Barclays merchant services

Barclays merchant services have been on the market for many years - actually, for centuries. Today, it’s under the brand Barclaycard that these services are distributed to businesses across the UK. Merchant products and services include, but are not limited to, payment services with PDQ terminals, online operations and virtual terminals.

Barclays merchant services, now provided by Barclaycard

One of the oldest British banks, Barclays reorganized its product distribution to put merchant services under the Barclaycard umbrella.

Barclays, part of the merchant services history since 1690

Barclays has its origins in a goldsmith banking business started in London, 1690. The business got his current name in 1736 when James Barclay became a partner. At this time, Britain was becoming the world’s major power in global trade and merchant banking, after a period of Dutch domination, and after the first merchant banking instruments were invented by Venetian merchants.

Even though other similarly old banks such as Barings have been more reputed than Barclays for their merchant services, and started offering them since their inception, Barclays quickly added such products to its portfolio.

Barclaycard, Barclay’s subsidiary for merchant services

Barclays is in fact better known for inventing the first credit card in the UK, in 1966. This card was called the Barclaycard, and this name was kept for a new subsidiary of Barclays which was quickly used to distribute all Barclays merchant services.

In 1997, Barclaycard became the first UK credit company to allow its customers to pay their bills over the internet.

Credit card payment services

Barclays merchant services include many types of payment services and technologies, which can be used in face-to-face situation, online, for mail order or with phone payments.

Face-to-face payment solutions

These Barclays merchant services are directed to shop owners who wish to let their customers pay with credit and debit cards in-store.

Barclay merchant services cover the full spectrum of services needed by the shopkeeper to operate the payment, including a PDQ module which can be either a tabletop machine or portable PDQ.

Sellers often on the road can also rely on Barclays to deliver them a complete solution with mobile PDQ terminal.

Online payment solutions

Online payments are covered by Barclay’s so-called “e-PDQ” products.

- e-PDQ essential is directed to small businesses at it allows users to pay on Barclaycard branded gateways, and includes pay-as-you-go service for traders;

- e-PDQ extra allows multiple administrators and comes with stronger fraud protection features;

- e-PDQ extra plus supports multiple currencies, drops the Barclaycard branded gateway in favor of seamless integration, and allow batch payment processing.

Virtual terminals

The e-PDQ range of products also covers virtual terminals used to process mail orders or telephone orders:

- e-PDQ MOTO (for Mail-Order-Telephone-Order) includes two user accounts and supports major cards;

- e-PDQ MOTO Extra accepts multiple currencies, adds extra user accounts and e-mail notifications.