Why Your Rate Changes Every April and October
Twice a year the card networks republish their interchange tables, and your costs move without your processor touching anything. Here's how to tell a real rate hike from the calendar.
Read more →
Payment Processing, Explained
Plain-English guides for business owners who are tired of overpaying and not understanding why.
Start Here
What Happens When You Swipe Your Card
Follow your transaction from terminal to bank — and see who takes a cut along the way.
Read →Flat Rate vs. Interchange-Plus
The real math behind both pricing models — and which one actually saves you money.
Read →Free Guide: Statement Checkup
Find out in 5 minutes if you are overpaying. Includes a rate calculator and red flag checklist.
Get the Guide →Latest Posts
Assessment Fees: The Card Brand's Cut That Nobody Explains
Interchange goes to the bank. Your processor's markup goes to your processor. Assessments go to Visa and Mastercard themselves — and almost nobody explains that third bucket.
Read more →
Is Your MCC Wrong? How to Check It and How to Get It Changed
A wrong Merchant Category Code costs you on every transaction and never shows up as a line item. Here's the 10-minute check and the script for getting it corrected.
Read more →
MCC 5411 vs 5499: Why Two Food Stores Pay Very Different Rates
Grocery stores get some of the best interchange rates in the system. Convenience and specialty food stores don't. The line between them is one digit on your merchant account.
Read more →
What MCC Code Is My Business? A Plain-English Lookup
Your Merchant Category Code decides which interchange rates you qualify for. Here's how to find yours, what the common codes mean, and why the wrong one quietly costs you money.
Read more →MCC Codes: How Your Business Category Affects Your Rates
Your Merchant Category Code determines which interchange tier you fall into. If it's wrong, you could be paying more than you should.
Read more →The Truth About "Free" Payment Processing
If your processor says processing is free, someone is still paying. Usually it's your customers — or you, in ways you haven't noticed yet.
Read more →ACH vs. Credit Card: When to Use Each and What It Costs
ACH costs a fraction of card processing, but it's not right for every situation. Here's how to decide which payment method to push.
Read more →How Chargebacks Affect Your Processing Rates — And Your Account Standing
Too many chargebacks don't just cost you money on the dispute. They can put you in a monitoring program or get your account shut down.
Read more →Payment Terminals 101: What to Buy, What to Lease, What to Avoid
Leasing a terminal can cost you 10x its purchase price over a contract term. Here's what you should actually be paying for hardware.
Read more →
FREE GUIDE
The 5-Minute Merchant Statement Checkup
Grab your most recent statement and find out if you are overpaying — in under 5 minutes. Includes a rate calculator, comparison chart, and 9-point red flag checklist.
Download the Free GuideWant a second opinion on your statement?
Upload your merchant statement and I'll break down exactly what you're paying — and whether it's fair. Free, no strings attached.
Send me your statement →