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Merchant Underwriting Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Impact Payments Recruiting

Our client is looking to hire a VP of Merchant Underwriting who can optimize underwriting strategy across merchant acquiring. This individual will balance growth acceleration with disciplined risk ...

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Senior Merchant Underwriter

Atlanta, GA · Hybrid

$94K - $112K/yr

What We Look For: * 4+ years of business or merchant underwriting experience * 2+ years experience in a payments, financial services or related industry * Ability to proficiently analyze financial ...

KURV

Senior Merchant Underwriter

Cleveland, OH

$95K - $113K/yr

About the job The primary focus of the Senior Merchant Underwriter is to review, analyze and make ... Ensure all underwriting activities comply with company policies, industry regulations, and legal ...

PatientFi

Merchant Underwriter

Key Responsibilities Core Underwriting & Risk Assessment * Daily Decisioning: Conduct due diligence on merchant applications, including reviewing background checks, financial statements, and business ...

Vaco LLC

Merchant Risk Analyst

Manhattan, NY · Remote

$30/hr

Merchant Underwriting Risk Analyst Duration: 6+ Months Pay Rate: $30/hr Senior and Junior position available Location: *Fully Remote* As a Merchant Underwriter, you will assess financial risk related ...

Vaco LLC

Merchant Risk Analyst

Manhattan, NY · Remote

$30/hr

Merchant Underwriting Risk Analyst Duration: 6+ Months Pay Rate: $30/hr Senior and Junior position available Location: *Fully Remote* As a Merchant Underwriter, you will assess financial risk related ...

Coinflow

Senior Merchant Underwriter

Chicago, IL · On-site

$100K - $140K/yr

New Business Underwriting: Evaluate merchant applications, ensuring that merchants are operating Legally, within Card Scheme Rules, and within Coinflow's operational risk appetite. This includes ...

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Senior Credit Analyst

Atlanta, GA · Hybrid

Verify merchant application information, coordinate the collection of missing data and documentation, analyze and underwrites new merchant applications, and re-evaluate existing merchant accounts as ...

IDT

Senior Underwriter - Merchant Services

Newark, NJ · On-site

$120K/yr

We're expanding our underwriting team and seeking a highly motivated Senior Underwriter to join us ... Review and evaluate merchant applications, supporting documents, and risk indicators. * Analyze ...

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Merchant Underwriting information

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$48K

$103.1K

$158.5K

How much do merchant underwriting jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average yearly pay for merchant underwriting in the United States is $103,082.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $77,000.00 and $121,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Merchant Underwriting position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Merchant Underwriter, you need strong analytical abilities, a keen understanding of financial statements, and experience evaluating business risk, typically supported by a degree in finance, business, or a related field. Proficiency with underwriting platforms, risk assessment tools, and knowledge of industry compliance standards or certifications such as Certified Risk Professional (CRP) is often preferred. Strong attention to detail, effective communication, and sound judgment enable successful collaboration with sales and risk teams. These skills ensure accurate merchant approvals, mitigate potential losses, and support the financial integrity of the organization.

What are some common challenges faced by Merchant Underwriters in their daily work?

Merchant Underwriters often encounter challenges such as assessing the risk of new or emerging business models, analyzing incomplete or inconsistent financial data, and staying updated with evolving industry regulations. Balancing the need for thorough risk evaluation with the demands for quick decision turnarounds can also be demanding. Collaboration with sales and compliance teams is essential to resolve cases where risk factors are unclear or customer expectations are urgent. To succeed, underwriters must be adaptable, detail-oriented, and proactive in continuing their professional development to keep up with changing policies and industry trends.

What is a Merchant Underwriting job?

A Merchant Underwriting job involves assessing the risk and creditworthiness of businesses applying for merchant accounts to process payments. Underwriters review financial statements, business models, and transaction history to identify potential fraud or financial instability. They work closely with sales teams, risk management, and compliance departments to ensure merchants meet regulatory and company requirements. The goal is to approve legitimate businesses while minimizing financial risk for the payment processor or financial institution. This role requires analytical skills, attention to detail, and knowledge of payment industry regulations.

More about Merchant Underwriting jobs
What cities are hiring for Merchant Underwriting jobs? Cities with the most Merchant Underwriting job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Merchant Underwriting jobs? The most popular types of Merchant Underwriting jobs are:
What states have the most Merchant Underwriting jobs? States with the most job openings for Merchant Underwriting jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Merchant Underwriting jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Merchant Underwriting jobs are:
Merchant Underwriting jobs near you
Infographic showing various Merchant Underwriting job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 97% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 68% Physical, 8% Hybrid, and 24% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $103,082 per year, or $49.6 per hour.
VP, Merchant Underwriting

VP, Merchant Underwriting

Impact Payments Recruiting

Contractor

Posted 18 days ago

Job description

Our client is looking to hire a VP of Merchant Underwriting who can optimize underwriting strategy across merchant acquiring. This individual will balance growth acceleration with disciplined risk management, leveraging data, automation, and advanced analytics to drive profitable portfolio expansion while safeguarding the enterprise from credit, fraud, regulatory, and reputational risk.
This role requires a commercially minded leader who can translate risk trends, regulatory expectations, and portfolio performance into actionable underwriting frameworks that enable responsible growth.
Strategic Leadership
* Define and execute on an underwriting strategy aligned to corporate growth targets, risk appetite, and capital efficiency objectives.
* Establish and maintain dynamic risk frameworks segmented by vertical, channel, and product type.
* Partner with internal teams to embed risk-adjusted decisioning into go-to-market strategy.
Portfolio & Credit Risk Management
* Oversee merchant underwriting across SMB, mid-market, and enterprise segments.
* Develop and maintain underwriting policy, governance, and escalation protocols.
* Monitor portfolio performance metrics (loss rates, chargeback exposure, fraud indicators, concentration risk) and proactively recalibrate underwriting criteria.
* Support with the implementation of predictive modeling and machine learning capabilities to enhance risk scoring and pricing precision.
Operational Excellence
* Drive automation and straight-through processing to improve speed-to-decision while preserving control integrity.
* Optimize workflow design, capacity planning, and service-level standards to support scalable growth.
* Build robust QA and second-line review mechanisms to ensure policy adherence and regulatory compliance.
Risk & Regulatory Governance
* Ensure practices comply with card brand rules, sponsor bank requirements, AML/BSA standards, and applicable state and federal regulations.
* Maintain strong documentation, audit trails, and defensible decision frameworks.
* Serve as primary underwriting liaison during regulatory exams, sponsor bank reviews, and internal audits.
Data & Technology Enablement
* Decisioning, including integration of alternative data sources and third-party risk intelligence tools.
* Collaborate with Technology and Data teams to modernize underwriting systems and reduce manual friction points.
* Leverage analytics to identify emerging industry risk trends and proactively adjust exposure.
People & Leadership
* Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing underwriting and risk professionals.
* Establish a culture of accountability, analytical rigor, and commercial partnership.
* Create clear performance KPIs tied to portfolio outcomes and operational efficiency.
This role is critical to building a resilient, scalable payments platform that accelerates merchant acquisition without compromising enterprise integrity. The VP of Underwriting will serve as both a growth enabler and a risk guardian, ensuring the organization remains agile, compliant, and competitively positioned in an evolving payments landscape.
Qualifications & Experience
* Extensive progressive underwriting or credit risk leadership experience within the industry
* Deep expertise in merchant risk, card-not-present exposure, chargeback management, fraud typologies, and high-risk vertical underwriting.
* Demonstrated experience scaling underwriting functions in high-growth environments.
* Strong knowledge of card network rules, sponsor bank frameworks, AML/BSA expectations, and regulatory risk management principles.
* Proven track record of leveraging analytics, automation, and technology to modernize risk operations.
* Executive-level communication skills with the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and board-level audiences.Education:Employment Type: CONTRACTOR

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