Specialty Apparel Retailer — Merchant Services Selection
CRA translated complex payment requirements into a structured RFP, evaluated 13 leading payment providers, built a stakeholder scoring model, and helped the retailer select and implement a more secure, scalable payment platform before the holiday freeze.
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The Challenge
A multi-store specialty apparel retailer determined that its existing payment processing environment was not meeting expectations for customer service, vendor affordability, security, or reliability at critical moments.
The business needed a structured way to evaluate the market, select a new payment platform, and move toward implementation on a timeline that avoided disruption during the holiday freeze.
Our Approach
- Analyzed 13 leading payment vendors using CRA’s selection methodology.
- Translated the retailer’s payment requirements into a detailed Request for Proposal.
- Worked with stakeholders to create a scoring model in CRA’s automated RFP tool.
- Scored vendor responses and presentations to support a clear platform decision.
- Supported selection and implementation planning so the new solution could be in place before the holiday freeze.
The Results
Selected and implemented a new payment platform before the holiday freeze, reducing downtime risk while delivering processing savings, lower reconciliation effort, and reduced PCI scope.
- Selected and implemented a new payment platform before the holiday freeze.
- Reduced the risk of payment downtime during a critical selling period.
- Realized significant processing savings.
- Significantly reduced reconciliation effort and PCI scope.
- Established a payment platform positioned for future growth and expanded functionality.
What CRA Delivered
A practical, hands-on engagement built around the decisions and execution support the client needed.
- Payment requirements definition
- Vendor market evaluation
- Retail-specific RFP development
- Stakeholder scoring model
- Vendor response and presentation evaluation
- Selection and implementation support
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