Our take first
- The headline split is the least useful number. Only two of the eight programs publish one, and a split means nothing without the buy rate under it.
- The terms that decide what you keep are vesting, portability, and quotas. Those are published more often than splits, so compare them first.
- None of these programs hands you merchants. The program decides how much a merchant is worth to you; your prospecting decides how many you sign. More on that below.
The programs compared
| Program | Pay, as published | Bonuses and equipment | Quotas, vesting, portability | Leads or prospecting help |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon PaymentsISO agent | "One of the highest commission splits around"; no percentage published; lifetime residuals | Up to a $5,000 "multiplier bonus" per new merchant; weekly, monthly, and quarterly bonuses; loaner terminals from Dejavoo, First Data, Ingenico, PAX, and Clover | No quotas; no vesting period; non-exclusive; you can sell your book | Training with a designated manager; no leads mentioned |
| Electronic PaymentsISO and agent | 80% revenue share on free-terminal deals; residuals paid on the 15th | $200 per free-terminal deal; limited-time milestone bonuses up to $100,000 on its Cygma product; free Clover and Exatouch POS placement; free Dejavoo, Valor, and PAX terminals | Residuals can be sold, borrowed against, or assigned; vesting not stated | Live demos, training, co-branded collateral |
| National Payment Processing (NPP)ISO agent | "True lifetime residuals" on a custom Schedule A; no percentage published | Upfront and monthly promo bonuses, no amounts; free terminal placement program | No app quotas; non-exclusive; "100% vesting" | Onboarding and training |
| NextPayAgent | "A true split" paid monthly for life; full pay plan in its Sales Hub, no percentage on the page | Activation bonus per live deal; monthly bonuses for top closers; a bonus per payroll deal and a share of funding deals; equipment not stated | Will negotiate a better split after three straight months on target; residuals "yours even if you step away" | Live transfers and paid-ad leads once you've closed your first deal; lead programs also sold at agent pricing |
| PayzliISO and agent | Monthly residuals with no cap; no percentage published | Upfront bonuses per new merchant; equipment ordered through its onboarding tools | Background check and interview; not accepting people new to the industry | Payzli University training, coaching, a partner manager |
| PaysafeAgent | Recurring residuals and tiered commissions; no percentage published | Bonuses, no amounts; free equipment | Aimed at early-career and community-connected sellers | Paysafe University; campaign assets and demand generation support |
| Easy Pay DirectReferral partner | 20% of net revenue, monthly, for the life of the account | None listed | No tiers or caps | Dashboard, tracking links, co-branded pages; high-risk verticals accepted |
| HelcimReferral partner | Revenue on referred merchants; no rate published | None listed | Contacts applicants within 1 to 2 business days | Marketing materials and affiliate links; aimed at chambers, associations, publishers, and credit unions |
From each company's own pages and announcements, checked October 19, 2026. Terms change and full pay plans are usually shared only after you apply; confirm everything in your signed agreement.
Agent programs
- Beacon Payments publishes the clearest contract terms of the group: no contracts, no quotas, no vesting period, non-exclusive, and you may sell your book if you leave. It does not publish its split.
- Electronic Payments is the only agent program here with a published percentage: an 80% revenue share and a $200 bonus on free-terminal deals. It also states that residuals can be sold, used to secure a loan, or assigned.
- National Payment Processing promises lifetime residuals, no app quotas, non-exclusivity, and "100% vesting," with compensation set in a custom Schedule A.
- NextPay keeps its full pay plan in its Sales Hub rather than on the page, but is unusual in offering leads: live transfers and paid-ad leads once you have closed your first deal, with lead programs also sold at agent pricing.
- Payzli offers upfront bonuses and uncapped residuals, but says it isn't currently accepting people who are new to the industry.
- Paysafe expanded its agent program in February 2026 for early-career and community-connected sellers, with training through Paysafe University, free equipment, and tiered commissions. It doesn't publish rates.
Referral programs
If you only want to introduce merchants, not sell or support them, a referral program is simpler and pays less.
- Easy Pay Direct pays 20% of net revenue, monthly, for the life of every account you refer, with no tiers or caps, and accepts many high-risk verticals.
- Helcim pays revenue on merchants you refer through a unique link and says it contacts applicants within one to two business days. It doesn't publish the rate.
What to get in writing before you sign
- The full Schedule A, including buy rates for interchange-plus, flat-rate, and dual-pricing deals.
- Vesting: when residuals become yours, and what happens to them if you stop selling.
- Portability: whether you can sell, assign, or borrow against your book.
- Who owns the merchant, and any non-solicitation terms if you move to another program.
- Quotas, clawbacks, and minimums, including what happens to a bonus if a merchant closes early.
The part no program solves
A better split raises what each merchant is worth. It does nothing for how many merchants you sign. Most programs expect you to find your own, and the easiest merchant to sign is one that hasn't picked a processor yet.
New Florida businesses are exactly that. A restaurant, salon, gym, or shop that filed last week needs to take cards before it opens, and it hasn't heard a single pitch. FiledToday sends the businesses that registered in your Florida county every weekday morning, with the owner's phone number and full mailing address, and with restaurants, retail, salons, and other card-heavy businesses sorted to the top. It is $99 to $249 a month per county, month to month.
Get a free county sample, or read our guide on how to get merchant services leads.
This guide summarizes publicly posted program information. It is not financial or legal advice, earnings claims are the programs' own, and we are not affiliated with any program listed.
Common questions
What is a good residual split for a merchant services agent?
There is no standard, and most programs don't publish theirs. A split only means something next to the buy rate it is calculated on, so compare the full Schedule A, not the headline percentage. Of the programs we checked, Electronic Payments publishes an 80% revenue share on its free-terminal deals and Easy Pay Direct's referral program pays 20% of net revenue.
What is the difference between an ISO agent and a referral partner?
An ISO agent sells and supports the merchant and is paid a share of the residual, usually with upfront bonuses and equipment programs. A referral partner only introduces the merchant and earns a smaller revenue share, with no selling or support duties. Easy Pay Direct and Helcim run referral programs; the others in this guide are agent programs.
Are merchant services residuals really lifetime?
Usually only while the merchant keeps processing with that company, and only on the program's terms. Ask whether residuals vest, whether you can sell or assign them, and what happens if you leave. Beacon Payments states no vesting period and lets agents sell their book; Electronic Payments says residuals can be sold, borrowed against, or assigned.
Do merchant services agent programs give you leads?
Rarely as a standard benefit. Of the programs we checked, NextPay offers live transfers and paid-ad leads once you've closed your first deal, and Paysafe mentions campaign assets and demand generation support. Most expect you to bring your own merchants.
Updated October 22, 2026 · By Ben Thalmann, founder of FiledToday