The Top 5 Obstacles When Changing Payment Providers — and How to Overcome Them

Most merchants don’t change payment providers because it feels like open-heart surgery: risky, painful, and time-consuming. But in reality, the process can be much simpler if you know the obstacles — and how to get past them.

Human nature resists change. The status quo often feels safer than the uncertainty of switching — even when we know the current setup isn’t serving us. That’s why many merchants hesitate to change payment partners, while others open new negotiation cycles every year in search of cost savings.

So what are the real hurdles when changing providers? And more importantly, how do you overcome them?

1. Time and Negotiations

Switching providers takes time. Negotiations over pricing and terms can drag on — especially when meetings are rescheduled or details aren’t clear upfront.

How to overcome: A well-prepared discovery call makes all the difference. When both sides clearly understand the merchant’s needs and the provider’s solution, terms can be agreed quickly without unnecessary back-and-forth.

2. KYC and Compliance

KYC is unavoidable. Collecting, updating, and submitting documents can feel repetitive and slow, especially in cross-border operations where multiple partners are involved.

How to overcome: Have your documents updated and ready in one complete package. Yes, it feels bureaucratic, but compliance with central bank requirements ultimately protects both merchants and providers. At Cali, we guide merchants through the checklist step by step, cutting down on wasted cycles.

3. Integration Resources

Integration requires technical effort from both sides. When not prioritized, delays pile up, and every missed window extends the project timeline.

How to overcome: Block time and resources in advance. At Cali, we run integration in parallel with onboarding — after a quick pre-check — so merchants don’t lose momentum. A week to grant sandbox access and a week to test is typically enough to go live.

4. Routing and Orchestration

Relying on a single provider increases operational risk, but juggling many partners can become unmanageable. Merchants need to define how traffic is routed, monitored, and shifted when issues arise.

How to overcome: Map your orchestration strategy early. Define fallback routes, monitoring tools, and who is responsible for pivoting. The more deliberate your plan, the smoother your operations will run.

5. Commitments with Existing Providers

Cancellation fees, minimum volume clauses, or long contracts can make it painful to move on — even when a better solution exists.

How to overcome: Negotiate flexibility upfront wherever possible. Before signing, look for (or push for) terms that won’t trap your business. At Cali, we believe merchants should have freedom of choice — and we structure our agreements with that principle in mind.

The Bottom Line

Switching payment providers doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Most obstacles can be avoided with preparation, aligned expectations, and a partner that prioritizes speed, transparency, and support.

At Cali, we’ve seen too many merchants delay change for fear of disruption — only to discover how much easier, faster, and more cost-effective it could have been.

Thinking of switching? Talk to us. We’ll walk you through how the process looks with Cali, step by step.