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Gateway
NMI, a processor-agnostic gateway, an industry-aware payments layer
NMI (Network Merchants Inc., founded 2001) is one of the largest partner-channel payment gateways in the market. Its distinctive model is that it sits above hundreds of independent sales organizations (ISOs), banks, processors, and ISVs, often white-labeled under a reseller's brand, which is why many merchants are on NMI without the term "NMI" appearing on their dashboard. NMI is certified with dozens of underlying processors (Fiserv / First Data, TSYS, Global Payments, Worldpay, Chase Paymentech, Elavon, and others), which means switching acquiring banks or processors is a configuration change rather than a re-integration. What it isn't, on its own, is an industry-aware payments platform that ties into the ERP each Clarity vertical runs.
That's the layer Clarity Payment Hub supplies. On top of NMI's gateway, Customer Vault, iSpyFraud, ACH Vault, and recurring billing capabilities, Payment Hub adds branded industry checkout flows, a self-service customer portal tailored to each vertical, Level 2/3 auto-enrichment for commercial-card programs, surcharging, and 25+ ERP connectors, so a distributor on Sage, a clinic on Epicor, a nonprofit on NetSuite, and a school on Oracle all get an experience that matches how their industry buys.
Because Payment Hub is gateway-agnostic and NMI is processor-agnostic, the result is an unusually future-proof architecture: you can change ISOs, acquirers, or processors underneath NMI without rebuilding Payment Hub's integration. Your customer portal, ERP posting, and Level 2/3 data flow stay constant.
How to tell if your current gateway is NMI-powered
NMI powers hundreds of branded gateway products, so merchants often don't realize they're on NMI. Quick signals:
- API endpoints or iframe URLs that include
networkmerchants.com,secure.networkmerchants.com,secure.nmi.com, ortransact.nmi.com - Gateway portal refers to a "Customer Vault" for stored payment profiles (this is NMI-specific naming)
- "iSpyFraud" or "FraudWatch" named in the merchant dashboard
- API docs that reference a "Security Key" as the authentication credential
- Your reseller / ISO is FIS, Priority, iPayment, BAMS, Shift4, or a similar partner that uses NMI underneath
If any of these apply, Clarity Payment Hub works identically on your NMI-powered gateway, no migration required, no change to your ISO or acquiring relationship.
How Payment Hub connects NMI to your ERP
Clarity Connect, the integration engine under Payment Hub with 15+ years of active development, reads from and writes to your ERP in real time using each platform's supported API layer, and talks to NMI via the NMI Payment Gateway API, Collect.js for browser-side tokenization, and iframe-based hosted payment pages.
Inbound from ERP
Customers, contacts, open invoices with line items, account balances, credits, payment history, statements, all in real time.
Outbound to ERP
Applied cash receipts, Customer Vault payment profile references, address updates, and Pay-on-Account allocations, posted the moment a customer authorizes payment.
NMI-side processing
NMI routes the transaction to your underlying processor (Fiserv, TSYS, Global, Worldpay, Chase, or others), runs iSpyFraud, tokenizes in Customer Vault, and returns the response. Clarity never inserts a spread or marks up transaction costs.
No ERP modifications
Clarity Connect uses only documented, supported integration points. No schema changes, no ERP-side custom code, no plugins to maintain across upgrades.
For cloud ERPs (NetSuite, Acumatica, Dynamics 365 BC, SAP S/4HANA Cloud) Clarity Connect talks directly to the ERP's cloud APIs. For on-premise ERPs (Dynamics GP/NAV, Sage 100/300, SAP ECC, Oracle EBS, SYSPRO, Epicor P21/Eclipse/Eagle) we use a lightweight outbound-only secure agent that calls from inside your network, no inbound firewall ports to open.
Industries NMI + Payment Hub serves
NMI's partner-channel model means it's deployed across virtually every vertical through its ISO and ISV partners, you're likely already on it in several places. Paired with Clarity Payment Hub, NMI becomes an industry-aware payments platform across the eight verticals Clarity has supported for 20+ years.
B2B Distribution &, Wholesale
Commercial-card-heavy AR, line-item invoices, customer-specific pricing, and Level 2/3 interchange savings on every eligible card, with NMI's processor-agnostic routing letting you negotiate with multiple acquirers while keeping one integration.
- Level 2/3 auto-enrichment from ERP line-item data
- Customer portal with open invoices, short pays, credits
- ACH + card side-by-side on the same invoice
- Customer Vault one-click re-pay for repeat B2B buyers
Manufacturing
Progress billing, milestone invoicing, deposits on long build cycles, and commercial-card programs from industrial buyers. NMI's terminal certification list covers the POS hardware most dealer networks use.
- Deposits and milestone payments tied to sales orders
- Tokenized recurring for service and maintenance contracts
- Level 2/3 on dealer and distributor commercial cards
- Real-time posting so production doesn't wait on AR
Healthcare &, Life Sciences
NMI is widely deployed in healthcare via ISV partners (practice management, patient pay, dental, veterinary). Payment Hub layers the branded patient portal and real-time practice-management/ERP posting on top.
- Branded patient portal with balance and plan visibility
- Tokenized recurring for payment plans via Customer Vault
- HSA/FSA and commercial card acceptance
- Posting to the practice-management or ERP system
Nonprofit &, Fundraising
Donation pages, recurring giving, pledges, tributes, and event registration, all posting to the fund-accounting GL. NMI's ACH Vault keeps recurring donor bank credentials tokenized at the gateway.
- Branded donation and giving pages
- Recurring donations with Customer Vault + ACH Vault
- Designation and campaign tracking to the GL
- Lower fees via ACH for larger recurring gifts
Education
Tuition, fees, lunch accounts, enrollment, and continuing-ed registration, consolidated under one payment layer. NMI's ISV partner channel means many school-systems platforms already run on NMI underneath.
- Tuition payment plans with Customer Vault tokenized recurring
- Branded parent / student portal
- ACH for larger tuition payments to reduce fees
- Posting to SIS / ERP for real-time balance updates
Government &, Public Sector
Permit, license, utility, and citation payments with Level 3 support (depending on the underlying processor NMI is routing to) and clean audit trails back to the financial system.
- Level 3 on commercial-card transactions (processor-dependent)
- Branded citizen payment portals
- Fee-pass-through and convenience-fee configurations
- Posting to Tyler, Oracle, SAP, or Dynamics financials
Professional Services &, Agencies
Retainers, project billing, trust/IOLTA segregation, and hourly invoices, paid the same day they're sent, often through NMI's iframe / hosted payment pages delivered inside Payment Hub's branded portal.
- Pay-by-link and branded invoice payment pages
- Trust / IOLTA account segregation for legal workflows
- Customer Vault recurring for retainers and monthly services
- Real-time posting to the PSA / ERP
Subscription, SaaS &, Membership
Recurring billing, dunning, proration, and card-updater, posted in real time to the subscription or ERP system of record. NMI's built-in recurring engine and Customer Vault handle the heavy lifting.
- NMI recurring with Customer Vault tokenized cards
- Dunning, retry, and failed-payment recovery flows
- Branded member / subscriber portal
- Real-time posting to the billing / ERP system
We can typically go live in 48 hours once ERP sandbox credentials and NMI API credentials are shared. Skip the reading and book a 30-minute walkthrough, we can also confirm NMI-powered status during discovery if you're unsure.
The Missing LinkBetween Paymentsand Your ERP
Clarity Payment Hub closes that gap, connecting your orders, invoices, and payment channels into one flow.
Speak to a Platform ArchitectEvery payment method your customers need
NMI supports the full stack of U.S. payment methods, with method availability determined partly by the underlying processor NMI is routing to. Payment Hub surfaces the methods that matter per industry.
Cards
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners, including commercial, corporate, and purchasing cards that qualify for Level 2/3 rates depending on the underlying processor NMI routes to.
ACH &, eCheck
NMI's ACH Vault tokenizes bank-account credentials for U.S. ACH and eCheck, typically the lowest-cost method for high-dollar B2B invoices. Re-used in one click from the customer portal.
Digital Wallets
Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Click to Pay render in the Payment Hub checkout. Wallet transactions flow through NMI to your underlying processor like any tokenized card.
POS / terminal / in-person
NMI is certified with 150+ card-present terminals across Verifone, Ingenico, PAX, and Castles hardware, so your in-person and field flows post to the same ERP through the same Payment Hub portal as online and invoice transactions.
For large B2B accounts, we commonly set ACH as the default payment method above a configurable dollar threshold, protecting your card-processing economics on seven-figure invoices while still giving customers a one-click experience via Customer Vault.
Interchange savings and compliant surcharging
Two of the biggest unit-economics levers in B2B payments, Level 2/3 enhanced data and credit-card surcharging, ship in Payment Hub out of the box on top of NMI.
Level 2 and Level 3 processing
Level 2 and Level 3 refer to enhanced transaction data (sales tax, customer code, invoice line items, purchase order number, freight, duty, product codes) that the card networks require to qualify large B2B transactions for the lowest interchange tiers. Without this data, B2B card transactions default to the most expensive commercial-card interchange.
NMI supports Level 2 and Level 3 enhanced data on qualified Visa and Mastercard commercial-card transactions, the specific qualification rules depend on the underlying processor NMI is routing to (Fiserv, TSYS, Global Payments, Worldpay, Chase, and others all have slightly different L3 acceptance rules on NMI). Clarity Payment Hub pulls the line-item, tax, and customer-code data from your ERP automatically and passes it to NMI on every eligible transaction. There is nothing for your AR team to key in and nothing for the customer to fill out.
Compliant credit card surcharging
Payment Hub supports compliant credit card surcharging out of the box on NMI card transactions. The platform handles state-by-state rule enforcement, displays the legally required pre-authorization disclosure, caps the surcharge percentage at the allowed maximum (typically 3% per card network rules), and tracks the surcharge as a separate line in your ERP. Debit cards, prepaid cards, and non-surcharge-eligible cards are excluded automatically.
Cash-discount programs, where the invoice price already includes processing and non-card methods get a discount, are also supported. Your choice between the two models depends on your state, your customers' expectations, and your pricing strategy.
The partner channel and payfac enablement
NMI's core business model is unlike the other gateways in Payment Hub's library, it's explicitly designed to be resold, white-labeled, and embedded by ISOs, banks, and software platforms. That changes how Payment Hub fits alongside it.
Processor-agnostic routing
NMI is certified with dozens of underlying processors, Fiserv / First Data, TSYS, Global Payments, Worldpay, Chase Paymentech, Elavon, and others. Changing underlying acquirers is a configuration change, not a re-integration. Payment Hub stays constant above.
White-label / ISO-branded
Most NMI deployments ship under a reseller's brand. Payment Hub works identically on NMI direct or on any NMI-powered branded gateway, ISO portal URLs, Customer Vault naming, and Security Key authentication are all recognized and handled.
Payfac enablement for ISVs
NMI offers payment facilitation capabilities for software platforms that want to embed payments under their own brand while NMI handles underwriting, risk, and compliance. Payment Hub extends this with industry-aware ERP integration for ISVs building vertical-specific software.
Certified-terminal portfolio
NMI has one of the broadest certified-terminal lists in the industry (150+ devices across Verifone, Ingenico, PAX, and Castles hardware). For verticals with in-person acceptance, manufacturing dealer networks, retail parts counters, field services, healthcare offices, that breadth is a real advantage.
This channel-first architecture also means migration is often easier than with a direct processor: swapping ISOs or underlying acquirers usually doesn't require rebuilding the NMI integration. Payment Hub's ERP-side work stays intact through those changes, which makes NMI one of the more future-proof gateway choices for merchants who aren't sure where their acquirer relationship will land in 3–5 years.
Security, PCI scope, and enterprise compliance
NMI is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, the highest tier. Clarity Payment Hub is built to push your deployment to the lightest compliance scope available.
- Customer Vault tokenization. Every card and ACH account is tokenized directly at NMI's PCI-certified Customer Vault. Raw card numbers never touch Payment Hub's infrastructure and never touch your servers.
- Collect.js + iframe hosted fields. Card data is captured inside NMI-hosted iframes and tokenized in the browser, so PAN never transits your servers. Qualifies for SAQ A, the lightest PCI self-assessment available.
- iSpyFraud risk filters. NMI's configurable risk filter set, IP velocity, amount limits, AVS / CVV mismatch thresholds, geolocation blocks, customer velocity, combines with portal-level controls (invoice-bound authentication, customer-matched billing addresses, single-use signed Quick Pay links) for a B2B-tuned defense profile.
- 3D Secure 2. NMI supports 3DS2 step-up for liability shift on card-not-present transactions. Payment Hub triggers step-up only when iSpyFraud or the underlying processor flags medium risk.
- SOC 2 Type II. Clarity Ventures operates to SOC 2 Type II standards. Security, availability, confidentiality, and data-handling controls are independently audited on an ongoing basis.
- Outbound-only agent for on-premise ERPs. No inbound firewall ports. No VPN tunnel. No public ERP exposure.
NMI + Payment Hub FAQ
The questions B2B AR, IT, and finance teams ask before rolling out NMI through Clarity Payment Hub.
Which industries does NMI + Clarity Payment Hub serve?
Eight verticals out of the box: B2B distribution and wholesale, manufacturing, healthcare and life sciences, nonprofit and fundraising, education, government and public sector, professional services and agencies, and subscription / SaaS / membership.
Each vertical gets an industry-aware payment pattern on top of NMI's gateway, branded portals, real-time ERP posting, Level 2/3 data enrichment, ACH, Customer Vault tokenization, iSpyFraud scoring, and recurring billing. The same 48-hour rollout and 25+ ERP connector library covers every vertical, whether you're on NMI direct or on a branded gateway that is NMI-powered underneath.
How do I know if I'm already on NMI?
NMI is a partner-channel gateway, it powers hundreds of branded gateway products sold by independent sales organizations (ISOs), banks, and ISVs. Many merchants are on NMI without the merchant interface explicitly saying "NMI."
Clues include: your gateway portal URL may include 'secure.networkmerchants.com' or 'gateway.' plus the reseller domain. Your API endpoints may be NMI-compatible (networkmerchants.com or similar). The Customer Vault feature is NMI-specific naming. The authentication credential is typically called "Security Key." If you're unsure, Clarity can confirm during discovery and Payment Hub works identically on NMI direct or any NMI-powered brand.
Is NMI processor-agnostic? Can it run on multiple acquirers?
Yes, this is one of NMI's signature capabilities. NMI is certified with dozens of underlying processors (Fiserv / First Data, TSYS, Global Payments, Worldpay, Chase Paymentech, Elavon, and others) and works with hundreds of acquiring banks and ISOs.
That means merchants can switch acquiring banks or processors without changing gateway integrations, which is useful during bank negotiations, ISO changes, or M&A. Clarity Payment Hub sits above NMI so the customer portal and ERP integration remain constant regardless of which processor NMI is routing to underneath.
Does NMI support ACH and eCheck transactions?
Yes. NMI supports U.S. ACH processing alongside card processing, with NMI's own ACH Vault for tokenization of bank-account credentials. Clarity Payment Hub exposes ACH as a first-class payment method in the branded portal and the tokenized wallet, which is typically the lowest-cost method for high-dollar B2B invoices.
Bank details are tokenized in the Customer Vault so customers re-use them in one click without re-entering routing and account numbers. Many customers set ACH as the default on invoices over a defined dollar threshold to protect card-processing economics on large tickets.
What is NMI's Customer Vault and how does Payment Hub use it?
Customer Vault (sometimes called CAPCE, Customer Account Profile Conversion Engine) is NMI's PCI-scoped tokenization vault. It replaces raw card numbers and bank accounts with tokens and stores customer payment profiles.
Clarity Payment Hub uses Customer Vault as the system of record for every saved payment method, then references the token in the ERP. Raw PAN never touches Payment Hub or your infrastructure, and one-click re-payment from the customer portal is the default experience. For long-running B2B relationships, this means repeat buyers never have to re-enter payment details.
Can NMI pass Level 2 and Level 3 data for interchange savings?
Yes. NMI supports Level 2 and Level 3 enhanced data on qualified Visa and Mastercard commercial-card transactions, the specific qualification rules depend on the underlying processor NMI is routing to. Clarity Payment Hub pulls the line-item, tax, and customer-code data from your ERP automatically and passes it to NMI on every eligible transaction.
B2B merchants commonly save 0.5–1.0% (up to 30% off transaction fees) of each eligible card transaction when Level 2/3 data is passed correctly. On a $50,000 invoice that is $250–$500 of margin preserved, on every transaction.
How does Clarity Payment Hub handle NMI settlements?
NMI routes the transaction to your underlying processor (Fiserv, TSYS, Global Payments, Worldpay, Chase, Elavon, or others). That processor settles and funds through your acquiring bank on its usual schedule. What Clarity Payment Hub changes is the ERP side: the applied cash receipt is written back to your ERP in real time the moment the customer pays, regardless of which underlying processor NMI routed to.
There is no overnight batch, no CSV import, and no manual cash application. Invoice status, account balance, and aging reports update immediately in your ERP, which is how the DSO drop and the AR-time savings become real.
What is the integration cost and timeline for NMI through Payment Hub?
Clarity Payment Hub is packaged software, not a custom build. A typical NMI + ERP go-live takes 48 hours once Clarity receives ERP sandbox credentials and NMI API credentials (Security Key and, if applicable, MID). No new servers, no middleware, no custom code on your ERP.
You keep your NMI account, your ISO / reseller relationship, your acquiring bank, and your negotiated rates, Clarity does not insert a transaction markup or skim basis points. Implementation is a flat subscription with the ERP integration included.
Is NMI PCI compliant and how does it affect our own PCI scope?
NMI is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, the highest tier. Clarity Payment Hub uses Collect.js and NMI's iframe hosted fields to tokenize card data directly in the customer's browser or inside NMI-hosted pages, meaning raw PAN never reaches your servers, Payment Hub's servers, or the network in between.
Most deployments qualify for SAQ A, the lightest PCI self-assessment available. That means a dramatically shorter annual compliance review, no cardholder-data environment to audit, and significantly lower risk of breach exposure.
Does NMI support surcharging and recurring billing?
Yes to both. Payment Hub supports compliant credit card surcharging on NMI card transactions, state-by-state rules, network caps, and the legally required pre-authorization disclosure are all enforced automatically. Debit, prepaid, and non-eligible cards are excluded from surcharging.
NMI has a built-in recurring billing engine combined with Customer Vault tokenization for card-on-file storage, plus ACH Vault for recurring bank-debit schedules. Payment Hub layers industry-aware dunning, failed-payment recovery, and ERP posting on top.
How does NMI + Payment Hub compare to Authorize.Net or direct processor gateways?
Authorize.Net and NMI are both acquirer-agnostic gateways that sit between merchants and underlying processors. The honest differences: Authorize.Net is owned by Visa and has a more consolidated retail brand, and its Customer Information Manager (CIM) vault is well-known. NMI's differentiators are a stronger partner channel (more ISO white-labeling), broader terminal certification, and payfac enablement for ISVs.
Direct processor gateways (Cybersource, Worldpay, Global Payments native gateways) tie you more closely to one processor's rails. NMI and Authorize.Net give you flexibility to change acquirers without re-integrating. Clarity Payment Hub works identically across all of them.
Can we move to NMI if we are currently on another gateway?
Yes, and Clarity Payment Hub is designed to make that transition painless. Because Payment Hub is gateway-agnostic and NMI is processor-agnostic, you can port your portal, your ERP integration, your customer accounts, and your buyer UX to NMI without rebuilding any of them. Tokenized cards are re-vaulted in Customer Vault during migration where the source gateway supports secure token migration, and recurring subscriptions are recreated with the original billing schedule preserved.