Why small tickets change the maths
Most card pricing has a percentage and a fixed amount per transaction. On a large sale the percentage dominates. On a drink or a pastry, the fixed amount can be the larger part of the fee. That is why two quotes with the same percentage can cost a cafe very different amounts. Always compare the total fee on your typical ticket, not just the headline rate.
Debit, credit and the morning rush
Many coffee customers pay with debit cards and phones. Debit usually costs much less to accept than rewards credit, but only if your pricing passes that difference through. Flat-rate pricing charges both the same. Interchange-plus, with attention to small-ticket programs where your provider supports them, usually shows a cafe where it is overpaying.
Ordering, loyalty and speed
A POS that handles mobile order-ahead, loyalty and a kitchen or bar display keeps lines short. Owning your ordering page avoids per-order commissions from third-party apps. Loyalty tied to the card or phone rewards regulars without paper punch cards.
Beans, wholesale and online
Roasters that sell beans to offices, restaurants and online shoppers take invoices and card-not-present payments, which are priced differently from counter taps. Keep wholesale on invoices with ACH where possible, and use a gateway with fraud screening for online bean subscriptions.