Most businesses want their money as soon as possible, and some are willing to pay to get it sooner. In this article, I’ll go over the most common payment timeframes and whether it’s worth it to pay for faster settlement. What is settlement? Settlement refers to the process of transferring cash from a cardholder’s account to your business. You may...

Issuing Refunds When you process a refund for a customer who paid with a credit or debit card, your credit card processor reverses the sale and the customer is credited for the original purchase price. There typically won’t be an additional processing fee to issue the refund, but whether you get your original processing fee back depends on your pr...

It goes without saying that abruptly losing your ability to accept credit cards can be majorly disruptive. With many consumers choosing to pay by card and still many others not even carrying cash, cards are a key factor for today’s business owners. Let’s take a look at what causes processors to freeze or close your account so you can do everything ...

It's that simple. The article below will provide plenty of reasons why you shouldn't lease a credit card machine, and this page from the Attorney General of NY involving a large leasing company is further proof. Credit Card Machine Leases are Nonsense! Thankfully, the practice of leasing credit card machines has been declining in recent years, bu...

You are virtually guaranteeing that you will overpay for credit card processing if you're comparing processors based on which ones are willing to provide a free terminal. The Economics of "Free" Credit card processing is a for-profit business, and the average basic machine costs a processor anywhere from $100 to $300. If a processor provide...

When you’re deciding how to take credit cards, the equipment you purchase is a big decision. In this article, we’ll tackle major brands, popular features, processor compatibility, and more. Need specifics on particular machines? Be sure to check out our credit card machine directory. You can also request quotes for processing and for purchasing ...

Some credit card machine companies also provide merchant accounts, while others are solely equipment manufacturers. We’ll take a look at why that matters and give a rundown of the major equipment providers in the United States. This article is specifically about credit card machine companies, not the machines themselves. Need details on particul...

But even if your machine still works, there are other factors to consider, including security, modern payment methods, and customer experience. In this article, I’ll go over key considerations to help you weigh the timing for upgrading your processing equipment. Obvious Signs That It’s Time for a New Credit Card Machine Of course, the most obviou...

As with many things in credit card processing, it’s complicated. Interchange, as set by Visa and Mastercard, is non-negotiable. It isn’t possible to get lower rates or fees than what Visa and Mastercard publish. But that’s not the full story. Two factors - one malicious, one not - play a role in whether you can lower your interchange. Downgrade...

In fact, there are two areas where it can excel: debit routing and fraud prevention. In this article, we’ll look at the first one - how AI can help save your business money through debit card interchange optimization. Debit Routing Background In order to cover the possible benefits of AI for debit routing, it’s important to have a solid understan...