NMI is the gateway behind a large share of the independent merchant services industry. If you have ever been sold a “virtual terminal” or an “online gateway” by a local processor, there is a good chance it was NMI with the processor’s logo on it. This page describes what it is, how it is priced, how it compares, and when we place it.
What NMI is
Network Merchants Inc., founded in 2001, describes itself as an embedded payments enablement platform. In practice for a merchant it is a gateway: virtual terminal, hosted payment pages, a Customer Vault for tokenized cards and bank accounts, recurring billing, Level 2 and 3 data, ACH, a fraud rules suite, 3D Secure, mobile and in-person device support, and an API with a large catalog of shopping cart and software integrations.
Two facts shape everything else. NMI sells only through partners (it reports 6,000 channel partners and 150+ processor connections). And NMI acquired USAePay in 2021, so USAePay merchants are now on NMI-owned infrastructure with a separate login and brand. USAePay has its own page.
What it costs
NMI publishes no merchant pricing. Your reseller sets it. Common ranges we see on statements:
| Line | Typical reseller pricing |
|---|---|
| Gateway monthly | $10 to $25 |
| Per transaction | 5¢ to 15¢ |
| Batch fee | $0 to 25¢ per day |
| Vault or recurring add-on | Often included; sometimes $5 to $10 a month |
| Processing | Separate merchant account, whatever the reseller negotiated |
The gateway line is small. A reseller charging $10 for the gateway and 3.2% flat for processing is more expensive than one charging $25 and interchange plus 0.3%. Compare the all-in number using the method on the gateway pricing page.
NMI vs Authorize.net
| NMI | Authorize.net | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-up | Through a partner only | Direct or through resellers |
| Published pricing | No | Yes: $25 + 10¢ + 10¢ batch (gateway only) |
| Vault and recurring | Customer Vault, recurring plans | CIM, ARB |
| Level 2 and 3 | Yes | Yes |
| Processor flexibility | 150+ processor connections; can change processors without changing gateway | Tied to the processor on the account; changing means re-boarding |
| Multiple merchant IDs | One login, many MIDs | Separate accounts |
| Integrations | Very broad, especially vertical software | Broadest cart history |
| Interface | Functional, dated in places; partner-branded | Functional, dated |
| Support | Your reseller first | Authorize.net direct |
The processor flexibility is NMI’s underrated advantage: if your reseller’s processing pricing goes bad, a good reseller can move the merchant account to another processor behind the same gateway without touching your integration or vault.
NMI vs accept.blue
Both partner-sold, both with vault, recurring, Level 2 and 3, ACH, fraud tools and 3DS. NMI has been integrated into more software over more years. accept.blue has a more modern merchant interface, an invoicing suite, and features like Amex smart routing. We choose based on which one your platform connects to natively. When both do, we lean accept.blue for invoicing-heavy businesses and NMI for merchants with several integrations or MIDs. The accept.blue page has the detail.
NMI vs Stripe
Different products. Stripe bundles gateway and processing at 2.9% + 30¢ with no monthly fee and direct sign-up. NMI is a gateway on a merchant account you negotiate. Under about $10,000 a month Stripe’s simplicity wins. Above it, NMI with interchange-plus processing costs less and gives you an underwritten merchant account with fewer surprise holds. The arithmetic is in Stripe fees explained.
Moving to NMI
Cart plugin or API keys swapped on your platform, vault data imported from your old gateway’s encrypted export, recurring schedules recreated, live tests, cutover. Two to four weeks with stored cards, about a week without. The Authorize.net-specific sequence, including the export request, is in switching from Authorize.net.
When we place NMI
Your software’s native gateway connection is NMI. You run several merchant IDs or locations and want one login. You want the option to change processors later without re-integrating. You are on USAePay and want to consolidate. In all cases: month to month, gateway and processing on one bill, interchange-plus, and a cell number for support.