| North | |
| Type: | Private |
| Location City: | Troy, Michigan |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Key People: | Marc Gardner (CEO/President) |
| Products: | Credit Card Processing, Mobile POS, Virtual Terminal, Merchant Services, Restaurant POS, Retail Point of Sale |
| Num Employees: | 1,300 |
| Num Employees Year: | 2024 |
| Owner: | Marc Gardner |
North is a fintech (financial technology) and payments company founded in 1992 by Marc Gardner, who serves as the company’s CEO/President. Formerly known as North American Bancard, the company rebranded as North in 2024.
North is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, with offices and affiliations across the country. The core company employs more than 1,300 people, boasts a network of over 3,000 sales partners, and works with over 350,000 merchants throughout the U.S.[1] In addition, the company works closely with top technology developers and ISVs (independent software vendors) to provide customized solutions for their partners and customers.
North provides technologies in credit, debit, EBT, check conversion and guarantee, ATM, gift and loyalty programs, and online payments. The company processes more than $100 billion per year in electronic transactions across America.
North is also a founding member of Automation Alley, a nonprofit technology business association focused on business growth through innovation and automation.[2]
Since 1992, North has grown into the sixth-largest independent, non-bank merchant acquirer in North America.
In 2008, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) recommended that the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) approve a $21.5 million state tax credit to North.[3]
The following year, 2009, the company moved its headquarters to a 105,000-square-foot (9,800 m2) building in Troy, MI.[4]
In 2010, the company acquired public-sector-payment company Point & Pay, as well as merchant services technology provider CDI Tech.
In January 2011, North announced the launch of Payanywhere, a mobile payment processing tool. The acquisition of payment services company Velocity occurred in 2013.
In 2014, the company acquired payment processor Electronic Payment Exchange.[9] In June 2015, North announced the launch of the newest version of its Payanywhere Mobile credit card reader, a 3-in-1 credit card reader that was launched in Apple Stores. This version is compatible with iOS devices.[5]
2014 also saw the launch of the Payanywhere Storefront, and the acquisition of Rapid Capital Funding, Electronic Payment Exchange, and Argus Payments (which changed its name to Inovio in 2016).
In 2016, North reached 1,000 employees for the first time. In 2017, the company acquired Total Merchant Services. Hospitality payment service provider SALIDO was acquired in 2019.
Growth and acquisitions continued in the new decade, with the acquisition of HMSKC in 2020; the acquisition of Signature Payments and B2B gateway provider PayTrace occurred the following year. 2021 was also the year that North launched its signature Developer Portal, an online tool for the sourcing and crafting of bespoke software solutions. In 2022, North added CardWorks Acquiring (CWA) to its roster.
In addition to the flagship business, there are several entities under the North brand.[6]
As part of its Payanywhere payment platform, the company offers a variety of hardware options to small merchant businesses (SMBs). They are organized by category.
Point of Sale: These hardware options offer robust functionality and are capable of EMV chip, contactless, and magstripe readings for card-present transactions. Devices include the Smart Flex and Smart POS+.
Smart Terminals: Multi-function units that read a variety of payment methods, including EMV chip, contactless, and magstripe reading. Devices include Smart Terminal Mini, Smart Terminal, Smart Keypad, and Smart PINPad Pro.
Mobile Readers: Small, portable devices that can accept EMV chip cards, contactless payments like Apple Pay, and traditional magstripe cards.
The company offers its sales partners and merchants access to Payments Hub, a proprietary online portal that employs customized software solutions to empower business decisions. Users can view deposits, manage transactions and dispute chargebacks, and pull real-time reports. They can also create payment links that can be sent to customers for a fast, simplified payment solution that can live on a website or be sent via email. The Virtual Terminal feature simplifies the acceptance of online transactions, for both card-not-present (CNP) and card-present payments, via an easy-to-use interface. Payments Hub has robust features for creating and automating invoices, reputation management, and building unique loyalty programs. There are also “back-office” tools to manage accounts, employees, and inventory.
The company also features a Developer Portal (or “Dev Portal”) that offers a forum for developers, ISVs, and sales partners to create customized Application Programming Interfaces (commonly known as “APIs”) for payment and business solutions. North advertises the site as “payment integration built by developers for developers.”
Founder/CEO/President Marc Gardner received the Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2008.[7]
The Detroit Regional Chamber selected Gardner as a guest speaker at the 2009 Mackinac Policy Conference to discuss Michigan’s economic future and Gardner’s success as an entrepreneur.[8]
The American Heart Association named North American Bancard as a 2010 Fit Friendly Gold Status company for their comprehensive wellness initiatives for their employees.
North and its brand Payanywhere were awarded for the category Design in Electronic and Digital Communications - Website by the International Association of Business Communicators Detroit in June 2011.
North American Bancard was named ETA ISO of the Year in 2014 — the company would win the same award in 2022.
In 2021, North was twice honored by the Strawhecker Group (TSG), as the Restaurant Smart Terminal Provider of the Year and at the eCommerce Merchant Experience Awards. TSG also named North in its 2023 “Best of Breed” API Awards
In 2023, North was named a Best Place To Work by business tech giant Built In. The annual honors include companies of all sizes based in large tech markets across the U.S. North earned spots on the lists for Best Large Places to Work in both the Los Angeles and New York areas.
That same year, Nilson’s ranking of Top U.S. Merchant Acquirers had North’s name on it in three different categories: Top 5 in Card Not Present (CNP) Acquiring; Top 6 in Purchase Transactions (nonbank); and Top 8 in Purchase Volume (nonbank).
August of 2023 saw North receive the Global Sustainability Award from the Business Intelligence Group. The award goes to organizations whose actions prove sustainability is a core business objective.
September of 2023 brought North honors at Corp! magazine’s Salute to Diversity Awards. The ceremony put a spotlight on organizations that champion diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and achievements.[9]
In November of 2023, North earned the Best Employer Award at the 2023 U.S. FinTech Awards.
2024 saw the announcement of the new North branding from North American Bancard. The company currently employs more than 1,300 people across the U.S.[10]