Switching Card Machine Provider: How to Change Without Disrupting Payments

Switching card machine provider can reduce payment costs, improve service, replace outdated terminals or give a business access to better integrations and reporting.

But for an established merchant, changing provider is rarely as simple as:

cancel old card machine → plug in new card machine.

The payment environment may also include:

• card acquiring;
• merchant IDs;
• terminal rental agreements;
• EPOS integrations;
• Wi-Fi, Ethernet or mobile connectivity;
• settlement and reconciliation;
• refund processes;
• PCI DSS;
• multiple business locations;
• online or telephone payments; and
• historic transactions that still sit with the old provider.

A poorly planned switch can create unnecessary downtime, duplicate contracts, broken EPOS integrations or difficulty processing refunds after migration.

A well-planned switch should do the opposite.

The safest approach is to build, configure and test the replacement payment route before withdrawing the existing one.

This guide explains how UK businesses can change card machine or merchant-services provider while reducing disruption to payments.

Quick Summary

• Do not cancel your existing provider before understanding the replacement payment setup.
• Check whether the acquiring agreement, terminal rental, EPOS and other payment services are separate contracts.
• Establish contract end dates and notice periods before agreeing the migration timetable.
• For relevant merchants and providers within PSR Specific Direction 16, qualifying POS-terminal contracts are restricted to an initial term of no more than 18 months before moving onto a rolling monthly arrangement.
• Use actual merchant statements and card data to compare the new provider rather than headline rates alone.
• Confirm EPOS compatibility before signing the new merchant-services agreement.
• Do not assume existing card machines can be reused with the replacement provider.
• A new acquiring relationship will commonly require new merchant IDs and terminal configuration.
• Changing payment provider does not automatically change PCI DSS scope, but changing payment architecture can.
• Test transactions, refunds, settlement, reporting and integrations before full rollout.
• Keep appropriate access to the old provider for historic refunds, chargebacks, statements and reconciliation.
• Multi-site merchants should consider a phased rollout rather than changing every location simultaneously.
• Plan a fallback payment route for go-live.
• Do not assess the success of the migration from one £1 test payment alone.

Find Your New Processor

Can You Switch Card Machine Provider?

Yes.

Businesses can change card-machine and merchant-services provider, subject to their contractual obligations and the practical requirements of the migration.

The main question is not whether switching is possible.

It is:

what else has to change with the card machine?

For a simple standalone terminal, the answer may be relatively little.

For an integrated multi-site retailer or hospitality group, the change might affect:

• dozens or hundreds of terminals;
• EPOS;
• merchant IDs;
• payment reporting;
• settlement files;
• refund workflows;
• user permissions;
• finance processes;
• PCI architecture;
• support arrangements; and
• several different contracts.

MAS View

The larger the merchant, the less useful it becomes to think of switching as a card-machine replacement. It is a payment migration.

Why Do Businesses Switch Card Machine Provider?

Common reasons include:

• high transaction fees;
• card turnover has grown since the original contract was signed;
• poor customer service;
• unreliable terminals;
• slow replacement hardware;
• poor settlement terms;
• outdated technology;
• EPOS incompatibility;
• weak reporting;
• opening additional locations;
• moving to integrated payments;
• wanting better multi-site management;
• changing EPOS provider;
• contract renewal;
• business acquisition or restructuring;
• wanting card-present and ecommerce payments under a more joined-up payment strategy; or
• the existing provider no longer fits the size or complexity of the business.

Sometimes switching is driven primarily by price.

In other cases, the payment infrastructure has simply been outgrown.

When Is the Best Time to Review Your Card Machine Provider?

A provider review is particularly useful:

• before a contract renewal;
• before opening new locations;
• before replacing EPOS;
• before a major terminal refresh;
• after substantial growth in card turnover;
• after repeated outages or service problems;
• when adding ecommerce or omnichannel payments;
• after a significant change in card mix;
• following an acquisition or merger; or
• when the existing provider changes pricing.

Starting the review before the existing agreement expires gives the business time to negotiate, compare, test and migrate properly.

Step 1: Understand What You Currently Have

Before looking at replacement providers, map the existing payment environment.

Record:

• card-acquiring provider;
• terminal provider;
• terminal models;
• terminal ownership;
• number of terminals;
• number of locations;
• merchant IDs;
• monthly and annual card turnover;
• transaction count;
• average transaction value;
• current transaction pricing;
• terminal rental;
• other account charges;
• EPOS provider;
• payment integration;
• settlement timing;
• refund process;
• chargeback process;
• PCI DSS setup;
• support arrangements;
• contract end dates; and
• notice periods.

This becomes the baseline against which any replacement provider should be assessed.

Do You Have More Than One Payment Contract?

Possibly.

One of the first things to establish is whether the merchant has separate agreements for:

• card acquiring;
• terminal hire;
• EPOS;
• payment gateway;
• software;
• integration;
• support; and
• other payment services.

These contracts may:

• start on different dates;
• end on different dates;
• have different notice periods; and
• be with different legal entities.

That can create a problem if the acquiring agreement can be changed but the business remains committed to incompatible terminal hardware or software.

See our Merchant Services Contract Renewal guide.

What Are the Current Rules on Card Machine Contracts?

The Payment Systems Regulator identified lengthy POS-terminal agreements as one factor that could discourage merchants from shopping around and changing card-acquiring provider.

As a result, Specific Direction 16 limits the initial term of qualifying POS-terminal contracts for relevant merchants and specified providers.

Within scope:

• the initial POS-terminal contract term cannot exceed 18 months;
• the contract moves onto a rolling monthly arrangement after the relevant initial period;
• relevant exit charges must be cost-based and transparent; and
• the rules currently apply to qualifying merchants with annual card turnover up to £10 million using the directed provider's card-acquiring services.

Read PSR Specific Direction 16.

The direction has a defined scope, so businesses should still check their own contractual position rather than assuming every terminal agreement in the UK operates identically.

Use Your PSR Summary Information Where Available

The Payment Systems Regulator has also introduced measures intended to make card-acquiring services easier for merchants to understand and compare.

For providers and merchants within the relevant scope, this includes:

• summary information boxes;
• online quotation tools; and
• trigger messages encouraging merchants to review the market.

The summary information can help identify:

• current transaction fees;
• fixed charges;
• recurring charges;
• contract information; and
• service features.

Read the PSR's current card-acquiring comparison guidance.

Step 2: Work Out What the Current Arrangement Really Costs

Do not compare the new provider against the transaction rate you remember agreeing several years ago.

Use actual statements.

Review several months of:

• card turnover;
• merchant statements;
• terminal invoices;
• account fees;
• PCI-related charges;
• authorisation charges;
• chargeback fees;
• other service fees; and
• relevant software or integration costs.

Then establish the true current cost.

See our Card Machine Costs UK 2026 guide.

Do Not Compare One Transaction Rate With Another

A quotation showing:

0.75%

is not automatically cheaper than one showing:

0.85%.

The merchant needs to understand:

• what each rate applies to;
• debit/credit mix;
• commercial cards;
• international cards;
• fixed transaction charges;
• terminal rental;
• account charges;
• settlement;
• integration costs; and
• contract terms.

Where possible, model the replacement provider's quotation against the merchant's actual historic card data.

See our Card Machine Transaction Fees guide.

How Much Can a Small Difference in Processing Rate Matter?

Suppose a business processes:

£750,000 per month.

A difference of:

0.10 percentage points

is equivalent to:

£750 per month

or:

£9,000 per year.

At that level of card turnover, small pricing differences can be considerably more important than a modest difference in terminal rental.

This is an illustrative MAS calculation and does not represent expected provider savings.

MAS View

The higher the card turnover, the more important it becomes to compare the payment economics rather than the card-machine rental.

Step 3: Define What the Replacement Provider Must Solve

Do not begin with a list of providers.

Begin with the business requirements.

For example:

• lower effective processing cost;
• countertop terminals;
• portable terminals;
• 4G backup;
• EPOS integration;
• pay at table;
• tipping;
• split bills;
• central reporting;
• multiple merchant IDs;
• next-day or faster settlement;
• weekend support;
• multi-site rollout;
• ecommerce integration;
• telephone payment capability;
• Tap to Pay;
• better payment resilience; or
• more flexible contracts.

This stops the comparison becoming:

old machine vs new machine.

Instead, it becomes:

old payment environment vs proposed payment environment.

Step 4: Check EPOS Compatibility Before Signing

This is one of the most important migration checks.

If the business uses an integrated EPOS system, establish:

• whether the proposed provider is supported;
• which terminal models are supported;
• whether the existing integration can be reused;
• whether new integration software is required;
• whether development is required;
• who supplies the integration;
• who supports it;
• whether tipping works;
• whether split bills work;
• how refunds operate;
• how payment status returns to EPOS;
• whether multi-site reporting remains intact; and
• what the implementation will cost.

Do not sign the new card-acquiring agreement and investigate EPOS compatibility afterwards.

See our Integrated Card Machines & EPOS Compatibility guide.

Can You Switch Card Provider and Keep the Same EPOS?

Often, yes — provided the EPOS platform supports the proposed payment provider or integration.

Possible outcomes include:

Existing Integration Already Supports the New Provider

This may allow a relatively straightforward terminal and acquiring migration.

A New EPOS Connector Is Required

The business may need new software, configuration or licences.

Custom Development Is Required

Larger or bespoke merchants may need development and testing before migration.

The New Provider Is Not Compatible

The merchant may have to:

• choose another payment provider;
• operate terminals standalone;
• change EPOS;
• develop another integration; or
• redesign the payment architecture.

Can You Keep Your Existing Card Machines?

Sometimes, but never assume so.

Whether existing terminal hardware can be reused depends on:

• who owns the device;
• terminal manufacturer;
• terminal model;
• payment-provider support;
• terminal-management system;
• security keys;
• acquiring configuration;
• software;
• certification; and
• EPOS integration.

A terminal being technically capable of accepting Visa and Mastercard does not mean another payment provider can automatically use it.

If the current machines are rented, they may also need to be returned.

Should You Reuse Old Card Machines?

Even where technically possible, ask whether it makes sense.

Consider:

• device age;
• manufacturer support;
• security support;
• 4G connectivity;
• 2G dependency;
• EPOS compatibility;
• battery condition;
• availability of replacement hardware; and
• whether the terminal supports future requirements.

A provider migration can be a useful point to remove obsolete hardware from the estate.

Will You Get a New Merchant ID When Switching Provider?

Often, yes.

A Merchant ID — MID — identifies the merchant within the acquiring/payment setup.

A new acquiring relationship will commonly involve new merchant IDs.

For a simple single-site merchant this may be straightforward.

For a larger business, the MID structure needs more thought.

The merchant may require:

• one MID per location;
• multiple MIDs at one site;
• different MIDs by legal entity;
• different MIDs by brand;
• separate ecommerce/card-present MIDs;
• different settlement structures; or
• another provider-specific configuration.

The new MID structure should support reporting and reconciliation rather than simply replicate the old setup without review.

Does Switching Provider Affect Settlement?

Potentially.

The new provider may have different:

• settlement times;
• weekend treatment;
• banking arrangements;
• reserve requirements;
• funding references;
• settlement files;
• merchant descriptors; and
• reconciliation processes.

Before go-live, finance teams should know:

• when the first settlement will arrive;
• which bank account will receive it;
• how settlements will be identified;
• how transaction totals reconcile to settlement;
• how fees are deducted; and
• how reporting differs from the old provider.

Do Not Forget the Finance Team

A payment migration may look successful from the till while creating problems in finance.

For example:

customer pays → transaction approved → terminal works.

But:

• settlement cannot be reconciled;
• location references are different;
• fees appear differently;
• refunds are reported elsewhere;
• old and new providers settle simultaneously; or
• finance cannot map the new MIDs to stores.

Payment migration testing should therefore include reconciliation, not just authorisation.

Step 5: Check PCI DSS Before the Migration

Changing card processor does not automatically change the merchant's PCI DSS scope.

However, a migration can alter the payment architecture.

For example, the business may move between:

• standalone and integrated terminals;
• different P2PE solutions;
• different EPOS integrations;
• different payment applications;
• different network configurations;
• different telephone-payment arrangements; or
• different ecommerce payment environments.

Those changes can affect PCI DSS responsibilities and validation.

See our Changing Card Processor & PCI DSS guide.

Does Using a New Payment Provider Remove PCI DSS Responsibilities?

No.

PCI SSC makes clear that outsourcing payment processing to a third party does not remove all merchant responsibility.

Depending on the environment, merchants may still need to:

• validate PCI DSS compliance;
• understand which provider responsibilities have been outsourced;
• maintain appropriate agreements;
• monitor relevant service-provider compliance; and
• protect parts of the payment environment that remain under merchant control.

For the wider requirements, see our PCI DSS Compliance Guide for UK Businesses.

What Happens to Card Machine Security During a Switch?

A migration can involve significant movement of payment hardware.

The merchant should control:

• delivery of new terminals;
• terminal serial numbers;
• location assignments;
• installation;
• engineer access;
• device testing;
• old terminal removal;
• return of rented hardware;
• updating terminal inventories; and
• decommissioning old devices.

See our Card Machine Security & PCI DSS guide.

Step 6: Build the New Payment Environment Before Cancelling the Old One

This is the central migration principle.

Where contracts and provider arrangements allow, the preferred sequence is:

approve → configure → integrate → install → test → go live → verify → retire old route.

Not:

cancel → lose service → install → discover problems.

A Sensible Migration Sequence

1. Select the replacement provider.
2. Complete underwriting and merchant onboarding.
3. Agree commercial terms.
4. Confirm contract dates.
5. Confirm EPOS compatibility.
6. Confirm terminal models.
7. Agree MID structure.
8. Configure settlement.
9. Complete technical/integration work.
10. Receive and inventory new terminals.
11. Test connectivity.
12. Test transactions.
13. Test refunds.
14. Test reporting.
15. Test settlement.
16. Confirm PCI implications.
17. Train staff.
18. Prepare fallback.
19. Go live.
20. Monitor closely.
21. Retire the old environment once the new one is proven.

MAS View

The old provider should not disappear from the payment journey before the new provider has proved it can replace it.

How Long Should a Card Machine Switch Take?

There is no universal timeframe.

A straightforward merchant changing a handful of standalone terminals could have a very different migration from a national retailer replacing hundreds of integrated devices.

Timing depends on:

• underwriting;
• merchant complexity;
• terminal numbers;
• hardware availability;
• EPOS integration;
• development;
• testing;
• multiple locations;
• contract dates;
• staff training; and
• provider implementation capacity.

The commercial team should not dictate a go-live date before the technical requirements are understood.

Step 7: Test More Than One Card Payment

A successful test transaction is necessary.

It is not sufficient.

Depending on the business, the test plan should include:

• chip and PIN;
• contactless;
• mobile wallets;
• consumer debit;
• consumer credit;
• commercial cards where relevant;
• international cards where relevant;
• declines;
• refunds;
• partial refunds where supported;
• tipping;
• split bills;
• EPOS integration;
• receipt handling;
• settlement;
• finance reconciliation;
• location reporting;
• staff permissions;
• connectivity failure;
• terminal restart;
• backup payment route; and
• support escalation.

MAS View

A £1 test proves that the system can authorise £1. It does not prove that your business is ready to migrate its payment volume.

Should You Pilot the New Provider First?

For multi-site or operationally complex businesses, a pilot can be extremely useful.

For example:

one store → several stores → regional rollout → full estate.

A pilot can expose:

• EPOS issues;
• connectivity weaknesses;
• staff training problems;
• reporting differences;
• settlement problems;
• refund issues;
• terminal configuration problems;
• support gaps; and
• unexpected operational changes.

Those are easier to solve across five terminals than five hundred.

How Should Multi-Site Businesses Switch Card Machine Provider?

Multi-site migrations should normally be approached as a rollout programme.

Consider:

• location sequencing;
• pilot sites;
• terminal shipping;
• device inventory;
• installation resources;
• engineer schedules;
• store opening hours;
• staff training;
• MID mapping;
• EPOS configuration;
• support escalation;
• old terminal collection;
• settlement reconciliation;
• go-live monitoring; and
• rollback/fallback procedures.

A retailer with 100 sites should not necessarily migrate all 100 at 9am on the same Monday simply because the new contract starts that day.

What Is a Parallel Run?

A parallel run means maintaining the existing payment route while the replacement environment is being introduced and validated.

Where commercially and technically possible, this can reduce migration risk.

However, it can also create:

• temporary duplicate costs;
• more complex reporting;
• two sets of terminals;
• two settlement flows; and
• staff confusion if the transition is poorly managed.

The overlap should therefore be planned and time-limited.

What Backup Should You Have on Go-Live Day?

The migration plan should answer:

“What happens if the new card machines do not work?”

Potential options can include:

• keeping the old terminals available temporarily;
• secondary connectivity;
• spare authorised terminals;
• standalone mode;
• Tap to Pay;
• payment links where suitable; or
• another approved payment route.

The correct fallback depends on what has failed.

See our Card Machine Connectivity, Outages & Backup Payment Options guide.

Can Tap to Pay Help During a Provider Migration?

Potentially.

Tap to Pay can provide another card-present acceptance option on supported smartphones.

It can be useful for:

• temporary payment points;
• overflow;
• backup;
• pop-up locations;
• staff mobility; or
• phased terminal replacement.

However, the service still needs to be:

• onboarded;
• configured;
• tested;
• priced appropriately; and
• integrated into reporting and operations.

See our Tap to Pay UK guide.

What Happens to Refunds After You Switch?

This is one of the most important practical questions.

A customer may return after go-live seeking a refund for a transaction processed through the old provider.

Businesses should establish:

• how historic refunds will be processed;
• whether old provider portal access remains available;
• how long access remains available;
• whether funds must remain available;
• whether the old terminal is required;
• how partial refunds work;
• how historic transactions can be searched; and
• how the refund appears in finance reporting.

Do not close all access to the old provider simply because new transactions have moved.

What Happens to Chargebacks After Switching?

Chargebacks and disputes relating to historic transactions can continue after the new provider goes live.

The merchant may still need:

• access to the old provider portal;
• transaction records;
• receipts;
• order or booking records;
• staff evidence;
• proof of fulfilment; and
• a contact route for the old acquiring relationship.

Historic payment responsibilities do not disappear on the migration date.

How Long Should You Keep Old Merchant Statements?

Businesses should retain records in accordance with their legal, accounting, contractual, PCI and operational requirements.

From a payment-migration perspective, ensure necessary historic records are available before old portal access is removed.

This may include:

• merchant statements;
• settlement reports;
• transaction reports;
• fee schedules;
• refund information;
• chargeback information;
• contracts; and
• terminal records.

What If You Also Have Online Payments?

A card-machine migration may be part of a wider provider change.

If the existing provider also handles:

• ecommerce;
• payment gateway;
• stored cards;
• recurring payments;
• subscriptions;
• payment links; or
• virtual-terminal payments,

those channels should be assessed separately.

Changing card-present acquiring does not necessarily require changing the online gateway.

Equally, changing the entire provider relationship may involve token migration and considerably more technical work.

See our guide to moving stored cards, tokens and recurring payments.

Can You Change Acquirer Without Changing Gateway?

In some payment architectures, yes.

This depends on whether the gateway supports multiple acquiring connections and whether the relevant providers and integrations are compatible.

Businesses with complex omnichannel requirements should establish:

• which system provides the terminal;
• which organisation acquires the transactions;
• which gateway handles online payments;
• who owns tokens;
• which integrations are provider-specific; and
• which components genuinely need replacing.

Should You Tell Staff About the Switch?

Yes.

Payment-provider migrations can fail operationally even when the technology works.

Staff may need to understand:

• new terminal controls;
• login procedures;
• refunds;
• receipt handling;
• tipping;
• split bills;
• new error messages;
• backup procedures;
• who to contact for support;
• how to identify legitimate replacement devices; and
• what to do if the old terminal remains at the location.

Training should happen before go-live rather than during the first customer transaction.

What Should Finance Know Before Go-Live?

Finance teams should receive:

• new MID structure;
• new settlement timetable;
• new provider references;
• bank-account confirmation;
• fee structure;
• reporting access;
• statement format;
• refund process;
• chargeback process;
• old/new provider overlap dates; and
• first-settlement expectations.

What Should IT Know Before Go-Live?

IT or technical teams may need:

• terminal models;
• network requirements;
• Wi-Fi requirements;
• Ethernet requirements;
• firewall/network configuration;
• EPOS integration documentation;
• software deployment requirements;
• remote-support arrangements;
• device-management requirements;
• PCI implications;
• test plans; and
• fallback procedures.

What Should Operations Know Before Go-Live?

Operations should understand:

• location rollout sequence;
• terminal allocations;
• staff training;
• support contacts;
• device replacement;
• terminal returns;
• refund processes;
• outage procedures;
• temporary dual-running arrangements; and
• when the old terminals should stop being used.

How Do You Know the Migration Has Worked?

Do not judge success only from whether customers can tap their cards.

A successful migration should demonstrate that:

• transactions authorise correctly;
• EPOS works;
• refunds work;
• settlement arrives correctly;
• finance can reconcile;
• fees match the agreement;
• reporting works;
• location/MID mapping is correct;
• staff understand the terminals;
• support responds properly;
• backup routes work; and
• the old provider can be safely retired.

Check the First Merchant Statements Carefully

The first statements from the new provider should be checked against the agreed quotation.

Review:

• transaction rates;
• fixed transaction charges;
• commercial-card pricing;
• international-card pricing;
• terminal charges;
• monthly fees;
• PCI-related fees;
• settlement deductions;
• unexpected charges; and
• the effective cost of processing.

An attractive proposal is useful only if the live billing matches it.

MAS View

The migration is not complete when the new terminal goes live. It is complete when the new payment arrangement has proved technically, operationally and commercially that it works.

Common Card Machine Switching Mistakes

1. Cancelling Too Early

The merchant ends the old service before the replacement environment is operational.

2. Choosing on Price Alone

A lower transaction rate is selected without checking integration, support or total cost.

3. Assuming EPOS Compatibility

The new provider is signed before the EPOS integration is verified.

4. Assuming Existing Terminals Can Be Reused

The merchant owns the hardware but discovers the new provider cannot support it.

5. Forgetting Refunds

The old portal is closed before historic transactions can be properly managed.

6. Not Testing Settlement

Transactions work, but finance cannot reconcile the money arriving in the bank.

7. Switching Every Site at Once

A problem that could have been found during a small pilot affects the entire estate.

8. No Backup Route

The business discovers its contingency plan during the outage rather than before it.

9. Ignoring Staff Training

The technology changes but the operational process does not.

10. Not Checking the First Invoice

The merchant assumes the contracted rates have been applied correctly without verifying them.

Switching Card Machine Provider Checklist

Before changing provider, confirm:

• current acquiring contract;
• terminal-hire contract;
• contract end dates;
• notice periods;
• terminal-return requirements;
• current processing costs;
• monthly card turnover;
• transaction count;
• card mix;
• number of locations;
• number of terminals;
• EPOS provider;
• integration compatibility;
• new terminal models;
• new MID structure;
• settlement arrangements;
• finance reporting;
• refund process;
• historic transaction access;
• chargeback access;
• PCI DSS implications;
• network requirements;
• staff training;
• support contacts;
• pilot plan;
• go-live plan;
• fallback route;
• old terminal decommissioning; and
• post-live fee verification.

Find Your New Processor

The MAS Card Machine Switching Framework

Merchant Advice Service would break the switch into six stages.

1. Audit

Understand the current payment arrangement, contracts, costs, hardware and integrations.

2. Design

Define what the replacement payment environment needs to do.

3. Compare

Assess suitable providers using actual payment data and technical requirements.

4. Build

Complete onboarding, integrations, MID setup, settlement configuration and terminal deployment.

5. Prove

Test transactions, refunds, EPOS, reporting, settlement, support and fallback routes.

6. Cut Over

Move live volume only when the replacement environment has demonstrated that it can support the business.

MAS View

Audit → Design → Compare → Build → Prove → Cut Over.

That is a payment migration. Simply replacing the terminal is not.

How Merchant Advice Service Helps Businesses Switch Card Machine Provider

Merchant Advice Service helps established businesses compare payment-provider options and plan the commercial side of a provider change.

When reviewing a switch, we may consider:

• current provider;
• reason for switching;
• card turnover;
• transaction profile;
• current merchant statements;
• existing contract;
• terminal estate;
• number of locations;
• EPOS;
• integration requirements;
• connectivity;
• settlement;
• reporting;
• PCI considerations;
• support;
• new provider fit;
• implementation requirements; and
• future payment strategy.

The merchant contracts directly with the selected payment provider.

MAS can remain involved through the comparison and provider-introduction process and, where appropriate, during implementation and go-live.

Explore potential providers through The Payments Directory® or read How Merchant Advice Service Works.

Sources & Further Reading

Payment Systems Regulator — Card-Acquiring Market Review

The PSR identified difficulty comparing prices, indefinite card-acquiring arrangements and lengthy POS-terminal contracts as factors that could restrict merchants' willingness or ability to search and switch provider.

PSR — Card-Acquiring Market Review Final Report

Payment Systems Regulator — Card-Acquiring Market Remedies

The PSR introduced summary information, quotation tools, trigger messages and POS-terminal contract measures designed to make it easier for merchants to understand, compare and switch card-acquiring services.

PSR — Card-Acquiring Market Remedies

Payment Systems Regulator — Specific Direction 16

Specific Direction 16 restricts the initial length of relevant POS-terminal contracts for qualifying merchants and specified card-acquiring providers.

PSR Specific Direction 16

Payment Systems Regulator — Summary Information & Quotation Tools

The PSR's current implementation guidance sets out the information directed card-acquiring providers should present to help relevant merchants understand and compare their existing arrangements.

PSR — Card-Acquiring Comparison Guidance

PCI Security Standards Council — Outsourced Payment Processing

PCI SSC confirms that outsourcing payment processing does not automatically remove all PCI DSS responsibilities from a merchant.

PCI SSC — Merchant Responsibilities When Outsourcing Payments

Related Merchant Advice Service Guidance

• Card Machines
• How to Choose a Card Machine Provider
• Card Machine Costs UK 2026
• Card Machine Transaction Fees
• Integrated Card Machines & EPOS Compatibility
• Card Machine Rental vs Purchase
• Card Machine Connectivity, Outages & Backup Options
• Card Machine Security & PCI DSS
• Portable Card Machines
• Countertop Card Machines
• Tap to Pay UK
• Merchant Services Contract Renewal
• Changing Card Processor & PCI DSS
• Moving Stored Cards, Tokens & Recurring Payments
• Merchant Services for Multi-Location Retailers
• The Payments Directory®

Editorial & Commercial Disclosure

Merchant Advice Service is an independent payments information, comparison and provider-matching service.

MAS may receive commission or a referral fee from some payment providers where a business chooses to proceed following an introduction. This does not determine the factual information, provider-selection framework or migration principles included in this guide.

There is no universal best payment provider or single migration process suitable for every merchant.

Switching requirements depend on factors including existing contracts, terminal ownership, acquiring arrangements, EPOS integration, payment architecture, PCI DSS scope, card turnover and individual provider requirements.

Specific Direction 16 applies only to relevant contracts, qualifying merchants and specified payment-service providers within its defined scope. Businesses should review their own contractual position before terminating an agreement.

Changing payment provider does not automatically change PCI DSS scope. Changes to terminals, integrations, P2PE solutions, payment applications, networks or other architecture can affect a merchant's PCI DSS responsibilities.

Formal legal, contractual and PCI DSS advice should be obtained from appropriately qualified advisers, the merchant's acquirer, payment provider or QSA where required.

Merchant-account acceptance remains subject to provider underwriting.

Provider pricing, integrations, hardware, contracts and technical requirements can change.

Merchant Advice Service does not guarantee pricing, provider acceptance, implementation timescales or technical compatibility.

Regulatory and payments information last checked: 27 August 2026

Article last reviewed: August 2026

This guide provides general payments information and should not be treated as legal, regulatory, technical, financial or formal PCI compliance advice.