If you're curious whether your credit card machine can be reprogrammed, here's the scoop: Some credit card machines can be reprogrammed to work with virtually any credit card processing service, while other machines will only work with a specific processor. But there are a few caveats, including what we mean by "processor." Older credit card mac...

That may sound confusing, but I'll explain. Monthly Minimum Explanation A monthly minimum indicates the minimum amount in fees that a processor will collect in any given month. If actual fees resulting from processing activity don't meet or exceed the minimum amount, the processor will charge however much is necessary to meet the minimum. A ca...

It's not really as simple as that, though. In actuality, a variety of entities are working behind the scenes, and it's the card-issuing bank that ends up taking the largest piece of the pie. The more you know about what affects your business, the better armed you are to improve your position in the market and protect your income. Before we break...

The method to go about choosing the right credit card processor is very similar whether you’re taking cards for the first time or switching processors from your existing solution. The only real difference is equipment considerations. This article will go over what you need to look for (and avoid!) in order to choose a merchant services provider ...

It seems to include a lot of different things, so what is “merchant services” or “merchant processing?” If you’re starting a business or looking to get better rates on credit card processing at your existing business, it’s a good idea to understand what’s involved in merchant services and how to choose the right provider. Let’s take a look at...

Whether you’re starting a business from scratch, taking over an existing company, or adding credit card processing to your established business for the first time, you’ll need to know how to accept credit cards securely and at a low cost. There are tons of articles out there on credit card processing fees (we’ve written a bunch ourselves!) but l...

In this guide to pricing models, we’ll explain the pros and cons of different options. Fundamentals of Processing Fees Before we can get into pricing models, it’s important to start with a basic understanding of processing fees. Every credit card transaction is comprised of three parts: interchange, assessments, and markup. Interchange i...

However, the rise of alternative payment channels has muddied the waters a bit, leaving some businesses confused as to why their transactions are card-not-present (CNP) when they expected card-present (CP.) Types of Transactions Firstly, let’s define “card-present” and “card-not-present.” More than just the physical presence of the credit card,...

What to Expect CardFellow's Guide to Credit Card Processing provides accurate, unbiased information about credit card processing followed by a blueprint showing how you can quickly obtain truly low costs for your business. First Things First This no-nonsense guide will put you on the fast track to low credit card processing fees by teaching yo...

There are many merchant account providers (commonly known as “credit card processors” or just “processors”) so it’s important to understand what a merchant account entails and what to keep in mind both when you apply and while processing. While merchant accounts aren't free, we're not going to tackle rates and fees extensively in this article. I...