The PSP Selection RFP Template
60+ structured questions, evaluation scorecard, 5-lever negotiation playbook, and a 10-point red flag checklist — the operator's framework for choosing a payment service provider. Free PDF — no email required, no signup.
Download the template — freeSix questions to start your PSP comparison
Selected questions from the PaymentBrief kit, Version 1.0 / May 2026. Give each candidate the same transaction profile and request written answers before comparing offers.
- Provide a full sample fee schedule for our transaction profile (volume and geography as specified in the brief). Include: acquirer margin or IC+ markup, per-transaction fee, monthly/gateway fees, and any minimum monthly fee.
- What fees apply to refunds — do you retain the interchange, retain the full original fee, or refund the full fee?
- Can you provide a documented data portability procedure for merchant exit — format, timeline, who initiates, and what data is included?
- What is your FX conversion markup above mid-market for cross-currency settlement? Express as a fixed spread (e.g., mid-market + 0.50%), not as a discretionary rate.
- What is your webhook reliability — do you guarantee at-least-once delivery? What retry logic applies to failed webhook deliveries? Can merchants configure webhook endpoints by event type?
- What are your contractual uptime SLA commitments for the payment processing API and the merchant dashboard? What is the compensation structure for SLA breaches?
Example: turn a response into a weighted score
The kit rates written responses from 1 to 5: 5 means specific, documented, benchmarked commitments; 3 means partially specific with gaps; 1 means vague, non-committal or refused. Set weights for your own priorities before reading vendor responses.
| Category | Weight | Score | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokenisation and Portability | 20% | 4 / 5 | 0.80 |
Multiply the category score by its weight: 4 × 0.20 = 0.80 toward a total out of 5. A score of 5 at the same weight contributes 1.00. The kit's example contrasts a manual PAN-export process with portability documented in the contract; request the actual export format, timing and responsibilities before assigning your score.
Excerpt: question bank and evaluation scorecard, PaymentBrief PSP Selection RFP Kit. Download the complete 32-page PSP Selection RFP Kit (PDF, Version 1.0).
What's inside
Scope
Internal scoping worksheets covering volume, geography, channel, risk, and integration constraints.
RFP
A bank of 60+ specific questions organised across 8 categories — the questions you send to each candidate PSP.
Score
A weighted evaluation matrix with a worked example.
Negotiate
The 5 most-negotiable contract terms and what acceptable compromise looks like.
Inside the template
- How to use this — three-phase framing
- Phase 1: Internal Scoping (5 worksheets)
- Phase 2: RFP Question Bank — 8 categories, 60+ questions
- Phase 3: Evaluation Scorecard with worked example
- Phase 4: Five Negotiation Levers
- PSP Comparison Matrix Template
- Red Flags Checklist (10 items)
- Resources and next steps
Download the template
Free, no email required. Opens as a PDF — save it or print it.
- ✓ The PSP Selection RFP Kit (PDF) — 60+ structured questions across 8 categories, a weighted evaluation scorecard, 5 negotiation levers, and a 10-point red flag checklist.
Free · No email required · No signup
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