Partner programme
Refer a merchant without losing the relationship
Apex works across processing, gateway and technology relationships, so a partner is never asking a client to depend on one arrangement continuing to exist.
- Referral partners
- ISOs and agents
- Technology and software
- Equipment suppliers
Overview
What partnering with Apex actually involves
Most partner programmes are a referral link and a hope. Apex's is a working relationship: you introduce a merchant, we tell you honestly whether it can be placed, and you stay informed about what happens next.
Partners bring us the cases generalist providers decline - specialised verticals, complex international setups, businesses whose previous arrangement collapsed. That is the work Apex is built for, and a partner who understands their client's business makes the underwriting file considerably stronger.
What we ask of a partner
An accurate description of the merchant. A partner who oversells a file wastes an underwriter's time once and their own credibility permanently, and Apex would rather hear the difficult part up front.
What a partner gets
A named contact rather than a portal, a straight answer on whether a case is placeable before it is submitted, and visibility of where a referral has reached. Commercial terms are agreed individually, because a referral partner introducing two merchants a year and a platform embedding payments for a thousand are not the same arrangement and should not pretend to be.
Benefits
What partners get from Apex
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A named contact
A person who knows your book, not a ticket queue and a partner ID.
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A straight answer first
Whether a case is placeable, and what would make it stronger, before it goes anywhere.
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More than one path
Several processing relationships, so a declined file is a conversation about alternatives rather than the end.
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Visibility
Where a referral has reached, without having to ask.
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The full stack
Cards, ACH, eCheck, crypto, gateway and hardware arranged together rather than by four providers.
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Your relationship stays yours
Apex does not go around a partner to their client. That is the whole basis of the arrangement.
Who can partner
Five kinds of partner
Different arrangements, different commercial terms, one partner team.
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Referral partners
Accountants, consultants, agencies and advisors whose clients need a payment arrangement. You make the introduction; Apex does the work and keeps you informed. No licensing, no volume commitment and no obligation to be a payments expert.
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ISOs and agents
Independent sales organisations and agents who already understand underwriting and want somewhere to place the files a generalist processor will not take. Bring the difficult ones - those are the cases Apex is built around.
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Technology partners
Gateways, risk and alerting services, reporting tools and fraud-screening providers whose technology sits alongside an Apex account. Integrations are documented and supported rather than announced.
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Software and platform partners
ISVs, SaaS platforms, marketplaces and storefront builders embedding payments into software their customers already use. Apex connects to the platform rather than asking merchants to leave it.
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Equipment partners
Hardware suppliers, POS resellers and installers. Terminals are sourced to match the processing arrangement they will run on, and compatibility is confirmed before anything is ordered rather than discovered on site.
How it works
From application to first referral
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Apply
Tell us about your business and the merchants you work with. The form below takes a few minutes.
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Talk it through
A conversation about what you see, what you need from us, and what commercial terms make sense for the volume involved.
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Get set up
A named contact, the referral route agreed, and whatever documentation your clients will ask you for.
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Refer and track
Send a merchant, get a straight answer on placeability, and see where it has reached without chasing.
Ecosystem
Where Apex plugs in
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Processing relationships
More than one acquiring path, so a single withdrawal does not stop a merchant taking payment.
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Gateway platforms
Established gateways for routing, tokenisation and reporting.
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Platform integrations
Storefront platforms, billing systems and CRMs, connected rather than replaced.
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Hardware supply
Terminals and readers sourced to match the processing arrangement.
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Risk and dispute services
Alerting and dispute tooling layered onto the account.
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Digital-asset infrastructure
Settlement paths for merchants accepting crypto alongside conventional methods.
Apex names a processing or technology relationship publicly only where doing so has been agreed with the organisation concerned.
Questions
Partner questions
What commercial terms does Apex offer partners?
They are agreed individually. A referral partner introducing two merchants a year and a platform embedding payments for a thousand are not the same arrangement, and a published rate card would be wrong for both. Terms are agreed in writing before anything is signed.
Do I need to be a payments expert?
No. Referral partners are usually accountants, consultants and agencies whose clients happen to need a payment arrangement. You make the introduction; Apex does the underwriting work and keeps you informed.
Will Apex approach my client directly?
Not around you. A partner relationship where the provider goes over the top of the partner is not a partnership, and it is the fastest way to never receive a second referral.
What happens if a merchant I refer is declined?
You get a straight answer on why, and a conversation about alternatives. Apex holds more than one processing relationship, so a decline on one path is not automatically the end.
Is there a minimum volume?
No minimum is required to apply. Volume shapes what commercial terms make sense, which is why the application asks for an estimate - an estimate, not a commitment.
How long does partner onboarding take?
It depends on the type of partnership. A referral arrangement is quick. A software integration involves scoping work and is agreed on its own timeline rather than a standard one.
Apply
Apply to partner with Apex
Tell us about your business and the merchants you work with. Someone from the partner team will read it and come back to you.
- A person, not a portal You get a named contact who knows your book.
- Terms agreed individually Two referrals a year and a platform embedding payments are not the same arrangement.
- Your relationship stays yours Apex does not go around a partner to their client.
Applying creates no obligation on either side, and commercial terms are agreed before anything is signed.
Apply to partner with Apex
For agents, ISVs, platforms and referral partners.