly on merchant accounts, payment gateways, provider selection, integrated payments and businesses with complex or higher-risk requirements. This includes companies that have been declined or terminated by a previous provider, require a specialist integration or operate in a sector that mainstream payment companies may restrict.

Libby is CeMAP qualified and has a professional background spanning property, mortgage advice, financial services and card payments. She combines formal financial-services training with practical experience gained from working directly with merchants, payment providers, gateways, brokers and commercial partners.

She also developed The Payments Directory®, a provider research and matching platform operated as part of Merchant Advice Service.

Libby James at a glance

Current role: Founder and Managing Director, Merchant Advice Service
Payments experience: Working in merchant services since 2016
Specialist areas: Merchant accounts, high-risk payments, payment gateways, provider matching and complex payment requirements
Qualification: Level 3 Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice — CeMAP
Additional role: Non-Executive Director, Ensembl Payments
Based in: United Kingdom

View Libby James on LinkedIn

Verify Merchant Advice Service Limited on Companies House

View the directors of Merchant Advice Service Limited

Current role at Merchant Advice Service

Libby co-founded Merchant Advice Service with David Bird in 2016 and leads the company’s merchant support, commercial relationships, content and provider-matching approach.

Merchant Advice Service helps UK businesses understand their card-payment options and identify providers that may be suited to their business model, payment methods, sector, processing volumes and technical requirements.

Libby’s work includes:

Assessing how and where a business needs to take payments
Understanding previous merchant-account declines and terminations
Identifying potentially suitable acquiring, gateway or broker routes
Reviewing payment-provider pricing and contract structures
Exploring gateway, EPOS, booking and CRM integrations
Supporting merchants with recurring and subscription payments
Helping businesses understand reserves, settlement and underwriting requirements
Developing strategies for SaaS platforms to monetise payments
Producing practical card-payment guidance
Developing better merchant prequalification and provider-matching processes

Merchant Advice Service is not a bank, acquiring bank or payment processor. Final decisions about underwriting, pricing and account approval are made by the payment provider.

Learn how Merchant Advice Service works

Visit Merchant Advice Service

The Payments Directory®

Libby developed The Payments Directory® within Merchant Advice Service to improve the way businesses research payment, banking and finance providers.

The platform was designed to move provider research beyond simple headline-rate comparisons. It considers practical requirements such as:

Business sector
Risk profile
Monthly processing volume
Payment channels
Geographic coverage
Currencies
Payment methods
Ecommerce platforms
Gateway requirements
Software integrations

The Payments Directory® was publicly launched as a self-service platform intended to give businesses more control over provider research and make complex financial-services information more accessible.

External launch coverage includes:

The FinTech Times described the platform as an approach designed to help businesses narrow their search using factors including location, turnover, industry and integration requirements.

Non-Executive role at Ensembl Payments

Since January 2026, Libby has supported Ensembl Payments in a non-executive capacity, contributing to:

Payments strategy
Commercial partnerships
Product development
Customer-journey review
Market positioning
Sector-specific payment requirements

Ensembl is a specialist payment software platform developed for businesses managing sensitive and service-led customer journeys, initially focusing on funeral directors, legal firms and estate planning providers.

The platform brings together payment links, card payments, split instalments, automated reminders, reporting and access to regulated finance options through its appointed partners.

Visit Ensembl Payments

View Ensembl Payments Ltd on Companies House

Ensembl Payments Ltd was incorporated on 26 January 2026. Its website states that it is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Phoenix Financial Consultants Limited for permitted finance-introduction activities.

Professional qualification

Level 3 Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice — CeMAP

Awarding organisation: Institute of Financial Services
Qualification level: Level 3
Qualification number: 501/0629/6
Completed: 18 July 2014

Libby completed CeMAP through independent study before attending further mortgage-adviser training at the Just Mortgages head office.

The qualification covered areas including:

UK financial-services regulation
Mortgage products and markets
Customer fact-finding
Affordability and suitability
Mortgage applications
Consumer protection
Ethical financial advice
Mortgage-related protection products
Post-completion issues

View qualification 501/0629/6 on the Ofqual Register

Read about the current CeMAP qualification

CeMAP is a Level 3 mortgage-advice qualification, and the official qualification number supplied by Libby matches the number recorded for the Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice.

Career history

Founder and Managing Director, Merchant Advice Service

2016–present

Libby co-founded Merchant Advice Service to provide clearer, more transparent guidance to businesses researching card-payment and merchant-service providers.

She oversees the company’s commercial direction, provider relationships, merchant-matching approach and editorial content.

Her specialist focus includes businesses with complex requirements, higher-risk sectors, previous merchant-account declines and specialist gateway or integration needs.

Self-employed Mortgage Broker, Finance Advice Centre

2015–2016

Libby worked as a self-employed mortgage broker, supporting customers through the mortgage research, recommendation and application process.

The role involved customer fact-finding, understanding affordability and requirements, explaining financial products and progressing applications.

It was during this role that Libby met David Bird and began developing the idea that became Merchant Advice Service.

CeMAP and mortgage-adviser training, Just Mortgages

2014–2015

After completing CeMAP through independent study, Libby attended mortgage-adviser training at the Just Mortgages head office.

The training developed her practical understanding of regulated financial services, customer needs, suitability, financial products and clear customer communication.

Lettings Agent, Senior Lettings Agent and Manager, John German Estate Agents

2008–2014

Libby progressed through several roles at John German, from lettings agent to senior lettings agent and manager.

Her responsibilities included:

Customer relationships
Property instructions
Negotiations
Landlord and tenant communication
Team management
Branch performance
Transaction progression
Working with professional partners

Sales Negotiator and Sales Progression, haart Estate Agents

2006–2007

Libby worked initially as a sales negotiator before moving into sales progression.

She worked with buyers, sellers, mortgage brokers and law firms to progress property transactions, maintain communication between the parties and resolve issues that could delay completion.

Areas of expertise

Libby writes, reviews and contributes to content covering:

Merchant accounts
Card-payment processing
High-risk merchant accounts
Declined merchant-account applications
Terminated merchant facilities
Payment gateways
Integrated payments
Card machines and face-to-face payments
Ecommerce payments
Telephone and virtual-terminal payments
Recurring and subscription payments
Provider selection
Merchant prequalification
Provider matching
Payment pricing
Merchant contracts
Settlement arrangements
Rolling reserves
Chargebacks
Monetising payments
International and multicurrency payments
Software and gateway integrations
Business banking introductions

Her expertise is based on direct commercial and operational experience. She does not provide legal advice or regulatory compliance sign-off.

Why Libby is qualified to review card-payment content

Libby has worked directly with merchants and payment-industry partners since founding Merchant Advice Service in 2016.

Her practical experience includes assessing merchant requirements, understanding why applications have been declined, identifying potential provider routes and helping businesses compare payment methods, gateways, integrations, pricing and settlement arrangements.

Her previous property and mortgage background also provides experience in customer fact-finding, financial products, regulated processes and transactions involving multiple professional parties.

Libby’s CeMAP qualification supports this wider financial-services background, while her payments expertise has been developed through nearly a decade of direct work within merchant services.

Editorial role at Merchant Advice Service

Libby writes and reviews Merchant Advice Service content relating to merchant accounts, payment providers, gateways, higher-risk sectors and complex merchant requirements.

Her editorial responsibilities include:

Reviewing content for practical accuracy
Checking that articles reflect genuine merchant questions
Ensuring provider and product descriptions are understandable
Identifying outdated payment information
Adding context based on real merchant enquiries
Reviewing how provider appetite and requirements may affect an application
Separating general guidance from claims that require professional or regulatory advice
Ensuring commercial relationships are disclosed appropriately

Where a subject requires legal, regulatory, tax or compliance advice, MAS should refer to an appropriately qualified external source rather than presenting Libby’s review as specialist professional sign-off.

Selected articles written or reviewed by Libby

Speaking, podcasts and interviews

TheBusinessDesk Women in Business Lunch

Libby was the guest speaker at TheBusinessDesk’s Women in Business Lunch in Nottingham on 23 January 2025.

View the Women in Business event profile

The event page identifies Libby as the founder of Merchant Advice Service and creator of The Payments Directory®.

kbbreview Podcast

Libby joined the kbbreview Podcast to explain why kitchen and bathroom retailers can face higher card-processing costs and more detailed underwriting.

Listen to: Why are card payments so expensive?

Habitz Podcast

Libby appeared on the Habitz Podcast in 2021 to discuss how businesses can make card payments work more effectively.

View: How to make card payments work better for your business with Libby James

Authority Magazine

Libby was interviewed by Authority Magazine about founding Merchant Advice Service, transparency within card payments and building expertise within financial services.

Female Disruptors: How Libby James Is Shaking Up the Card Payments Industry

Words of Wisdom with Libby James

Trust Payments

Libby was interviewed by Trust Payments about interactive voice response technology and telephone card payments.

The Benefits of Interactive Voice Response Payments

IdeaMensch

Libby discussed the creation of Merchant Advice Service, her working practices and her approach to entrepreneurship in an IdeaMensch founder interview.

Read the IdeaMensch interview with Libby James

External articles and industry contributions

SmallBusiness.co.uk

Choosing the Right Merchant Service for Your Small Business

This 2017 guide introduced Libby as the founder of Merchant Advice Service and covered provider selection, payment methods, fees and merchant-account approval.

Professional Beauty

How to Switch Merchant Service Provider

Libby contributed practical guidance for salon and beauty businesses reviewing their card-payment provider.

Elite Business Magazine

View Libby James’s Elite Business author profile

86% of UK Businesses Favour Card and Contactless Payments Over Cash

The article reported research conducted by Merchant Advice Service involving more than 1,200 UK business owners.

FinTech Magazine

Payment Solutions: Transaction Evolution and the Internet of Things

Libby contributed commentary on changes in consumer payment behaviour, contactless technology, QR codes and digital payments.

kbbreview

Why Is It So Tricky to Secure Card Payments?

Libby explained the payment and underwriting challenges faced by kitchen and bathroom retailers, including higher transaction values and longer fulfilment times.

FinTech Finance News

The Payments Directory® Launch Announcement

View Libby James’s FinTech Finance speaker profile

Video content

What Is a Merchant Account and Why Do You Need One?

The video features Libby explaining merchant accounts and payment-gateway requirements for businesses.

External verification links

Recent activity

Recent activity includes:

Contributing to the continuing development of Merchant Advice Service and The Payments Directory®
Joining Ensembl Payments in a non-executive capacity in January 2026
Publishing specialist commentary for kbbreview in January 2026
Speaking at TheBusinessDesk Women in Business Lunch in January 2025
Launching The Payments Directory® publicly through Merchant Advice Service in 2024
Continuing to write and review content covering higher-risk, declined and complex merchant requirements

Contact and company affiliation

Libby can be contacted through Merchant Advice Service regarding:

Merchant-payment commentary
Industry interviews
Speaking opportunities
Card-payment research
Provider-selection questions
Commercial partnerships
Complex merchant requirements

Contact Merchant Advice Service

Merchant Advice Service Limited
Company number: 10343029
First Floor, Sterling House
Outrams Wharf
Little Eaton
Derby
DE21 5EL

Profile owner: Libby James
Company: Merchant Advice Service Limited
First published: 20^th July 2026
Last reviewed: 20 July 2026
Next review due: January 2027
Contact for corrections: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.