Definition
Credit card acceptance refers to the technical and contractual ability of a business to accept payments by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex).
Background & relevance for restaurant operators
To accept cards, a restaurant needs an acceptance agreement with an acquirer (e.g. Worldline, Nexi, Stripe Terminal) and a certified payment terminal (PCI PTS). The fees involved consist of the interchange fee (regulated in Europe: max. 0.3% for consumer credit cards), the card network scheme fee, and the acquirer margin. The combined fee for domestic Visa/Mastercard transactions is typically 0.5–1.3%. American Express negotiates terms directly (typically 1.5–2.5%). Every merchant receives a unique Merchant ID (MID) that appears in all transaction records. Chargebacks affect restaurants without transaction proof more frequently. Note: specific fee levels vary by country and contract.