Barclaycard Payments terminates ePDQ e-commerce gateway, forcing merchants to reapply for new MIDs

Barclaycard Payments surprised the market by terminating its ePDQ e-commerce gateway customers, with the service being switched off at the end of March 2026. Barclays is also cancelling the associated merchant accounts, meaning customers moving to alternative gateways must apply for new MIDs (Merchant IDs). ePDQ is Barclays' version of Worldline's legacy Ogone gateway. The decision was made by new management hired by Brookfield as part of the transformation programme.

This aggressive move by Brookfield-backed management signals a willingness to take short-term pain (merchant churn) for long-term platform modernisation. It confirms that the Barclaycard Payments transformation is actively disrupting existing commercial relationships and infrastructure. For Ingenico, this creates both risk (legacy terminal contracts may be reviewed) and opportunity (new platform build may require modern terminal deployments). The forced MID reapplication invites competitor acquirers to poach merchants.

Monitor merchant churn rates from Barclaycard Payments following the ePDQ shutdown. Track whether the new management team announces a replacement gateway platform and associated terminal strategy. Any RFP for terminal hardware would be a high-priority signal.

• businessofpayments.substack.com