Clearent vs Global Payments

A feature-by-feature comparison for ISVs integrating payments.

By Marcus Reed·Updated October 13, 2026

Clearent Review →Global Payments Review →Clearent Pricing →Global Payments Pricing →

Note: Clearent rebranded to Xplor Pay on July 8, 2025. Press release →

Global Payments operates in 30+ countries with a proprietary gateway, its own acquiring and a partner model that sits short of full facilitation; it combined with TSYS in 2019. Clearent operates in the US only, processing on its own network for mid-market merchants and the software platforms that serve them, and now carries the Xplor Pay name.

Feature Comparison

Clearent5.5

vs13 criteria

Global Payments5.8Winner

Feature	Clearent	Global Payments	Notes
Integration Architecture	6	7	Global Payments scores slightly higher (7 vs 6). Full-stack processor with proprietary gateway — one vendor relationship covering acquiring and processing. Clearent: Mid-market payment platform combining processing and ISV tools in a single offering
API & Developer Experience	5	5	Both score 5/10. Clearent: Decent APIs for mid-market ISVs with integration support but limited developer community. Global Payments: Dedicated integration specialists provided but developer self-service tooling lags behind modern platforms.
White-Label Capabilities	6	4	Clearent has an edge (6 vs 4). Offers some white-label options for ISV partners including branded payment flows. Global Payments: Co-branded experience with some customization but less depth than pure white-label gateways
Processor Flexibility	3	3	Both score 3/10. Clearent: Processes on own network with limited routing to external acquirers. Global Payments: ISVs are locked to Global Payments' acquiring network with no external routing.
Pricing & Fee Structure	7	4	Clearent has an edge (7 vs 4). Transparent interchange-plus pricing with ISV-friendly volume economics. Global Payments: Bundled pricing with volume incentives; independent reviews note rates can increase after year one
Omnichannel & In-Person Payments	6	8	Global Payments has an edge (8 vs 6). Extensive terminal and POS ecosystem with deep retail vertical integration. Clearent: Solid mid-market terminal support with EMV and contactless capabilities
Fraud & Security	6	7	Global Payments scores slightly higher (7 vs 6). Enterprise-grade fraud tools and compliance management across payment channels. Clearent: Standard PCI compliance and fraud tools appropriate for mid-market processing volumes
Revenue Sharing	6	5	Clearent scores slightly higher (6 vs 5). ISV revenue sharing program with margin control over interchange spread. Global Payments: Rev-share available but independent sources indicate limited access for smaller ISVs
Merchant Onboarding	7	6	Clearent scores slightly higher (7 vs 6). Streamlined onboarding with fast merchant activation for ISV sub-merchants. Global Payments: Two onboarding paths — fully-supported (slower) or ISV-controlled (faster) with managed compliance
Global Reach	3	8	Global Payments leads significantly (8 vs 3). Local acquiring in 30+ countries with strong multinational merchant coverage. Clearent: US-only processing — no international acquiring capabilities
Recurring Billing	5	6	Global Payments scores slightly higher (6 vs 5). Recurring payment support through proprietary gateway with standard tokenization. Clearent: Basic recurring payment features through gateway tokenization
Customer Support	6	4	Clearent has an edge (6 vs 4). Responsive mid-market support team with dedicated ISV partner managers. Global Payments: Large support organization with industry-specific teams but variable response times reported
PayFac Options	5	8	Global Payments has an edge (8 vs 5). Hybrid PayFac model allowing ISVs to facilitate payments without full PayFac registration. Clearent: Embedded payments program allows ISVs to facilitate payments without full PayFac setup

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Best for

Clearent

Best for ISVs in healthcare, B2B, and professional services verticals wanting a payment partner with deep vertical expertise. Now offers expanded capabilities through the Xplor Technologies platform.

Visit xplorpay.com ↗

Best for

Global Payments

Best for ISVs wanting a large, established payment partner with deep vertical expertise (healthcare, education, restaurants) and bank distribution. Less ideal for ISVs wanting fast, self-serve integration.

Visit globalpayments.com ↗

Note: Clearent has rebranded to Xplor Pay. This comparison reflects the combined capabilities of the Clearent/Xplor Pay platform.

Clearent vs Global Payments: What ISVs Need to Know

Choosing between Clearent and Global Payments for embedded payments is a decision that directly impacts your ISV’s revenue model, merchant experience, and technical architecture. This comparison breaks down where each platform excels from an ISV integration perspective.

Key Differences for ISVs

The most important distinction between Clearent and Global Payments comes down to how each platform approaches ISV payment facilitation. Clearent and Global Payments take fundamentally different approaches to merchant onboarding, revenue sharing, and platform integration — and those differences matter when you’re building payments into your software.

Integration architecture varies significantly between the two. ISVs evaluating Clearent vs Global Payments should consider how each platform handles sub-merchant onboarding, payment splitting, and settlement timing. The right choice depends on your specific vertical, transaction volumes, and how much control you need over the merchant payment experience.

Pricing and revenue economics also differ. ISVs earn money from embedded payments through the spread between what they charge merchants and what the processor charges them. The pricing model each platform uses — flat-rate, interchange-plus, or custom — directly affects your payment revenue per transaction.

Which Platform Fits Your ISV?

The best choice between Clearent and Global Payments depends on your ISV’s specific requirements:

Transaction volume: Higher-volume ISVs may benefit from interchange-plus pricing, while lower-volume platforms often prefer flat-rate simplicity
Merchant type: B2B merchants have different payment needs than consumer-facing businesses
Geographic scope: International payment support varies significantly between providers
Integration depth: Some ISVs need white-label checkout while others are fine with co-branded experiences
Revenue model: How much of the payment margin you want to capture determines which platform’s economics work better

The ISV Payment Integration Perspective

For ISVs evaluating Clearent vs Global Payments, the comparison shouldn’t stop at processing fees. Consider the total cost of integration, ongoing maintenance, and the revenue opportunity from embedded payments. The platform that generates the most payment revenue for your ISV while providing the best merchant experience is the right choice — and that calculation is different for every software company.

Evaluate both platforms against your specific use case. Request ISV-specific pricing from each, and compare the total economics including setup costs, per-transaction revenue, and the engineering investment required to integrate and maintain each platform.