Esquire Bank Ranked Among Top 25 U.S. Merchant Acquirers by Nilson Report

Esquire Financial Holdings (NASDAQ: ESQ) was ranked among the top U.S. merchant acquirers by Nilson Report for 2025, placing 21st overall and 8th among banks.

Rhea-AI Summary

Esquire Financial Holdings (NASDAQ: ESQ) was ranked among the top U.S. merchant acquirers by Nilson Report for 2025, placing 21st overall and 8th among banks.

Esquire processed $39.45 billion in total purchase volume (+8.6% YoY), settled over 590 million transactions, and recorded $14.01 billion in card-not-present volume (+9.4%).

Positive

• Ranked 21st among U.S. merchant acquirers
• 8th highest-ranked bank by total purchase volume
• Total purchase volume of $39.45 billion (+8.6% YoY)
• Card-not-present volume of $14.01 billion (+9.4% YoY)
• Settled >590 million total purchase transactions

Negative

• None.

Argus Apr 22 session

-1.41% close to close Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – ESQ

On Apr 22, the day this news came out, ESQ closed 1.41% below the previous close.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Apr 22 session.

Key Figures

2025 purchase volume: $39.45 billion Purchase volume growth: 8.6% year-over-year Overall U.S. ranking: 21st +5 more

2025 purchase volume

$39.45 billion

Total merchant purchase volume processed in 2025

Purchase volume growth

8.6% year-over-year

Growth in total purchase volume in 2025

Overall U.S. ranking

21st

Nilson Report ranking among U.S. merchant acquirers by 2025 volume

Bank ranking

8th

Nilson Report ranking among banks by 2025 purchase volume

CNP purchase volume

$14.01 billion

2025 card-not-present purchase volume

CNP volume growth

9.4%

Year-over-year growth in 2025 CNP purchase volume

Total 2025 transactions

More than 590 million

Total purchase transactions settled in 2025

CNP transactions

209.6 million

2025 card-not-present purchase transactions

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Apr 08

5 events

1. Apr 08

   Earnings call notice

   24h Move

   +3.5%

   Announcement of Q1 2026 earnings release and investor conference call details.

2. Mar 31

   Performance recognition

   24h Move

   +1.5%

   Named a Best-Performing U.S. Community Bank for 2025 by S&P Global.

3. Mar 19

   Shareholder inquiry item

   24h Move

   +0.8%

   Headline raises questions on fairness of deals for shareholders across several firms.

4. Mar 16

   Shareholder inquiry item

   24h Move

   -2.8%

   Similar multi-company shareholder fairness headline including ESQ among others.

5. Mar 12

   Signature acquisition

   24h Move

   +7.0%

   All-stock acquisition of Signature Bancorporation with projected EPS and TBV accretion.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

merchant acquirers, card-not-present (CNP)

2 terms

merchant acquirers financial

"Esquire Bank ranked among the top U.S. merchant acquirers by Nilson Report..."

Merchant acquirers are banks or financial firms that handle credit and debit card payments for businesses, routing transactions between a merchant and the card networks, settling funds, and managing fees and fraud checks. They matter to investors because their revenue and profit depend on the number and size of transactions, fee margins and fraud losses; think of them as a toll operator who earns from traffic volumes but is exposed when traffic falls or risks rise.

card-not-present (CNP) technical

"Ranked 14th nationally in card-not-present (CNP) purchase volume..."

Card-not-present (CNP) describes a payment where the customer’s payment card is used without the physical card being shown—common in online, phone, or mail orders. It matters to investors because CNP transactions carry higher fraud and chargeback risk and often higher processing costs, which can reduce merchant margins and affect revenue stability for retailers and payment processors; think of it as buying by phone instead of handing over cash at a store.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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JERICHO, N.Y., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESQ) (the "Company"), the financial holding company for Esquire Bank, National Association ("Esquire Bank" or the "Bank"), (collectively "Esquire") today announced it has been ranked among the top U.S. merchant acquirers by Nilson Report for the second consecutive year. Esquire ranked 21st overall and eighth among banks based on total purchase volume in 2025.

Esquire's 2025 performance reflects continued growth and scale across its merchant processing platform:

• Processed $39.45 billion in total purchase volume, an 8.6% year-over-year increase.
  
  
• Ranked 14th nationally in card-not-present (CNP) purchase volume, which grew 9.4% to $14.01 billion.
  
  
• Settled more than 590 million total purchase transactions, including 209.6 million CNP transactions.

"Our merchant services vertical is a core driver of Esquire Bank's consistent growth and profitability," said Andrew C. Sagliocca, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. "Our continued recognition among the nation's top merchant acquirers underscores the strength of this business and its role in diversifying our revenue streams."

"Our 2025 results highlight the breadth and depth of our merchant services platform, with strong purchase volume across a diverse merchant base," said Andrew Cohen, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Merchant Services. "We're well positioned to support clients across a range of merchant environments, from in-person to digital, while continuing to grow a durable, fee-based business."

The Nilson Report is a trusted source of global payments data and analysis. Its annual rankings evaluate the largest U.S. merchant acquirers based on total purchase volume and transaction counts across all card types.

About Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc.

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Jericho, New York. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Esquire Bank, is a full-service commercial bank, with branch offices in Jericho, New York and Los Angeles, California, as well as an administrative office in Boca Raton, Florida. The Bank is dedicated to serving the financial needs of the litigation industry and small businesses nationally, as well as commercial and retail customers in the New York and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. The Bank offers tailored financial and payment processing solutions to the litigation community and their clients as well as dynamic and flexible payment processing solutions to small business owners. For more information, visit www.esquirebank.com.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/esquire-bank-ranked-among-top-25-us-merchant-acquirers-by-nilson-report-302749261.html

SOURCE Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did Esquire (ESQ) announce about its Nilson Report ranking on April 22, 2026?

Esquire announced it ranked 21st overall and 8th among banks in Nilson Report's 2025 U.S. merchant acquirer rankings. According to the company, this reflects its merchant services scale and continued growth across in-person and digital channels.

How much purchase volume did Esquire (ESQ) process in 2025?

Esquire processed $39.45 billion in total purchase volume in 2025, an 8.6% YoY increase. According to the company, this growth reflects expansion across its merchant processing platform and diverse merchant base.

What were Esquire's card-not-present (CNP) results for 2025 and how significant are they for ESQ?

Esquire's CNP purchase volume grew 9.4% to $14.01 billion in 2025. According to the company, stronger CNP volume signals growing digital transaction activity and diversification of its fee-based merchant services revenue.

How many transactions did Esquire (ESQ) settle in 2025 according to the announcement?

Esquire settled over 590 million total purchase transactions in 2025, including 209.6 million CNP transactions. According to the company, this transaction scale demonstrates operational capacity across payment types.

What does the Nilson Report ranking mean for Esquire Bank's (ESQ) merchant services strategy?

The ranking signals competitive scale and credibility in merchant acquiring, supporting Esquire's merchant services strategy. According to the company, the recognition underscores its role in diversifying revenue and supporting varied merchant environments.

Will Esquire's Nilson Report placement likely affect ESQ investor perception in 2026?

The placement may boost investor perception by highlighting merchant-services growth and scale. According to the company, the ranking evidences durable, fee-based revenue and operational reach across in-person and digital channels.