Fees & statements
15 guides written so a business owner can act on them, not so a processor looks good.
The 48-Month Terminal Lease: Payments' Costliest Trap
A $400 terminal, $89 a month, 48 months, and a contract with a company you have never spoken to.
3 min read Fees & statements"Regulatory Compliance Fee": An Invented Line Item
If a fee sounds like a government requirement, check whether any government requires it.
3 min read Fees & statementsPayment Gateway Fees: What You Are Actually Buying
A legitimate cost that is frequently double-charged.
3 min read Fees & statementsCross-Border and Currency Conversion Fees Explained
Every foreign card carries extra network fees. Blended pricing hides them completely.
3 min read Fees & statementsChargeback Fees: What They Cost and When They Should Be Waived
You can win the dispute and still pay for it.
3 min read Fees & statementsThe Annual Fee That Lands in the Month You Are Not Watching
One charge, once a year, timed for a month when nobody is reading closely.
3 min read Fees & statementsNon-Qualified Surcharges: How Tiered Pricing Makes Money
The processor writes the definitions. Then the processor applies them.
3 min read Fees & statementsInterchange Downgrades: Why Your Rate Is Higher Than Your Rate
The most expensive thing on most statements is a configuration problem, not a pricing problem.
3 min read Fees & statementsCard Brand Assessments: The Fees Nobody Can Discount
Genuinely fixed costs — which is exactly why they are such convenient cover for markup.
3 min read Fees & statementsThe Statement Fee: $30 a Month for a PDF
There is no cost being recovered here. There never was.
3 min read Fees & statementsBatch Fees: Small, Frequent, and Easy to Overpay
Fifteen cents a day sounds harmless until you count the days and the extra batches.
3 min read Fees & statementsThe Monthly Minimum Fee: Paying for Not Selling Enough
A charge that only applies in your worst months, which is exactly the point.
3 min read Fees & statementsWhat Is a PCI Non-Compliance Fee (and How to Stop It)?
One of the most profitable line items in the payments industry, and one of the easiest to eliminate.
3 min read Fees & statements17 Hidden Merchant Account Fees to Look For
Most of them exist because most merchants never ask what they are for.
3 min read Fees & statementsWhat Is an Effective Rate (and How to Calculate Yours)
One number tells you whether you are being overcharged. It is not the rate on your contract.
3 min readEvery fee named in 4 hours. Or call now and we quote you on the spot.
Everyone else in this industry says twenty-four hours. We say four — and if that is still too slow, pick up the phone and get your numbers while you are on the call. No contract, nothing to cancel, no pressure.