International Merchant Accounts for Global E‑commerce
E-commerce is one of the fastest-growing industries. Thanks to the developers of various content management systems. Now people can easily purchase products and services from merchants in other countries. QuadraPay, in association with a well-known acquiring institution in the UK, US, Canada, and the EU, provides reliable international merchant account solutions.
Why Your Business Needs an International Merchant Account
The core objective of any business is growth maximization. With the help of the internet, businesses can expand their footprint in multiple countries.
Being restricted to just one country and only accepting local payment methods may be the choice of progressive businesses. This is why merchants require payment processing solutions that allow them to accept transactions from customers in various countries. For this, use international merchant accounts. With such accounts, merchants can easily accept payments in various currencies such as US dollars, euros, British pounds, and Canadian dollars.
Planning to accept payments from customers across multiple countries? Talk to our team and find out which international merchant account setup is right for your business. Speak to an International Payments Specialist
International Merchant Account vs Domestic Merchant Account
It is important to know that any merchant account can be turned into an international merchant account if it allows accepting payments from customers in different parts of the world.
| Scenario | Best Account Type |
|---|---|
| You primarily sell within a single country and charge only in local currency. | Domestic merchant account is usually sufficient and more cost‑effective. |
| You receive regular orders from multiple countries and regions. | International merchant account with multi‑currency support is recommended. |
| You want to show prices and charge customers in their home currency. | International merchant account with dynamic currency conversion works best. |
| Your business is expanding into new markets over the next 6–12 months. | Start with an international merchant account to avoid future re‑onboarding. |
| You operate in a higher‑risk vertical but still want global reach. | Consider an international or offshore merchant account via specialist processors. |
An international merchant account can be issued by a domestic payment service provider as well as an offshore merchant processor. An account provided by a domestic processor is generally cheaper than an offshore option. Almost a decade ago, most domestic payment service providers were only offering US dollar currency processing. However, now almost every processor is ready to offer multiple currency processing.
This has been made possible because of a feature called dynamic currency conversion. With the help of the feature, payment processors display the pricing of the product in the customer’s home currency. The customer feels more comfortable and does not hesitate to make payments.
What Processors Look For in an International Merchant Account Application
The following are essential factors that merchants must be aware of to improve the chances of approval. The purpose should be to prepare as per the requirements of the underwriters. Let’s see a few factors that are more important than others.
| Approval Factor | What You Should Have Ready |
|---|---|
| Business Model & Website | Clear, easy‑to‑understand business model with a live, fully functional website or app that reflects your actual services. |
| Licences & Registrations | Visible and verifiable licences (gaming, forex, betting, crypto, etc.) and company registration documents where required. |
| Owner & Director Profile | KYC documents for all UBOs/directors, with transparent history and a clean business reputation. |
| Financial Health | Recent bank statements, processing statements and acceptable credit scores as per provider’s risk appetite. |
| Website Traffic & Compliance | Active traffic, SSL certificate, clear terms, policies and a professional online presence across site and social media. |
- Business Model. Be aware that you are applying for an International Merchant Account. It means this account will have a more significant risk than a domestic account. Underwriters will be interested in looking at an easy-to-understand business Model.
- A website and business plan can do this. If you have a website or mobile app, make sure that it is live and complete. Think of it as your company on the World Wide Web. A convincing website with the right social media presence will help improve the chances of approvals.
- Agreements/Licences. Some industries may require special licenses. In most cases, these are public documents and are not confidential in nature. For example, gaming, forex, betting, and crypto licenses are general licenses; these should be visible on the business website. If your company requires these licenses, then show them online before making an application. Many merchants hyperlink these licenses on their site. These licenses can be verified online at the association or statutory body website.
- UBOs/Directors Profiles: The PSP needs to know about directors. For an international merchant account, the PSP will ask for the
- KYC documents of all directors. Underwriters are looking at working with UBOs. With a good credit score and excellent
- Social/business reputation. It also includes checking their personal bank statement and credit scores. A historical analysis of owned domains and businesses is also possible. Now you know why we say that you should not try to fool payment processing companies. They know how to check all endpoints. If there is a problem with your profile, then be transparent and let us know.
- Credit score: We work with a vast number of payment providers. Some may say yes to merchants with a low credit score or businesses from a high-risk industry. You should also know that you may not apply for six months if the PSP rejects your application.
How to Apply for an International Merchant Account
In most cases, you will get the result or pre-approval request within 3-5 business days. In most cases, accounts are made live in a week. Some large stores with complex structures and various risk elements may take longer.
The onboarding procedures for international merchant accounts are simple. A business merchant needs to fill out the merchant application form with all the required details, like business registration and processing volume. It is also necessary to submit a set of KYC documents for verification along with the form. KYC Documents for International Merchant Account Include the Following
- ID proof, like a passport or driving license, for all the directors and UBOs.
- Latest bank account records up to the previous six months.
- Latest processing records up to the last six months (if you are currently processing or have processed earlier)
- SSL-certified website
- Company registration documents, as well.
- Utility bills for the business.
- Voided check under the full business registered name
- Website Compliance for International Merchant Accounts
- To get your website approved, you will have to ensure that the information below is available on the site. Let’s see each of these individually for the sake of clarity.
- Social media presence. It helps underwriters to understand your engagement with your customers. How active is your company on social media? Do you share information about the latest products and news on social media or not? It helps underwriters identify how innovative your company is and how much engagement you have on the internet outside your website.
- Complete Website. Should Not Be Under Construction or a beta version. We get so many applications for many websites that don’t even open. Many are incomplete, or some have errors and a coming soon page. These websites are a big no-no when it comes to international merchant accounts. The reason is the seriousness of the merchant. Do you think a genuine merchant will apply for an international merchant account without ensuring the website is active? No one goes for an interview without dressing correctly.
- Traffic on the site. The website should be live and active. It must have organic or paid traffic. These days, most processors only want to work with merchants that have a processing history. A simple way of checking the possibility of business on the site is by checking the traffic.
- How much traffic is there?
- Which country is the traffic from?
- What keywords is the website ranking for, and which are the top-performing pages?
- What anchor text is being used on the internal and external links?
- Make sure these all represent the right image of your business.
- To get your website approved, you will have to ensure that the information below is available on the site. Let’s see each of these individually for the sake of clarity.
Why Choose QuadraPay for Your International Merchant Account
We have been serving merchants since 2016. Over these years of experience, we have established some perfect relationships with international merchant account providers.
As we have multiple partner solutions, our merchants have better chances of approvals. There is one more thing that makes QuadraPay your preferred choice. We are 100% transparent.
We will introduce you to the processing company, and then you can negotiate with them directly. We will assist you in the application process. However, if you wish to do the talks on pricing or fees, you can do it with the registered processing company.
Ready to apply for an international merchant account? QuadraPay connects you with trusted acquiring banks and processors to help you accept global payments with confidence.
Contact our team today to start your international merchant account application.
