COMPARISON
NMI vs Authorize.Net — Side-by-Side Comparison
NMI and Authorize.Net are both established payment gateways, but they target different markets. NMI is a white-label gateway sold through ISO partners and SaaS platforms — merchants don't typically sign up directly. Authorize.Net (owned by Visa) is direct-to-merchant with public pricing. NMI wins on white-label and processor flexibility; Authorize.Net wins on simplicity and direct merchant access.
Detailed comparison of NMI vs Authorize.Net — pricing, integration, white-label, recurring billing, processor support, and which fits which use case.
See NMI Payment Gateway White-Label DetailsNMI vs Authorize.Net — Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | NMI | Authorize.Net |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution model | Through ISO/SaaS partners | Direct to merchants |
| Pricing model | Wholesale (set by ISO) | $25/mo + $0.10/tx + 2.9% |
| White-label | Full (under reseller brand) | Limited |
| Processor flexibility | 150+ processors | Authorize.Net + select partners |
| Recurring billing | Native, included | Native (Auth.Net ARB) |
| Customer vault | Yes (NMI Customer Vault) | Yes (CIM) |
| Virtual terminal | Included free | Included |
| Target audience | ISOs, SaaS, banks, PayFacs | Direct SMB merchants |
Distribution Model — Direct vs Partner
The most fundamental difference: Authorize.Net sells directly to merchants with transparent online pricing — you sign up on authorize.net, get credentials, start processing. NMI distributes through partner channels — ISOs, SaaS platforms, and banks resell the NMI gateway under their own brand. There's no "sign up directly with NMI" page for typical merchants.
For a single-shop merchant who wants a gateway, Authorize.Net's direct model is simpler. For SaaS platforms embedding payments, banks offering merchant services, or ISOs building merchant portfolios, NMI's partner model lets them control branding, pricing, and customer relationship.
Pricing — Transparent vs Wholesale
Authorize.Net pricing is publicly listed: $25/month gateway fee + $0.10/transaction + 2.9% + $0.30 if you use Authorize.Net Payment Plan (bundled processing). Or $25/month + $0.10/transaction with your own merchant account (gateway-only).
NMI pricing isn't publicly published because it's wholesale. The ISO or SaaS partner sets the price they charge the merchant. Effective pricing for merchants on NMI varies widely — some pay interchange-plus rates significantly cheaper than Authorize.Net direct, others pay similar or higher depending on the reseller's markup.
For ISO partners, NMI's wholesale economics mean room for margin. For direct merchants, Authorize.Net's transparent pricing means no surprises.
White-Label and Branding
NMI is white-label by design — the gateway portal, statements, emails, and merchant-facing pages display the reseller's brand. Merchants on an NMI-powered platform often don't know NMI exists; they see "YourCompany Gateway" everywhere.
Authorize.Net has limited white-label — the Authorize.Net brand stays prominent on merchant-facing screens. There's some co-branding available through partner programs, but full white-label like NMI offers isn't standard.
For SaaS platforms wanting to own the payment experience under their brand, this is decisive — NMI wins.
Processor Flexibility
NMI connects to 150+ processors — TSYS, Fiserv, Worldpay, Elavon, Chase Paymentech, Global Payments, Heartland, plus specialty/high-risk processors and international acquirers. See the full NMI processor list.
Authorize.Net primarily uses its own backend processing (Visa, Authorize.Net's parent) and a smaller set of partner processors. Merchants can use Authorize.Net as a gateway with separate merchant accounts on other processors, but the integration list is shorter than NMI's.
For merchants who need a specific processor (e.g., regional bank, high-risk specialty), NMI offers more flexibility.
Recurring Billing and Customer Vault
Both gateways offer recurring billing and tokenized customer vaults — feature parity is roughly equivalent:
NMI: Customer Vault for tokenized payment methods + Recurring Billing engine with trial periods, dunning, retry logic. See NMI Recurring Billing details.
Authorize.Net: Customer Information Manager (CIM) for tokenization + Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) for subscriptions.
For typical SaaS subscription use cases, either works. NMI's vault and recurring engine integrate more deeply with the broader NMI ecosystem (Merchant Central, ScanX, partner reporting). Authorize.Net's ARB is simpler but more standalone.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose NMI if you are:
- An ISO or sales agent building a merchant portfolio
- A SaaS platform embedding payments under your brand
- A bank or financial institution offering merchant services
- A payment facilitator (PayFac) managing sub-merchants
- A merchant needing a specific processor not available on Authorize.Net
Choose Authorize.Net if you are:
- A single merchant who wants to sign up directly with transparent pricing
- A small business that wants the simplest possible setup
- A developer building one project that needs a gateway with public docs and sandbox
- A merchant who values the Visa parent-company brand stability
Most SaaS embedders and ISO partners end up on NMI. Most direct SMB merchants end up on Authorize.Net or similar direct gateways (Stripe, Square).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NMI cheaper than Authorize.Net?+
It depends on your reseller. NMI's wholesale economics mean it CAN be cheaper, but the specific pricing depends on the ISO or SaaS platform reselling NMI to you. Authorize.Net's direct pricing is transparent and predictable.
Can I switch from Authorize.Net to NMI?+
Yes. Migration involves: choosing an NMI partner/reseller, opening a new merchant account on NMI's processor of choice, migrating tokenized cards (PCI-compliant transfer between CIM and NMI Customer Vault), redirecting API calls. Plan 2-4 weeks for a careful migration.
Does NMI accept the same cards as Authorize.Net?+
Yes — both support Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club. NMI additionally supports a wider range of digital wallets and ACH through different processor connections.
Which has better fraud protection — NMI or Authorize.Net?+
Both offer strong fraud tools. NMI includes iSpyFraud (ML-based fraud scoring) plus standard AVS/CVV/velocity rules. Authorize.Net includes Advanced Fraud Detection Suite (AFDS) with similar capabilities. Both support 3DS 2.0 for liability shift.
Can I use Authorize.Net AND NMI?+
Yes — some larger merchants use multiple gateways for redundancy or for specific verticals. Each gateway has its own merchant account and credentials.
NMI vs Authorize.Net — Key Differences
NMI and Authorize.Net are both mature gateways aimed at different buyers. NMI is white-label and sold through ISO and SaaS partners; Authorize.Net (owned by Visa) is direct-to-merchant with publicly listed pricing. Feature sets overlap heavily on billing and vaulting, so the decision usually turns on distribution, branding, and processor reach.
- Distribution: Authorize.Net sells directly to merchants at authorize.net. NMI reaches merchants only through ISOs, banks, and SaaS platforms that resell it.
- Pricing: Authorize.Net publishes $25/month + $0.10 per transaction (plus 2.9% + $0.30 if bundled). NMI pricing is wholesale and set by the reseller, so it is not publicly listed.
- White-label: NMI runs fully under the reseller's brand. Authorize.Net keeps its own brand prominent on merchant-facing screens.
- Processor reach: NMI connects to 150+ processors. Authorize.Net relies mainly on its own backend plus a smaller partner set.
- Recurring and vault: NMI pairs Customer Vault with its Recurring Billing engine. Authorize.Net offers CIM tokenization and Automated Recurring Billing (ARB) with rough feature parity.
- Fraud tools: NMI includes iSpyFraud scoring; Authorize.Net includes its Advanced Fraud Detection Suite. Both support 3DS 2.0 for liability shift.
Independent reference resource. Not operated by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Network Merchants, Inc. (NMI) or USAePay. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners.