Guides
Understand what you pay to take cards.
Plain-language guides to merchant statements, interchange, pricing models, fees, and processor contracts, with the published card network rates behind them.
Start here · Statements
How to Read a Merchant Processing Statement
Start with two numbers: total card sales and total fees for the month. Divide fees by sales to get your effective rate. Then read the statement in four parts: the summary, the card-type breakdown, the pricing detail, and the list of other fees at the end, which is where most avoidable charges sit.
Read the guide · 6 minStatements
Pricing models
Interchange-Plus vs. Tiered vs. Flat-Rate Pricing
How the three common card processing pricing models work, what each one costs on the same month of sales, and which fits your business size and card mix.
5 min readNon-Qualified Fees and Downgrades on Tiered Pricing
Why so many card sales land in the mid- and non-qualified tiers, what triggers a downgrade, and the specific fixes that move sales back to your lowest rate.
4 min readWhen Flat-Rate Card Processing Stops Making Sense
Flat-rate processors are simple, but one price for every card costs more as volume and debit share grow. Find your own break-even point with this worksheet.
4 min readFees
What Are Interchange Fees and Who Sets Them?
Interchange is the largest part of every card fee. Learn who sets it, who receives it, why rates differ by card and sale type, and which parts you control.
5 min read13 Merchant Statement Fees Worth Questioning
A plain-language list of the add-on fees on card processing statements, which ones come from Visa and Mastercard, and which ones you can often get removed.
5 min readPCI Compliance Fees: What You Owe and What to Contest
The difference between a PCI compliance fee and a PCI non-compliance fee, what the PCI standard asks of small merchants, and how to stop paying the penalty.
5 min readWhy Keyed and Online Card Sales Cost More
Card-not-present sales carry higher interchange than chip and tap payments. See the published rate gap, why it exists, and how to qualify for lower rates.
4 min readChargeback Fees: What They Cost and How to Prevent Them
What a chargeback costs beyond the refunded sale, why card network monitoring programs matter, and practical steps that cut disputes for small businesses.
4 min readContracts
Credit Card Terminal Leases: The Real Cost
Why a card machine lease can cost several times the price of the terminal, how non-cancellable lease contracts work, and what to do if you are already in one.
4 min readEarly Termination Fees in Merchant Contracts
How merchant account cancellation fees and liquidated damages are calculated, how auto-renewal clauses catch businesses, and how to leave a processor cleanly.
4 min readStrategy
How to Negotiate Lower Credit Card Processing Fees
A step-by-step plan for getting a better rate from your current processor: what to gather, what to ask for, a call script, and when it is time to switch.
4 min readSurcharging, Cash Discounts, and Dual Pricing
The card network rules and state laws that decide whether you can pass card fees to customers, and how surcharges, cash discounts, and dual pricing differ.
4 min readLevel 3 Card Data for B2B Payments in 2026
Visa ended its Level 2 interchange incentives in April 2026. Learn what Level 3 data is, what Visa's enhanced data program requires, and when it saves money.
4 min readRather have someone read it for you?
A specialist reviews your processing statement for free and walks you through your effective rate, markup, and fees. You never have to switch.