Non-Traditional Payment Method Acceptance And Customer Surcharges Grow Significantly At U.S. Small Businesses, J.D. Power Finds
By CU Today Staff —
TROY, Mich.— Rising consumer interest in digital wallets, debit and credit cards, BNPL and even cryptocurrency has small business owners accepting more forms of payment than ever before, which puts third-party merchant services providers at the center of their livelihoods.
According to the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Merchant Services Satisfaction Study, the manner and speed with which transactions are processed, as well as the ability to manage costs and avoid software and hardware glitches, have become critical drivers of satisfaction with merchant services providers.
“Merchant services providers have become a vital link in the way small businesses manage payments and are a critical customer touchpoint, which can create opportunities and challenges for the companies providing the necessary technology services and hardware,” said John Cabell, managing director of payments intelligence at J.D. Power. “The data in this year’s study spotlights a rising tension between business owners’ growing pressure to offer multiple payment options and their increased desire to pass processing costs onto retail customers, a shift that can negatively affect the customer experience.”
Following are key findings of the 2026 study:
Bank of America ranks highest in merchant services satisfaction with a score of 750 (on a 1,000-point scale). Shopify (733) ranks second and Chase Payment Solutions (726) ranks third.
The U.S. Merchant Services Satisfaction Study evaluates merchant services providers in the United States with the largest market shares. Overall satisfaction results reflect overall corporate results, meaning they can include the results of various sub-brands or alternate brand names that operate under the respective corporate brand names. In some cases, brands profiled also currently have or recently have formed joint partnerships to provide merchant services to small business clients.
The 2026 study is based on responses from 4,407 small business customers of merchant services providers and measures satisfaction across six dimensions (in alphabetical order): advice and guidance on running your business; cost of processing payments; data security and protection; managing my account; payment processing; and quality of technology. The study was fielded from August through October 2025.
For more information about the U.S. Merchant Services Satisfaction Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/merchant-services-satisfaction-study.
Originally reported by CU Today.