The bank that gives a cardholder their card and pays the merchant's acquirer during settlement. The issuer earns interchange and decides whether to approve or decline each authorization.
Why it matters for your business
Terms like Issuing bank aren't just jargon — they sit behind what you actually pay to accept payments. Understanding them is the difference between reading your statement and being at the mercy of it. If you're not sure how this shows up in your own costs, the fastest way to find out is to have someone read your statement line by line.
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