What's the difference between acquiring and a payment gateway?

In traditional cards: an acquirer holds the merchant's account at a bank and is the regulated entity that receives funds; a gateway is a thin technical layer that connects the merchant's checkout to the acquirer or processor. In stablecoin payments, the distinction blurs because there's no card-network acquirer, but the underlying difference — who holds the regulated entity status and who absorbs settlement risk — still matters.

Is DPT an acquirer or a gateway?

DPT operates as a stablecoin acquirer in its supported markets — the regulated entity holding the licensing and processing the stablecoin-to-fiat (or stablecoin-to-stablecoin) conversion. Some other providers are gateway-only, routing the payment to a separate acquirer or simply showing the merchant a wallet address.

Why does it matter for fees?

Acquirer-merchant pricing typically bundles platform fee + settlement cost + FX (if any) into a single percentage. Gateway-only providers often add a layer of routing fees on top of the underlying acquirer's costs. The visible fee on a quote-card is not always comparable across the two models — read what's included.

What about chargebacks and disputes?

On-chain payments don't have card-network chargebacks. But disputes still happen — a buyer claims they didn't receive the product, or the wrong product was sent. The acquirer's role in dispute resolution is structurally different from a card acquirer's; usually it's facilitation between merchant and buyer rather than chargeback adjudication.

Is there an MCC (Merchant Category Code) equivalent in stablecoin acquiring?

Not formally. MCC is a card-network construct. Stablecoin acquirers categorise merchants for risk and compliance purposes (high-risk vs standard, retail vs digital goods, etc) but the taxonomy is provider-specific and influences pricing and KYB.

Can I get same-day fiat settlement?

Yes, depending on the acquirer's banking relationships and your settlement bank's currency. DPT offers same-day fiat settlement in supported markets; other acquirers vary from same-day to T+2 or T+5.

DPT Learn — Acquiring

Stablecoin Acquiring vs Payment Gateway

The terminology in stablecoin payments is loose — "acquirer," "gateway," "PSP," and "processor" get used interchangeably. The actual product differences matter for who holds the merchant account, who absorbs settlement risk, and what the fee structure looks like.

TL;DR

In traditional card payments, an “acquirer” is the regulated entity holding the merchant’s account at a bank, and a “gateway” is the thin technical bridge between the merchant’s checkout and that acquirer. In stablecoin payments, the terminology is used loosely, but the underlying distinction still matters: acquirer-grade providers hold the licensing, absorb settlement risk, and offer fiat settlement; gateway-only providers route to underlying acquirers (or expose wallet addresses) and add a routing layer. DPT operates as a stablecoin acquirer with same-day settlement in USDC or fiat. When comparing providers, ask what’s bundled into the headline fee, who holds the regulated entity status, and what the dispute resolution flow looks like.

Why the Distinction Still Matters

Stablecoin payment marketing borrows freely from card-payment vocabulary. Most users hear “we accept USDC” without much further detail. But the underlying business model varies in ways that affect the merchant materially:

Who holds the regulated entity status? The licensed entity is the one liable for compliance, AML, and consumer-protection obligations. Working with a gateway-only provider that routes to a third-party acquirer means your dispute and compliance flows go through a chain of two entities, not one.
Who absorbs settlement risk? If a stablecoin briefly depegs between the buyer’s payment and the merchant’s settlement, who eats the difference? An acquirer typically absorbs this within their pricing; a gateway-only model may pass it through.
Fee bundling clarity: Acquirer pricing tends to bundle platform fee + conversion + settlement into one percentage. Gateway pricing layers routing fees on top of underlying acquirer fees, which is why two products with similar headline percentages can produce different net costs.
Same-day fiat settlement requires banking infrastructure. Acquirers with bank-level relationships in your settlement currency can deliver same-day; gateway-only models typically deliver later because the funds bounce through more counterparties.

A Working Taxonomy

Category	Holds regulated status	Settles fiat to merchant	Typical fee	Examples
Stablecoin acquirer	Yes	Yes — same-day or T+1	0.3%–1%	DPT, BitPay (in some configurations)
Stablecoin gateway-only	Sometimes; depends on routing	Indirect — routes to underlying acquirer	0.5%–1.5%	Various smaller providers
USDC settlement service	Limited regulated scope	USDC only, not fiat	1%	Coinbase Commerce
Self-hosted on-chain	Merchant is the regulated entity (if any)	No conversion at all	0% platform; merchant runs treasury	Wallet-address-only setups

How to Pick

If you want fiat settlement: Use a stablecoin acquirer with banking relationships in your currency.
If you want USDC settlement and run treasury: A gateway with USDC settlement or a self-hosted setup is fine; the trade-off is treasury operations on your end.
If you have meaningful volume (>$100K/month): Negotiate. Acquirer fees scale with volume; the rate-card is the starting point, not the ceiling.
If you’re high-risk (gambling, adult, supplements): Acquirer choice is constrained. Specific high-risk-friendly providers exist; expect higher pricing and more KYB scrutiny.
If you need refund flow that the buyer trusts: An acquirer with a documented refund API is materially better than a self-hosted setup where the buyer has to ask you to manually send USDC back.

DPT operates as a stablecoin acquirer

From 0.3% per transaction. Same-day settlement in USDC or fiat. Bundled licensing, compliance, and refund flow. SDK and direct integration paths.

DPT Acquiring · DPT vs BitPay vs Coinbase Commerce