(1) "Electronic payment system" means an entity that directly or through licensed members, processors, or agents provides the proprietary services, infrastructure, and software that route information and data to facilitate transaction authorization, clearance, and settlement, and that merchants are required to access in order to accept a specific brand of general-purpose credit cards, charge cards, debit cards, or stored-value cards as payment for goods and services.

(2) "Merchant" means a person or entity that, in Vermont: