# Merchant account

https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/merchant-account/

*Last updated: 2026-08-03*

The account a licensed acquirer opens in a merchant’s name to receive card and wallet payments before settling them to the merchant’s bank. Whether a provider gives a merchant their own account or places them under a shared one is the difference between an acquirer and an aggregator, and it decides who controls the terms.

## Why it matters to a merchant

Worth being clear about what a merchant actually has, because the answer differs by model: their own account, or a place inside somebody else's. It affects settlement, limits, reporting and what happens to the business if the arrangement above it changes — none of which appears on a rate card.

## Related terms

*What it costs, and what gets measured*

- [MDR (merchant discount rate)](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/mdr/)
- [Interchange](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/interchange/)
- [GMV (gross merchandise value)](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/gmv/)
- [Effective rate](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/effective-rate/)
- [Per-transaction fee](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/per-transaction-fee/)
- [Blended rate](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/blended-rate/)
- [Interchange-plus](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/interchange-plus/)
- [Cross-border interchange](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/cross-border-interchange/)
- [Net settlement](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/net-settlement/)
- [Rolling reserve](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/rolling-reserve/)
- [Surcharge](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/surcharge/)

- [All 74 terms](https://www.uniwebpay.com/glossary/)

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