What is MerchantFocus?

MerchantFocus is a PayFac-as-a-Service provider built for SaaS platforms and ISVs. We enable software companies to offer white-labeled, fully embedded payment processing to their merchants without becoming a registered Payment Facilitator themselves. MerchantFocus handles the compliance, underwriting, and infrastructure so you can focus on your product.

What is PayFac-as-a-Service?

PayFac-as-a-Service allows software platforms and ISVs to offer native payment processing to their customers without becoming a registered Payment Facilitator themselves. MerchantFocus handles the compliance, underwriting, and infrastructure while you get the revenue share and a seamless embedded payments experience.

How is MerchantFocus different from Stripe or Square?

Stripe and Square are direct payment processors built for end merchants. MerchantFocus is built for platforms. We white-label the entire payments experience so your customers never leave your product. You own the relationship, the brand, and a share of every transaction processed through your platform.

How long does merchant onboarding take?

Most merchants are fully onboarded and processing payments within 48 hours. Our automated onboarding flow handles KYC, underwriting, and approval with no manual paperwork or lengthy back-and-forth.

Do I need to be a registered PayFac to use MerchantFocus?

No. MerchantFocus operates as the PayFac of record, so your platform gets all the benefits of embedded payments including revenue share, white-labeling, and full control without the regulatory burden and capital requirements of becoming a registered PayFac.

What industries does MerchantFocus support?

MerchantFocus works with SaaS platforms and ISVs across a wide range of verticals including retail, field services, healthcare, hospitality, professional services, and more. If your platform serves merchants who need to accept payments, we can support it.

Is MerchantFocus fully white-labeled?

Yes. The entire merchant-facing experience including onboarding, the payments dashboard, statements, and support flows can be branded as your own. Your customers interact with your brand, not ours.

How does revenue share work?

As a MerchantFocus partner, you earn a percentage of the interchange and processing fees generated by every merchant on your platform. The more volume your merchants process, the more you earn, creating a true recurring revenue stream that grows with your business.

Is MerchantFocus PCI compliant?

Yes. MerchantFocus is PCI DSS compliant and handles the security and compliance requirements so your platform does not have to. We manage the infrastructure, tokenization, and data security standards on your behalf.

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ISV

Unlocking New Revenue Streams: How ISV Integrations Empower Companies to Offer Payments

June 2, 2025

In today's increasingly competitive landscape, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) are constantly looking for different ways to deliver more value and build scalable revenue — without dramatically increasing overhead or engineering complexity.

One of the most powerful levers available? Integrating payments directly into your platform.

The Revenue Math

When you embed payments through a PayFac-as-a-Service model like linq, you earn a share of the interchange on every transaction your merchants process.

Consider a platform with:

200 active merchants
$50,000 average monthly processing volume per merchant
A modest 20 basis point revenue share

That's $200,000/month in recurring, largely passive revenue — generated from existing customers with no new product required.

Beyond the Margin

Revenue share is just the beginning. Embedded payments also:

Increase stickiness: Merchants with payments embedded are far less likely to churn
Improve data quality: Transaction data enriches your platform analytics
Expand your TAM: Payment features open doors to merchant segments you couldn't serve before

The Integration Path

With linq, the integration process is designed to be fast and low-friction for your engineering team:

Sandbox access and API documentation from day one
Dedicated integration support
Go-live in as little as 2–3 weeks
Ongoing ISV dashboard with full reporting transparency

Is This Right for Your Platform?

If you have 50+ merchants processing payments through any means, embedded payments is worth serious consideration. The ROI is typically clear within the first quarter.