Sales - Card Acceptance

JR United Kingdom; Slough; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global payments organization seeks a Business Development Manager for their newly established Direct Sales Team in the UK. The role focuses on driving card acceptance growth by engaging and onboarding UK merchants through strategic sales efforts. This position offers a competitive daily rate and the opportunity to influence industry change in a fast-paced environment. Ideal candidates will have proven experience in merchant sales, strong negotiation skills, and a hunter mindset.

Benefits

High-visibility role with clear commercial KPIs

Potential for contract extension

Qualifications

• Proven experience in direct merchant sales, particularly in card acceptance.
• Strong track record of engaging non-accepting merchants.
• Excellent negotiation skills and ability to influence at C-level.

Responsibilities

• Identify and win new merchant acceptance deals within target verticals.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline across the UK market.
• Lead negotiations and close agreements directly with merchants.

Skills

Sales negotiation

Commercial acumen

Card acceptance

Industry knowledge

Hunter mindset

Job description

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Business Development Manager – Card Acceptance

Location: United Kingdom (Remote/Field-Based)

Contract: 12-Month Contract

Start Date: Immediate

Number of Positions: 6

About the Opportunity:

A leading global payments organisation—recently acquired by a major financial institution—is launching its first-ever Direct Sales Team in the UK to accelerate card acceptance growth for a major Third-Party Card Scheme.

This initiative is a direct response to the slow uptake of acceptance through traditional acquiring channels, and now seeks experienced merchant-facing sales professionals to help drive adoption across key verticals:

• Airlines
• Hotels & Hospitality
• Transport & Travel
• Entertainment
• Restaurants & Dining

This is a high-impact, strategic opportunity to join a fast-moving, change-driven environment focused on tangible commercial outcomes and growth.

The Role:

As Senior Principal Business Development, you will be responsible for identifying, targeting, and onboarding hold-out UK merchants who currently do not accept the Third-Party Card Scheme. Using a direct-to-merchant sales approach, you’ll drive acceptance adoption, collaborating closely with internal compliance, pricing, risk, and commercial stakeholders.

This is a hands-on role requiring strong commercial acumen, sales execution, and deep industry knowledge of merchant acquiring and card acceptance dynamics.

Key Responsibilities:

-Identify, engage, and win new merchant acceptance deals within target verticals.

-Build and manage a robust pipeline across the UK market.

-Lead negotiations and close agreements directly with merchants.

-Respond to RFPs and create tailored proposals for target businesses.

• Strategic Deal Structuring (25%)

-Create compelling business cases for internal approval (Pricing, Risk, AML).

-Influence internal stakeholders to support and prioritise opportunities.

• Sales Innovation & Collaboration (20%)

-Work closely with internal teams to refine the sales proposition.

-Gather and apply feedback from merchants to shape solutions.

• Account Relationship Growth (10%)

-Develop trusted relationships with key merchants and partners.

-Support post-sale engagement to maximise transaction volume and value.

• Industry Representation (10%)

-Attend relevant exhibitions, networking events, and industry forums to represent the brand and support growth.

What We’re Looking For:

• Proven experience in direct merchant sales—particularly card acceptance, payments, acquiring, or fintech.
• Strong track record of winning over non-accepting merchants or those loyal to other schemes.
• Industry knowledge of card scheme dynamics (e.g. Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, Third-Party Schemes).
• Familiarity with how UK acquirers (Barclaycard, Worldpay, etc.) support card scheme acceptance.
• Excellent commercial negotiation skills and ability to influence at C-level.
• Self-starter with a hunter mindset and ability to work independently in a fast-paced project.
• Sales experience in one or more target verticals is highly desirable.

Why This Role Stands Out:

• Be part of a first-of-its-kind direct sales team in the UK.
• Influence the future of card acceptance in strategically important sectors.
• High-visibility role with clear commercial KPIs and stakeholder engagement.
• Attractive daily rate of £450 (inside IR35) over a 12-month contract.
• Potential for contract extension or longer-term opportunity based on performance.

Apply Now:

If you’re a true hunter with deep experience in card acceptance, merchant sales, and breaking into hard-to-win accounts—this is your opportunity to drive major industry change and deliver tangible results.