What Merchants Expect from Acquirers in 2026

2026 is about growth, resilience, and staying competitive in a market that moves fast. But payments no longer sit behind the scenes. They sit at the exact moment a customer decides to buy.

That’s why merchants aren’t just setting new targets - they’re choosing acquirers that actively power the customer experience. The right partner protects revenue, supports expansion, and removes friction at every point of sale.

So what does that mean in practice? What are merchants really looking for from acquirers in 2026?

Stability and Trust

Merchants want to know their payments are in safe hands. A sudden disruption or system failure can mean lost sales and frustrated customers. That’s why reliability is critical.

With industry-leading up-time, built-in redundancies, and offline transaction capabilities, Shift4 ensures seamless operations - even during peak sales periods. Our 24/7 support and 365 monitoring teams, real-time systems, and geographically distributed data centers minimize downtime risks, so you never have to worry about payment interruptions.

Simple Integrations That Scale

As merchants expand across channels and regions, payments often become fragmented — multiple integrations, siloed data, and slow launches that strain teams and budgets.

An API-led approach replaces that complexity with a single, flexible integration layer. Payments, data, and services connect once and scale as the business grows.

The result: faster deployments, lower operational overhead, and consistent customer experiences — without re-engineering your stack every time you expand.

Risk Assessment

As payment volumes grow and customer journeys become more complex, fraud tactics continue to evolve. Merchants need protection that adapts in real time, without interfering with legitimate transactions.

Shift4 combines AI-driven fraud detection, behavioral analysis, and real-time monitoring to stop threats before they impact revenue.

Local Payments Methods

A customer in Spain expects to pay with Bizum. A shopper in Denmark expects to pay with MobilePay. When preferred payment methods are missing, purchases are often abandoned before they begin. Offering local and alternative payment methods removes checkout barriers, increases conversion, and builds loyalty by aligning with how customers choose to pay.

With access to our broad network of local and cross-border payment options, merchants can serve customers anywhere — without losing sales to payment friction.

Non-Negotiables for Merchants in 2026

Merchants are prioritizing acquirers that align with their growth, operational, and customer experience goals. These are the factors driving decisions this year:

No single point of failure - built-in safety and redundancies that protect every transaction environment
Access to local and alternative payment methods - to prevent lost sales at checkout
Simple API integrations - reducing time, cost, and operational lift
Intelligence built in - AI and data tools that improve approvals, reduce fraud, and increase visibility
Clear reconciliation and reporting - full financial transparency across channels and regions
Consistently high approval rates - protecting revenue at scale
Industry expertise and advisory partnership - across hospitality, retail, gaming, travel, and high-volume environments, with guidance that goes beyond processing transactions

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, commerce will demand more than reliable payments. Payments now sit at the center of the customer experience - shaping every interaction at the moment a customer decides to buy.

Merchants will prioritize platforms that remove friction across every touchpoint, support unified commerce, and deliver consistent experiences across locations, channels, and regions.

Shift4 is focused on delivering exactly that: one platform where payments power the experience. A platform that simplifies complexity, protects every transaction environment, and gives businesses the clarity, control, and confidence to grow wherever they serve customers.