Most MVNO operators don’t think about payment processing until something goes wrong. By then, it’s usually costing them—in lost revenue, frozen accounts, or frustrated customers who can’t complete transactions.
The truth is, your payment processor can either be a silent growth partner or a hidden liability. Here are four common traps that catch MVNOs off guard, and what to look for instead.
Trap #1: Low approval rates
You’re processing transactions. Most go through. Everything seems fine—until you realize “fine” is quietly costing you millions.
If your processor only connects to one underlying acquirer (the bank that actually processes the card), you’re stuck with whatever approval decision that bank makes. They’d rather decline ten legitimate customers than approve one potentially risky transaction. It’s safer for them. But every declined legitimate customer is lost revenue for you.
What to look for: A processor with multiple acquirer connections who understands telecom-specific payment patterns. When one acquirer declines a transaction, the payment can be intelligently routed to another acquirer who might approve it. More paths to approval mean more revenue captured.
Trap #2: The account freeze
Picture this: Your marketing team launches a successful promotion. Transaction volume spikes—exactly what you wanted. But your processor sees “unusual activity” and freezes your account pending investigation.
Suddenly your biggest win becomes your biggest crisis. Customers can’t pay. Revenue stops. Your support team is overwhelmed. All because your processor’s fraud detection system wasn’t built for telecom’s natural volatility.