Most businesses accept credit cards and most businesses overpay on processing fees. Not because they made a bad decision when they signed up, but because processor pricing is complex, contracts auto-renew at unfavorable rates, and the statements are deliberately difficult to read.
A merchant processing review is a focused analysis of what you are actually paying, why you are paying it, and where the savings are.
What Gets Reviewed
Interchange and Rate Structure: Interchange is the base cost set by Visa and Mastercard. Everything above that is the processor markup — and that markup is negotiable. A review identifies exactly what you are paying above interchange and what a fair market rate looks like.
Statement Complexity and Hidden Fees: Processing statements are intentionally complex. Monthly minimum fees, PCI compliance fees, batch fees, statement fees, and dozens of line items that obscure the true cost of acceptance.
Interchange Optimization: Not all transactions qualify for the same interchange rate. Businesses that process transactions incorrectly pay higher interchange than they should. Optimization corrects these issues without switching processors.
Contract Terms and Renewal Dates: Most processing contracts auto-renew with rate increase provisions buried in the fine print. Knowing your renewal date is the first step to negotiating better rates.
Who Benefits Most
- Businesses processing more than $10,000 per month in card volume
- Retailers, restaurants, service businesses, and healthcare providers
- Companies that have never had an independent processing review
- Businesses whose processing contract has auto-renewed more than once