IRIS CRM alternative for ISO residuals

If you are searching for an IRIS CRM alternative, the first thing to know is that the product has a new name. NMI acquired IRIS CRM, and it is now sold as NMI Merchant Central. Most ISO owners still call it IRIS, so this page uses both names.

We make SplitRun, so read this knowing which side we are on. We have tried to describe Merchant Central the way NMI describes it, with links to their pages so you can check. Details about their product were taken from nmi.com on September 21, 2026 and may have changed since.

SplitRun vs IRIS CRM: the short version

What IRIS CRM / Merchant Central does well

It would be wrong to call Merchant Central a weak product. It is the most complete platform in the ISO software market, and for the right office it is the right answer.

• It runs the whole merchant lifecycle. NMI lists pipeline management with a built-in dialer, AI statement analysis, sign-up forms and eSign, automated underwriting checks, direct boarding across more than ten processor integrations, portfolio reporting, a helpdesk, and white-label merchant lending, alongside residuals. See NMI Merchant Central.
• Residuals are a real module, not an afterthought. NMI describes automated calculation of ISO net and agent net, fee verification, agent-facing reporting and ACH payouts. See Residuals Management.
• It is backed by a large payments company, with the integrations and support organisation that implies.

If you board dozens of merchants a month, run a support desk, and want leads, applications, tickets and residuals in one database, Merchant Central is built for you, and SplitRun is not a replacement for it.

Where a residual-only tool fits better

Most of the ISO owners we talk to are not shopping for a CRM. They have one specific problem: month-end. Reports arrive from three or four processors in different shapes, someone rebuilds a spreadsheet for two or three days, agents question their numbers, and nobody fully trusts the result. For that office, a platform is a large answer to a narrow question.

You are not buying a migration. Adopting a full CRM means moving your leads, merchants, tickets and processes into it. SplitRun asks for the residual reports you already receive and your agents' agreements. Nothing else in your office changes.

The price is on the website. SplitRun is $49, $149 or $299 a month depending on the size of the book, and usage above a plan's limits is billed per active agent or merchant. The full table is on the pricing page. NMI does not publish Merchant Central pricing, so we cannot compare the two directly, and we will not guess. If you get a quote, compare the first-year total including any setup or implementation fees.

It is not tied to a gateway or processor. SplitRun reads reports from Fiserv, Global Payments, TSYS, Elavon, Maverick and Paysafe, and can map a report it has never seen before. It has no processing product of its own to favour.

It goes further on what the residuals are telling you. Calculating payouts is the starting point. SplitRun also shows which merchants are fading, how concentrated the book is, which agents and which processors actually produce the profit, and what a change to a comp plan would have cost against real past months.

Agents get their own portal. Each agent sees their merchants, their statement and their history, month over month. They do not see commission rates they should not see, or anyone else's numbers.

What SplitRun does not do

Being clear about this saves everyone a wasted demo.

• No lead management, dialer or sales pipeline.
• No merchant applications, eSign, underwriting or boarding.
• No helpdesk or ticketing.
• No ACH payouts. SplitRun tells you exactly what each person is owed and produces a payroll summary. Moving the money stays with your bank or payroll provider.
• It is a young product. SplitRun launched in 2026. Merchant Central builds on more than a decade of IRIS CRM.

If any of the first four are the reason you are looking, Merchant Central or another payments CRM is the better fit.

Can you use both?

Yes, and some offices will. A CRM for sales and boarding, and SplitRun for residuals and agent statements, do not overlap much. SplitRun works from the processor's residual reports, not from your CRM, so nothing needs to be integrated for it to run.

How to decide

1. Write down the problem you are trying to fix. If it is "month-end takes days and agents argue with the numbers", that is a residuals problem. If it is "we lose track of leads and applications", that is a CRM problem.
2. Ask each vendor for the first-year total, including setup, and how long until your first correct month.
3. Test with your own reports. Any residual tool should be able to take last month's real files and reproduce numbers you already know are right. If it cannot, nothing else matters.
4. Ask what your agents will see, and have one agent look at it.

Frequently asked questions

Is IRIS CRM still available? Yes, under a new name. NMI acquired IRIS CRM and now sells it as NMI Merchant Central. NMI's own pages describe Merchant Central as formerly IRIS CRM.

How much does IRIS CRM cost? NMI does not publish pricing for Merchant Central; its website directs buyers to contact sales. We do not know what it costs for a given office and will not estimate it. SplitRun's pricing is public: $49, $149 or $299 a month, with usage-based billing above each plan's limits.

Is SplitRun a CRM? No. SplitRun does residual and commission calculation, agent statements, an agent portal and portfolio analytics. It does not manage leads, applications, boarding or support tickets.

Which processors does SplitRun work with? SplitRun reads residual and profit reports from Fiserv, Global Payments, TSYS, Elavon, Maverick and Paysafe, in the United States and Canada, and uses AI-assisted column mapping to set up reports from other sources.

Can I switch from IRIS CRM to SplitRun for residuals only? Yes. SplitRun works from the processor's residual files and your agent agreements, so it can run alongside any CRM or replace only the residuals part. You can load past months to check its numbers against what you already paid.

What other IRIS CRM alternatives exist? Other products that serve ISOs include ISOhub and Twill, which are full platforms, and residual-focused tools such as Fullcast. Which one fits depends on whether you need a full CRM or only residuals. We compare them in ISO residual management software compared.