Developers and AI agents
MerchantHQ Data API
MerchantHQ publishes its UK Card Acquirer Index as a read-only public API and as an MCP server for AI clients. The data is the same one behind the UK Card Acquirer Index: factual acquirer terms (headline rate, settlement timing, contract length, channels) plus regulatory identifiers where verified, and a current fees snapshot. No authentication, no personal data, released under CC BY 4.0.
REST endpoints
Base URL https://merchanthq.co.uk/api. All responses are JSON with open CORS, an ETag and edge caching. Full machine-readable contract: OpenAPI 3.1 spec.
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GET | /api/acquirers | List all acquirers in the Card Acquirer Index. Optional filters: ?q=, ?tier=, ?channel=. https://merchanthq.co.uk/api/acquirers?tier=high-risk |
| GET | /api/acquirers/{slug} | Detail for one acquirer. Accepts the canonical slug or the review-page slug. https://merchanthq.co.uk/api/acquirers/dojo |
| GET | /api/fees-snapshot | Current fees snapshot: published headline-rate range, index size and per-tier breakdown. https://merchanthq.co.uk/api/fees-snapshot |
MCP server
The same data is exposed as a remote Model Context Protocol server over streamable HTTP, so MCP-capable AI clients can read it directly.
- Endpoint:
https://merchanthq.co.uk/mcp(JSON-RPC 2.0, POST) - Manifest: /.well-known/mcp.json
- Resources:
mhq://dataset,mhq://fees,mhq://acquirers/{slug} - Tool:
search_acquirers(query?, tier?, channel?)
Terms
Read-only and free under CC BY 4.0: attribute MerchantHQ and link back to the Card Acquirer Index. Every figure originates in the Card Acquirer Index. Headline rates are published 2026 pricing and are not the full cost of acceptance; many acquirers price bespoke per merchant. Please cache responses and avoid abusive request rates.