NMI

NMI is an embedded payments platform for software companies, ISOs, and payment facilitators building payment acceptance into services for merchants. It is best suited to partners that need branded checkout and multiple ways to take payments; merchants typically get access through a certified reseller or ISO. Its breadth is useful, but custom pricing and partner-led account setup make it a less direct fit for merchants seeking a self-serve gateway.

Overview

NMI combines payment acceptance, checkout, developer tools, and merchant-management capabilities across online, in-store, mobile, and self-service channels. Its gateway has been a core part of its payments offering since 2001. Support for recurring and marketplace payments broadens its reach beyond one-time checkout, while Merchant Central gives partners CRM and underwriting tools for merchant onboarding and ongoing management.

Partners can apply their own logos, colors, and custom URLs to the gateway and portals. That helps software and payments businesses make payment services feel like part of their own offering. The trade-off for merchants is an extra layer between them and the platform: a certified reseller or ISO generally configures the gateway and handles the account.

Key features

Checkout and payment operations

NMI supports recurring billing, batch processing, webhooks, transaction routing, QR-code payment links, and a virtual terminal. Checkout can use hosted payment pages, a customizable Payment Component, or a REST API for a custom experience. This range lets partners serve merchants across different sales channels, but teams choosing the API route take on more integration work than those using hosted checkout.

The gateway supports major card brands, Apple Pay, Google Pay, EMV, and contactless payments. Payments can be processed in USD, CAD, and other currencies depending on the processor. More than 200 processor integrations and 125-plus shopping carts give partners room to work with varied payment and commerce setups. Bill Connect connects payment acceptance with accounting software such as QuickBooks and Xero.

Developer tools and security

NMI provides a payment API, hosted payment pages, and SDKs for iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux. A browser-based customer-present option runs on any operating system, which can help avoid tying that checkout flow to a specific desktop platform. The Payment Component tokenizes payment details in the browser so sensitive payment data does not touch the integrator’s servers.

NMI says it has maintained PCI DSS Level 1 certification since 2005 and is audited annually by independent security assessors. Gateway security options include point-to-point encryption, remote key injection, and remote terminal management. Merchants using the Payment API should have passed a PCI vulnerability scan before using that integration method, so the API’s flexibility comes with a compliance prerequisite. Third-party integrations in NMI’s documentation are not developed, maintained, or supported by NMI, a distinction partners should account for when planning support.

Support

A support portal lets users search for answers, submit requests, and track existing requests. It provides a route for support cases, while the partner-led account model remains central to merchant setup and configuration.

Pricing

NMI is paid, with custom pricing available by inquiry to its sales team. There is no published standard price to compare against a merchant’s expected volume or feature needs, so a partner evaluating the platform will need a quote before judging its economics. The partner-oriented model and the absence of public plan tiers make it a better fit for businesses prepared to discuss a tailored arrangement than buyers looking for transparent, self-serve pricing.

Platforms

NMI supports Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, web, and API integrations. Its mobile SDKs cover iOS and Android; device SDKs cover Windows and Linux; and web-based APIs support browser integrations. The browser-based customer-present option runs on any operating system, giving partners another route when they need a checkout flow without a platform-specific client.

Who it's for

NMI is a strong candidate for software companies, ISOs, and payment facilitators that want to embed payments, brand the gateway and portals, and manage merchant onboarding alongside checkout. Its combination of processor and cart integrations, multiple checkout approaches, and in-person and self-service capabilities suits partners serving merchants with varied payment environments.

It is less compelling for a merchant that wants to sign up and configure a gateway directly, or for a team that needs public pricing before starting a sales conversation. API-based implementations also require technical capacity and, for Payment API users, a passed PCI vulnerability scan.

Pros and cons

Pros: Partners can brand gateway and portal experiences with their own identity and URLs, supporting a more integrated merchant offering.

Pros: Hosted checkout, a customizable component, and a REST API provide distinct routes for different integration needs.

Pros: Broad channel coverage, recurring billing, and marketplace payments give partners options beyond standard online checkout.

Pros: Merchant Central combines CRM and underwriting tools, putting onboarding and lifecycle management alongside payment capabilities.

Cons: Merchants typically depend on a certified reseller or ISO for configuration and account handling, rather than dealing with NMI directly.

Cons: Custom pricing requires an inquiry, making an initial cost comparison difficult.

Cons: Payment API users should pass a PCI vulnerability scan, and NMI does not maintain or support the third-party integrations in its documentation.

Alternatives

Stripe Connect is worth considering for platforms that want Stripe to set and collect processing fees from connected accounts, with no platform fees for the stated plan; NMI is the stronger fit when partner branding and merchant-management tools are central.

Checkout.com may suit registered charities that qualify for free payment processing in countries where it operates, or businesses seeking tailored pricing. PayPal Multiparty Payments is another paid marketplace option, with platform or marketplace approval required.

Rainforest is an alternative with a published card transaction fee of $0.20 a month for the stated $15m–$25m monthly-volume band, plus interchange and DFA at passthrough. Finix may be relevant to direct merchants: its Standard plan is $250 a month, with transaction and other fees also applying.

Stax Connect is a paid embedded-payments alternative with pricing by inquiry. Flute Embedded Payments offers partner pricing based on revenue share on processing fees, with volume affecting the arrangement. Moov has a Standard plan at $500 a month with a $500 monthly minimum and per-feature transaction fees, as well as custom pricing.

For broader discovery, see Embedded Payments Platforms, Virtual Terminal Software, and Payment Gateways.

Verdict

NMI is a good fit for payment facilitators, ISOs, and software companies that need to embed and brand payment acceptance while managing merchant onboarding. Its main advantage is the combination of flexible checkout and broad payment-channel coverage with partner tools; its main drawback is that custom pricing and reseller-led access make it less straightforward for a merchant evaluating a gateway independently. Choose NMI when partner control matters more than a direct, publicly priced signup.