GUARDIAN PAYMENT PROCESSING
Guardian’s wholesale payment processing partnership with Worldpay began more than 20 years ago, originating from the acquisition of the family business, Cartel Network—an electronic banking network—by Fifth Third Bank. This transaction established a strategic relationship that ultimately positioned Guardian to operate as a wholesale processor with direct platform access, rather than as a retail payment processing provider.
Guardian is not an ISO. The company operates as a contractual partner to Worldpay and its subsidiaries, maintaining a strategic and intentional referral-driven business model (approximately 90% of its business generated through long-standing referral partnerships).
Strategic Advantages of the Guardian–Worldpay Relationship
1. Wholesale Processor Status
- Direct access to the Worldpay processing platform
- Wholesale pricing model that is not achievable at the retail or ISO level
- Guardian’s pricing structure is positioned as impossible to undercut in the marketplace
2. Deep Industry Experience & Operational Continuity
- 40+ years of payment processing and electronic banking expertise
- 17 years’ operating under the Guardian brand, including ongoing active executive leadership
- Continued operational involvement from Cartel Networks founder, a pioneer in the electronic banking industry
3. Executive Access & Organizational Alignment
- Direct, ongoing access to top-level Worldpay executives as needed
- Cartel Networks executive transitioned to Worldpay through the Fifth Third acquisition and is now one of the high ranking employee in the organization
- Cartel Networks family relationship provides consistent access to enterprise decision-makers and resources
4. American Express Pricing Advantage
- Guardian prices AMEX at parity with Visa, Mastercard, and Discover
- AMEX traditionally costs 1.0–1.5 percentage points more than other card brands
- This is a meaningful differentiator as AMEX continues rapid adoption, driven by its rewards and points programs and status as the fastest-growing card usage type
5. Global Scale, Technology, and Future-Readiness
- Worldpay is currently the largest payment processor in the world
- Worldpay has announced a merger with Global Payments, further expanding platform scale and capabilities
- Guardian’s clients receive immediate access to new payment technologies, product innovation, and platform enhancements as the industry evolves
- Wholesale pricing, enterprise technology access, and processing expertise remain core strategic benefits
6. Enhanced Customer Support & Escalation Efficiency
- 24/7 support is available through Worldpay’s 1-800 merchant service line
- Unlike retail processing shops that rely solely on call-center support, Guardian clients also have direct 24/7 access to Guardian’s executive cell phone support
- Guardian provides immediate escalation pathways, enabling faster, more efficient issue resolution than standard retail models
7. Network Security & PCI Compliance Oversight
- Guardian operates a highly secure processing network for its clients
- While PCI compliance responsibility lies with the merchant, Guardian actively monitors PCI setup, support, and ongoing compliance requirements
- Compliance oversight is continuously managed to ensure long-term security and risk mitigation
Guardian’s partnership structure delivers wholesale economics, enterprise-level access, accelerated support resolution, and long-term strategic alignment with the world’s largest processing infrastructure.