r/MerchantServices

I opened my new business checking account, and while there I also asked about merchant services. I told the guy I didn't want to see that 3.x% number, and he said thats the standard and best he could do.

Average expected ticket value is going to be range of $6000, it does not make sense for me to just give $210 dollars to the bank for moving the money. The bank is on my way home, 2 miles from the shop. There is no way it would cost me $210 to move cash or checks into the bank, that price is not valuable for the service provided.

If I do 100 jobs a year, that's $21,000 in fees.

How do I find a better payment processing price? I see facebook ads for scammy looking payment services advertising 1% or less. What's the catch on those, long payment delays while they hold your money? Shit like paypal where they can just keep your money hostage forever?

Do I just not take credit cards? Do I just raise the price of everything by 3.5%? Do I charge a surcharge on card payments?

We run a card ripping business and Stripe was completely fine when we were smaller. Now whenever we have a strong sales day or a noticeable jump in volume, it feels like something changes. Another review, another delay, another reason to wonder if payouts are going to come through normally. It’s getting hard to treat them like a reliable processor when growth itself seems to trigger problems. I’m at the point where I want to start moving away from Stripe before one of these holds really messes with inventory and cash flow. Looking for something that can handle a card ripping business without treating every good week like a red flag.

Small business owner here in the US. I just went through my processing statements and the fees add up to a lot more than I expected. It's cutting into my margin.

I'm thinking about a surcharge, a cash/ACH discount, or switching processors. Has anyone tried any of these? Did customers push back, or did hidden fees show up later?

I'll check the state rules with my accountant, but I'd like to hear real experiences first.

Hi all,

I'm a software engineer building my own POS system for restaurants and convenience stores in the US (Florida first). The software side is well underway, and now I need to pick the payments partner I'll integrate with so I can process card payments directly through my POS.

Options I've seen mentioned: Stripe Terminal, Adyen, Fiserv/CardPointe, Worldpay, TSYS, Payroc, Finix, NMI, Tilled. I'd love real-world feedback from people who've actually gone through the integration:

What I'm looking for:

• ISV / software partner program with a solid API and SDK (not just a reseller agreement)
• Semi-integrated or cloud-connected terminals so card data never touches my app and PCI scope stays minimal
• Card-present first (EMV, tap/NFC, Apple Pay/Google Pay), card-not-present later for online ordering
• Restaurant features: tips, tip adjust, split checks, pre-auth for bar tabs
• Convenience store features: fast checkout, possibly EBT/SNAP down the road
• Residual/revenue share on the merchants I bring, and ideally a path to becoming a PayFac (or PayFac-as-a-Service) as volume grows
• Reasonable certification timeline and cost

1. Which one had the smoothest integration and certification?
2. Which gave you the best economics as an ISV?
3. Anything you'd avoid, or wish you'd known before choosing?

Thanks in advance.