Comerciante
A Comerciante is an actor in e-commerce who sells goods and services over the Internet. They use payment service providers to process transactions securely and efficiently.
Merchant or Merchant
A Comerciante, also known as an online Comerciante, is a key figure in e-commerce, as they sell goods and services over the internet. The role of a Comerciante encompasses the entire sales process, from presenting the products to processing payments.
Comerciantes rely on ensuring reliable and secure payment processing to gain customer trust and improve the customer experience. Therefore, many Comerciantes work with payment providers to enable smooth transaction processing.
In payment transactions, a distinction is made between the Comerciante (Comerciante), the acquirer (who processes the card payment for the Comerciante), and the issuer (who issued the card to the cardholder). These three parties together form the basic framework of the card payment system.
Comerciante Examples
An online shop operator integrates a payment provider to accept credit cards, TWINT and purchase on account.
A food truck operator uses a mobile card terminal to accept cashless payments on site.
A SaaS company sets up recurring payments to automatically bill monthly subscriptions.
Comerciante FAQ
What is a Comerciante in e-commerce?
A Comerciante (Comerciante) is a person or a company that sells goods or services over the internet or on-site and accepts electronic payments for them.
Does a Comerciante need a payment service provider?
Yes, in order to accept electronic payments such as credit cards, TWINT or purchase on account, a Comerciante usually requires a payment service provider (PSP) or an acquiring contract.
What is the difference between Comerciante and Acquirer?
The Comerciante sells goods or services. The acquirer is the financial institution that processes the card payment on behalf of the Comerciante and transfers the amount to the Comerciante account.
What fees does a Comerciante pay for card payments?
Comerciantes pay a fee per transaction, which is made up of the interchange fee (to the issuer), the acquirer margin, and the PSP fee. In Switzerland, the total costs are typically between 1.25% and 2.50% of the transaction amount.
