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First Data Merchant Services Platform (firstdata.com)

by Fiserv
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SoldAvailable globallyCloud
Quick facts
VendorFiserv
Year launched
StatusSold
Location600 N Vel R Phillips Ave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203, US
Countries servedGlobal
Languages1
Integrations
Free tier
Free trial
Contact salesYES

About First Data Merchant Services Platform (firstdata.com)

Carat is a global commerce platform from Fiserv that supports mid-sized businesses in payment solutions. It combines business and merchant services, ISV software provider partnerships, and RSA Revenue Share Alliance partnerships to help improve transaction efficiencies and customer experiences. Carat has enabled companies like Microsoft and Fanatics to implement cost-saving measures while improving customer satisfaction, showcasing its flexibility and integration capabilities. This platform is designed to cater to various business needs, offering a reliable infrastructure for different market players. Key capabilities: business and merchant services ISV software provider partnerships RSA Revenue Share Alliance partnerships CFI Community Financial Institutions partnerships ISO Independent Sales Organizations partnerships Best for: mid-sized businesses that need comprehensive payment processing solutions.

Carat by Fiserv is a highly sophisticated payment processing and omnichannel commerce platform designed for global enterprises that need to manage massive transaction volumes across diverse markets. The software functions as a unified commerce operating system, centralizing global acquiring, secure tokenization, and digital disbursements into a single interface, which allows businesses to orchestrate payments seamlessly across e-commerce, mobile, and physical channels. Its Commerce Hub provides administrators with a clear, data-rich view of operations, featuring real-time performance heatmaps and wizard-based workflows for onboarding local payment methods, making complex global expansion more manageable. Carat’s standout capabilities include omnichannel orchestration for BOPIS and voice-powered transactions, intelligent routing that optimizes fees and approval rates, digital payout solutions, and Data-as-a-Service integration for near-real-time business intelligence. Performance and reliability are exceptional, with the system processing over 12 billion transactions annually while maintaining near-zero latency and 100% uptime even during peak periods. Integration is streamlined through API-first architecture and extensive SDKs, ensuring compatibility with over 190 countries and 100 local payment methods, while advanced fraud mitigation safeguards transactions without sacrificing speed.

Pros & Cons

What users like
  • +Offers unmatched global scale with local payment acquiring in over 50 countries.
  • +Provides a centralized single source of truth for all omnichannel data.
  • +Achieves high authorization rates through intelligent payment network routing.
  • +Reduces false declines with advanced fraud mitigation tools.
What users flag
  • Can be overly complex for some organizations.
  • Full omnichannel implementation requires significant developer resources and technical effort.

Features

Key features

Omnichannel Service Orchestration
Provides a single entry point to manage customer journeys across all digital and physical touchpoints, from mobile apps to in-store kiosks.
Global Payment Engine
Enables businesses to scale into 190+ countries with access to 100+ local payment methods and pre-certified local acquiring.
Instant Digital Disbursements
Offers a modern payouts platform that replaces checks with real-time funds delivery to bank accounts, mobile wallets, and crypto addresses.
Data-as-a-Service (DaaS)
Syncs enterprise-wide transaction data directly to a client's data warehouse (like Snowflake) for near-real-time business intelligence.
Omnichannel Tokenization
Secures the entire customer lifecycle by replacing sensitive payment and PII data with universal tokens that work across all sales channels.
Intelligent Routing Engine
Automatically optimizes every transaction by choosing the most cost-effective and highest-approval path through global debit and credit networks.

Additional features

Unified API Integration
Simplifies technical deployment by providing a single set of omnichannel APIs for authorization, fraud prevention, and digital wallets.
BOPIS & Curbside Support
Facilitates "Buy Online, Pick Up In Store" workflows, connecting digital orders with physical inventory and fulfillment locations.
Global Payouts & Disbursements
A cloud-based solution for high-volume B2C and G2C payments with advanced features like split-settlement and group distribution.
Fraud Mitigation Suite
Leverages machine learning and massive payments data to verify legitimate recipients and reduce transaction risk without increasing friction.
Stored Value & Loyalty
Allows businesses to embed branded currency, gift cards, and transaction-based rewards directly into their proprietary apps.
Local Payment Methods (LPMs)
Supports specific regional schemes like Girocard, RuPay, and Online EBT to cater to local buyer preferences and reduce costs.
Currency Optimization
Offers transparent FX management and multi-currency pricing to attract international customers and reduce cart abandonment.
Embedded Finance Tools
Enables merchants to bundle financial services, such as point-of-sale lending or digital wallets, into their existing ecosystem.
Smart Checkout Experiences
Supports innovative frictionless methods including Scan & Go, Voice Commerce, and Pay-at-Pump integrations.
Merchant Control Center
A centralized reporting dashboard that provides a single view of commerce across different locations, regions, and operating segments.
Role-Based Self-Service Tools
Provides developers and administrators with wizard-based interfaces to manage boarding, routing rules, and feature modifiers.
Scalable Cloud Infrastructure
Utilizes auto-scaling and self-healing cloud environments to handle massive spikes in transaction volume during peak sales seasons.

Pricing

Free trial
Free version
Request a quote
Promo Offer

Countries & Languages

Global
Countries served
1
Interface languages
1
Billing currencies

Interface languages

English

Billing currencies

🇺🇸USD

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