Banks that make arrangements with businesses to accept credit card sales. When you pay for something in a shop, say the money is sent to the acquirer, who puts it into the shops bank account and sends details of the sale to the credit card issuer. The card issuer records the sale and charges it to your account. The acquirer charges the shop a small fee – usually a few pence. The acquirers in the UK are; Royal Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank, Bank of Scotland, Nat West Streamline, HSBC and Lloyds TSB.
