As a payment processing fintech builder for several decades the many comments about diversifying across processors is correct. The misunderstanding here for many may be that knowledgeable business owners (merchants) always have more than one processing account each with a different entity holding the risk, think multiple banks. Having multiple processors, aside from the point of this question, directly relates to up time and availability of which nearly all rely on the "middleman" - Have a backup! However problem businesses and their business owners that get caught being nefarious earn a permanent place on the card brands "list" that forbids them from taking card payments in the future. An individual business can have multiple merchant accounts and as with anything else once one understands how a system works it can then be manipulated to fit ones need.