Plain-English breakdowns of fees, pricing models, and industry practices so you can make smarter decisions for your business.
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Merchant Tips A merchant account is how your business actually gets paid when a customer swipes a card. Here’s what it is, how it works, and how to know whether a dedicated merchant account is the right move for your business right now. The Basics What Is a Merchant Account? A merchant account is a […]
Read Article →How to switch payment processors is a question most merchants overthink. It isn’t complicated. Here’s exactly what happens, how long it takes, and what to watch out for so you don’t miss a single transaction. The number one reason merchants don’t switch payment processors isn’t the contract. It isn’t the hardware. It isn’t even the […]
Read Article →Industry Insights Why merchants don’t trust payment processors — and why most of them are right not to. I’m an honest payment processor — or at least I try to be. And I walked into the TikiHut the other day — a thrift shop run by someone who kind of knows me. She asked what […]
Read Article →Merchant Tips Payment processor overcharging is more common than most merchants realize — and the signs of payment processor overcharging are rarely obvious until you know what to look for. It happens not because of fraud but because pricing structures are deliberately complex, statements are hard to read, and processors count on inertia keeping merchants […]
Read Article →Merchant Insider Your merchant processing statement is designed to be hard to read. Not accidentally — by design. The more confusing it is, the less scrutiny it receives, and the more fees accumulate unnoticed. This guide walks you through how to read a merchant processing statement in under 10 minutes, what every section actually means, […]
Read Article →Merchant Insider These are the payment processing questions most merchants never think to ask their processor. Some don’t know what to ask. Some assume they won’t get a straight answer. Some are afraid of looking unsophisticated. Here are the payment processing questions every merchant should be asking — and what the answers tell you about […]
Read Article →Industry Insider I spent years as a payment processing sales rep for one of the largest processors in the country. I was good at it. I made good money. And I knew things about how the industry worked that my merchants never knew — because I was trained not to tell them. This is what […]
Read Article →Industry Analysis If your payment processor’s customer service has gotten worse, your rates have crept up, and you can’t get anyone on the phone anymore — there’s a good chance a private equity payment processor is behind it. Here’s what’s happening to the payment processing industry, why it keeps happening to merchants, and what to […]
Read Article →Interchange fees are the biggest driver of processing cost. Learn what they are, why they vary by card type, and how they appear on your statement.
Read Article →Learn how to calculate your effective rate — the real percentage you pay in processing fees. Includes formula, what to include, and how to compare providers.
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