Payments Network Business Model: Examples (2026)
Connect or serve merchants, consumers, and financial institutions. Charge for payment acceptance, processing, settlement, or related services; the fee basis varies by product.
Last checked 2026-10-18 on the official pages.
How do credit card companies make money?
Earn fees as money moves between participants. Biggest disclosed lines: American Express: Discount revenue at $37,401 million; Block: Commerce enablement at $11,514 million; Klarna: Transaction revenue at $2,103 million; Mastercard: Payment network at $19,476 million; PayPal: Transaction revenue at $29,798 million; Shopify: Merchant solutions at $8,804 million.
How do payment companies make money?
Earn fees as money moves between participants. Biggest disclosed lines: American Express: Discount revenue at $37,401 million; Block: Commerce enablement at $11,514 million; Klarna: Transaction revenue at $2,103 million; Mastercard: Payment network at $19,476 million; PayPal: Transaction revenue at $29,798 million; Shopify: Merchant solutions at $8,804 million.
Earn fees as money moves between participants.
Signals to look for
- Payment volume
- Processing fees
- Merchant services
Companies using this model
| Company | Sector | Evidence status |
|---|---|---|
| American Express | Financial services | verified |
| Block | Financial services | verified |
| Klarna | Financial services | verified |
| Mastercard | Payments | verified |
| PayPal | Payments | verified |
| Shopify | Commerce software | verified |
| Visa | Payments | verified |
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Frequently asked questions
How does Payments network work?
Connect or serve merchants, consumers, and financial institutions. Charge for payment acceptance, processing, settlement, or related services; the fee basis varies by product.
How do credit card companies make money?
Earn fees as money moves between participants. Biggest disclosed lines: American Express: Discount revenue at $37,401 million; Block: Commerce enablement at $11,514 million; Klarna: Transaction revenue at $2,103 million; Mastercard: Payment network at $19,476 million; PayPal: Transaction revenue at $29,798 million; Shopify: Merchant solutions at $8,804 million.
How do payment companies make money?
Earn fees as money moves between participants. Biggest disclosed lines: American Express: Discount revenue at $37,401 million; Block: Commerce enablement at $11,514 million; Klarna: Transaction revenue at $2,103 million; Mastercard: Payment network at $19,476 million; PayPal: Transaction revenue at $29,798 million; Shopify: Merchant solutions at $8,804 million.