Merchant services and credit card processing
Take cards today.
Money in the bank tomorrow.
Credit and debit card acceptance for your business: at the counter, online, or on the go. Next-day funding is the standard, not a paid upgrade, and every account is underwritten by a real person upfront so your money never gets stuck.
Or call (615) 943-9373
$3.9B
Annual volume
5.2M
Annual transactions
65K
Clients
2001
In business since
PCI DSS Level 1
A-LIGN certified
HIPAA
A-LIGN certified
CoreCommerce is a merchant services provider offering next-day funding credit card processing for businesses across the US. You get a merchant account with transparent interchange-plus pricing, payment processing for in-person and online sales, and next-day funding as the standard, not a paid upgrade. We don't hold your funds and we don't re-underwrite you mid-stream.
Partnering with industry leaders
The two things modern processors got rid of. We kept them.
Next-day funding. Standard.
Your sales today are in your bank tomorrow. No 7 to 14 day first-payout wait, no “instant payout” fee skimming 1.5% off the top. Next-day is just how fast funding works here.
Real underwriting, upfront.
Instant-approval processors underwrite you after you're live, by algorithm, mid-stream. That's how funds get frozen. We underwrite once, before you go live. Approved means approved.
A person who answers.
Your account was reviewed by a human, so there's a human who knows it. Call us and someone picks up.
“Instant approval” is not a favor. It’s a delay in disguise.
Flat-rate processing approves you in minutes because underwriting hasn’t happened yet. It happens later, algorithmically, without warning, and usually right after your best sales day. We do it once, upfront, the way a bank would.
| Feature | Typical flat-rate processor | CoreCommerce |
|---|---|---|
| Approval | Instant, but provisional | 24 to 48 hours, reviewed by a person |
| Underwriting | After you are live, by algorithm | Before you are live, by a human underwriter |
| First payout | Commonly 7 to 14 days | Next business day, same as every payout after |
| Standard funding | About 2 business days | Next business day |
| Faster funding | Charged as a percentage of each payout | Included at no cost |
| Holds and reserves | Applied mid-stream without warning | We don't hold your funds |
| Support | Ticket queue | A person who knows your account |
Flat-rate figures reflect publicly published pricing and documentation as of July 2026. Terms vary by provider and by account.
Merchant services for every way you take a card.
At the counter
Countertop terminals and POS-ready card readers. Tap, dip, swipe: Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
Amount due
$34.10
Online
A simple hosted checkout page or payment links you can email, powered by CoreGateway. No web developer needed.
Card number
Over the phone
A virtual terminal that runs in any browser. Key in a card, done.
Charge amount
$128.00
On the go
Take tap to pay right on the phone you already carry. Job sites, deliveries, markets, events.
See CoreMobile →Job 4419 · deck repair
$96.00
One merchant account. One statement. One next-day deposit, no matter how the card was taken.
Terminals, POS systems, and readers. Matched to how you sell.
We spec the setup around how you actually take payments. If you already have a point of sale system, we will tell you honestly whether we integrate with it.
Retail and service counters
Countertop terminals
A standalone credit card machine for the front counter. Chip, swipe, contactless, and PIN debit. Connects over ethernet or wifi, prints receipts, and batches automatically at your cutoff time.
Restaurants and multi-station retail
POS-integrated readers
Card readers that plug into your existing point of sale software so tickets, inventory, and payments stay in one system. We confirm which POS systems we integrate with before you sign, not after.
Field and mobile businesses
Tap to pay on a phone
Tap to pay directly on an iPhone or Android with no hardware at all. Built for job sites, deliveries, markets, and events.
Phone orders and invoicing
Virtual terminal
A browser-based virtual terminal for keyed and phone orders. No hardware, no install. Take a card over the phone, email a receipt, and store the customer for repeat billing.
Not sure which setup fits? Tell us how you take payments and we will spec it for you, including whether your current equipment can be reprogrammed instead of replaced.
Underwritten once, upfront. Then funded every business day.
Real underwriting is the reason our approvals hold. It is also the reason we can fund you the next business day without holding a percentage back against risk we never assessed.
You apply
A short application, your business details, and a recent processing or bank statement. Ten minutes, and you can send the statement later if you don't have it handy.
A human underwrites it
A real underwriter reviews your business type, processing history, and risk profile. Not a scoring algorithm. If something is missing, someone calls you instead of silently declining.
You're approved
Typically within 24 to 48 hours. Approved means approved: we don't re-underwrite you mid-stream, and we don't apply a reserve after you've started processing.
You start processing
Equipment is shipped preconfigured or your gateway credentials are issued the same day. Most merchants take their first card within a week of applying.
How funding actually works
A card payment moves through four stages: authorization, batch, settlement, and deposit. Most processors add days between settlement and deposit. We don't.
Step 1
Authorization
The moment the card is tapped, dipped, or keyed, the issuing bank approves the amount and holds it against the cardholder's account. This happens in about two seconds.
Step 2
Batch
Your day's approved transactions are grouped into a batch and submitted at your cutoff time. Terminals batch automatically, so nothing is left sitting overnight by accident.
Step 3
Settlement
The card networks move funds from the issuing banks to the acquiring bank, and interchange and assessment fees are applied at this stage.
Step 4
Deposit
Funds land in your bank account the next business day, typically by 8:00 AM. No payout fee, no ramp-up period on your first deposit, and no percentage held back.
Batches submitted after your cutoff, on weekends, or on bank holidays deposit the following business day. Your cutoff time is set when your account is approved.
Pricing you can actually read.
Flat-rate payment processing charges everyone 2.9% + 30¢ and keeps the spread between that and what cards actually cost. We use interchange-plus pricing: you pay the true card cost plus a transparent markup you can see on every statement.
Flat rate 2.9%
Interchange-plus
Illustrative. Your rates depend on card mix and volume.
Monthly card volume
$85,000
At 2.9% + 30¢
$3,032
Interchange-plus est.
$1,899
Est. monthly difference
$1,133
Estimate only. Assumes a $45 average ticket. Your statement decides.
Every line that can appear on your statement
There are only a handful of real cost components in credit card processing. A confusing statement is a choice the processor made, not a fact of the industry.
| Fee | What it is | How we handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Interchange | Set by the card-issuing bank and published by Visa and Mastercard. Every processor pays the same rate. | Passed straight through |
| Assessments | Charged by the card network itself on each transaction, separate from interchange. | Passed straight through |
| Processor markup | Our margin. This is the only number that actually differs between processors. | Disclosed on every statement |
| Monthly account fee | Covers statements, reporting, and account maintenance. | Quoted up front, never variable |
| Chargeback fee | Charged when a cardholder disputes a transaction and the case is opened. | Quoted up front |
| Setup fee | One-time cost to open the account. | None |
| Monthly minimum | A floor you're billed up to if you process below it. | None |
| Early termination fee | Charged for leaving before a contract term ends. | None. Month-to-month. |
What are you actually paying right now?
Headline rates are marketing. Your effective rate is the only number that matters: total fees divided by total card volume. Take the two figures off your last statement and see it for yourself.
Include every line: discount rate, per-item fees, monthly fees, PCI fees, statement fees. All of it.
Your effective rate
3.38%
That is well above what most established businesses should be paying.
This is arithmetic on your own numbers, not a quote. What a fair rate looks like depends on your card mix, average ticket, and volume.
Surcharging
In most states you can pass a compliant surcharge on to the customer and recover much of your card cost. The rules differ by state and by card brand, and getting them wrong carries real penalties. We configure surcharging correctly for where you operate, disclose it the way the card brands require, and tell you plainly if your state restricts it. Debit cards can never be surcharged, anywhere.
Common questions
Anything else, ask a person: (615) 943-9373.
What does approval require, and how long does it take?+
A completed application, your business details, and a recent processing statement or bank statement. An underwriter reviews it, typically in 24 to 48 hours. If we need one more document, someone calls you instead of silently declining.
When exactly do funds arrive?+
Batch by your cutoff time and the deposit lands the next business day, typically by 8:00 AM. Your first deposit follows the same schedule as every one after it. There's no ramp-up period.
Are there setup fees, monthly minimums, or contracts?+
No setup fee, no monthly minimum, and no hidden fees. Accounts are month-to-month with no cancellation fee, so nothing locks you in beyond the month you're in.
Which cards and what equipment do you support?+
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and contactless. Countertop terminals, PIN pads, POS-integrated readers, tap to pay on a phone, a browser-based virtual terminal, and hosted checkout, all on one merchant account.
What happens if I get a chargeback?+
You're notified the day we receive it, with the reason code and the deadline in plain language. You upload your evidence and our team reviews it with you before it's submitted. A chargeback doesn't put your funding on hold.
What are merchant services?+
Merchant services are what let a business accept credit and debit cards: a merchant account, the equipment or software to take payments, and the processing that moves money to your bank. CoreCommerce provides all of it on one account, in person, online, over the phone, and on the go.
How much does credit card processing cost?+
With interchange-plus pricing you pay the true card-network cost plus one transparent markup, so there is no hidden spread like flat-rate 2.9% plans. Your exact rate depends on your card mix and volume. Send us a recent statement and we will show you the number on your own sales.
What is next-day funding?+
Next-day funding means the card sales you batch today land in your bank the next business day, typically by 8:00 AM. With CoreCommerce it is the standard, not a paid upgrade, and there is no 7 to 14 day wait on your first deposit.
How does credit card processing work?+
A card payment moves through four stages: authorization, batch, settlement, and deposit. Your terminal authorizes the card in about two seconds, batches the day's sales at your cutoff, the networks settle the funds, and the money lands in your bank the next business day.
What is interchange?+
Interchange is the fee the card-issuing bank keeps on every transaction. Visa and Mastercard publish these rates and every processor pays the same ones. What differs between processors is the markup added on top, which is exactly what interchange-plus pricing makes visible.
What is the difference between a merchant account and a payment processor?+
A merchant account is the bank account that holds your card sales before they reach your business account. A payment processor moves the transaction between your terminal, the card networks, and that account. You need both, and we provide both on one agreement.
Why do processors hold or freeze funds?+
Usually because underwriting happened after the account went live. When an algorithm sees a sale that doesn't match a profile it never properly built, it holds the money. We underwrite before you process, which is why we don't hold your funds later.
What is a rolling reserve?+
A rolling reserve is a percentage of your sales the processor keeps for a set period, often six months, to cover potential chargebacks. It's a symptom of risk that was never assessed upfront. We don't apply reserves to accounts we've already underwritten.
How long until I can start processing?+
Most merchants are approved in 24 to 48 hours and processing within a week. Terminals ship preconfigured, and gateway credentials for online or phone orders can be issued the same day the account is approved.
Do I need a merchant account to sell online?+
Yes. Online sales need a merchant account plus a payment gateway to connect your website to it. Both are included here, whether you use our hosted checkout page, embed a form, or send payment links by text and email.
Can I pass processing fees to my customers?+
In most states, yes, through compliant surcharging. The rules vary by state and by card brand, so we configure it correctly for where you operate and tell you plainly if your state restricts it.
What is PCI compliance and do I need it?+
PCI DSS is the card industry's security standard, and every business accepting cards must meet it. CoreCommerce is PCI DSS Level 1 certified by A-LIGN, an independent third-party auditor. What's required on your side depends on how you take payments, and we'll tell you which apply to your setup.
What POS systems do you work with?+
Tell us what you're running and we'll confirm whether we integrate with it before you sign, not after. If your current point of sale system isn't supported, we'll say so upfront instead of selling you hardware you'd have to replace.
How do I switch from my current processor?+
Send us a recent statement, we underwrite the account, then we program equipment or issue gateway credentials before you cut over. Most switches happen with no downtime. Month-to-month accounts mean there's no cancellation fee waiting on our side.
What is EMV and why does it matter?+
EMV is the chip standard on modern cards. Accepting chip transactions correctly shifts liability for counterfeit fraud from your business back to the issuing bank. Every terminal we ship is EMV certified and supports contactless out of the box.
Bill on a schedule. Get paid without chasing.
Memberships, subscriptions, retainers, payment plans, and donor programs all run on the same small business merchant account, at no extra platform fee. Cards are stored as tokens, not card numbers, so a saved customer is never a stored card number sitting in your system. Recurring billing runs on CoreGateway, our own payment gateway.
Subscriptions and memberships
Recurring billing
Set the amount and the schedule once and it runs. Weekly, monthly, annual, or a fixed number of installments. Nonprofits running donor programs can pair this with CoreCause.
Reduce involuntary churn
Card updater
When a customer's card is reissued or expires, the updated number is pulled automatically from the card networks. That's the single largest cause of failed recurring payments, handled before it becomes a lost customer.
Lower cost on large amounts
ACH bank transfers
Pull payments directly from a customer's bank account over the ACH network. Materially cheaper than cards on large recurring amounts, which matters on rent, tuition, retainers, and B2B invoices.
Recover failed payments
Retry logic
A declined recurring payment is retried on a schedule that matches how issuing banks actually behave, instead of hammering the card and getting the account flagged.
Switching is five steps. Usually with no downtime.
The fear of a messy switch keeps more small business owners in bad pricing than the pricing itself does. Here is exactly what happens, in order, so there are no surprises.
Send us a statement
Two or three months of your current merchant statements. We read your real effective rate, not the headline rate you were quoted, and show you the difference line by line.
We underwrite the account
A human reviews it, typically in 24 to 48 hours. You'll know you're approved before anything changes on your end.
Equipment is prepared
Terminals ship preconfigured, or existing equipment is reprogrammed where it can be. Gateway credentials are issued the same day for online and phone orders.
You cut over
You process on the new account when you're ready, usually between close and open. Most merchants have no downtime at all.
You close the old account
Month-to-month here means no cancellation fee waiting on our side. We'll tell you what to check for on theirs before you sign anything.
Start with step one: send us a statement and we will show you what you are actually paying before you commit to anything.
Merchant services built around how your business actually sells.
Card mix, ticket size, and cash-flow pressure differ enormously by industry, and a quote built for one is the wrong quote for another. Here is what changes for yours.
Restaurants
Tip adjustment, POS-integrated readers, and a Saturday rush that deposits Monday.
See restaurants →Retail
Countertop terminals, PIN debit routing, and interchange-plus on a favorable card mix.
See retail →Ecommerce
Hosted checkout and subscriptions, underwritten upfront so growth doesn't trigger a hold.
See ecommerce →Contractors and field service
Tap to pay on your phone, payment links by text, and next-day funding on large tickets.
See contractors →See exactly what you pay now.
Send us 2 to 3 months of your current merchant statements. We read the real markup hiding in your effective rate, then show the same volume on interchange-plus, line by line. One business day. No cost.
We find the padded rate and junk fees on your current statement.
You get your cost today versus interchange-plus, side by side.
No switch required to see the number. It is yours to keep.
Prefer email? Send them to sales@corecommerce.com.
Merchant services terms, in plain language.
The payments industry runs on jargon, and that is not an accident. Here is what the words on your statement actually mean.
- Merchant account
- A bank account that holds funds from your card sales before they're deposited into your business checking account.
- Payment processor
- The company that routes a transaction between your terminal, the card networks, and your merchant account.
- Payment gateway
- Software that connects an online store, virtual terminal, or invoice to the payment processor.
- Interchange
- The fee the card-issuing bank keeps on each transaction. Published by Visa and Mastercard, and identical for every processor.
- Assessment fee
- A smaller fee the card network itself charges on each transaction, separate from interchange.
- Interchange-plus pricing
- A pricing model where you pay true interchange plus a disclosed markup, so the processor's margin is visible on every statement.
- Flat-rate pricing
- A single blended rate charged on every transaction regardless of true card cost, with the difference kept by the processor.
- Effective rate
- Your total processing fees divided by your total card volume. The only number that reflects what you actually pay.
- Authorization
- The approval from the cardholder's bank confirming funds are available and reserving the amount.
- Batch
- The group of approved transactions submitted for settlement at your daily cutoff time.
- Settlement
- The movement of funds from issuing banks to the acquiring bank, where interchange and assessments are applied.
- Next-day funding
- Deposit of settled card sales into your bank account on the next business day after batch.
- Chargeback
- A forced reversal initiated by the cardholder's bank when a charge is disputed.
- Rolling reserve
- A percentage of sales a processor withholds for a set period to cover potential chargebacks.
- EMV
- The global chip-card standard. Correct EMV acceptance shifts counterfeit-fraud liability to the issuing bank.
- Tokenization
- Replacing a card number with a meaningless substitute value so live card data is never stored in your systems.
- PCI DSS
- The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, which every business accepting cards must meet.
- Virtual terminal
- A browser-based screen for keying in card payments taken by phone, mail, or in person without hardware.
- Surcharging
- Adding a compliant fee to card transactions to offset processing costs, where state law and card-brand rules allow.
- ACH
- Bank-to-bank transfers over the Automated Clearing House network, used for direct debit and lower-cost recurring payments.
- Card-not-present
- A sale where the card is keyed or stored rather than dipped or tapped, such as phone, invoice, or online orders. It carries higher interchange and more chargeback risk than card-present.
The parts of this industry nobody explains to you.
Written for business owners rather than risk teams. No sales pitch, and useful whether or not you ever become a customer.
Guide · 8 min
How credit card processing works
Authorization to deposit, every party involved, and where each dollar goes.
Read →Guide · 8 min
Interchange-plus vs flat-rate pricing
What interchange really is, where the spread goes, and which model costs you less.
Read →Guide · 9 min
How to read your merchant statement
The order to read one in, the one calculation that matters, and the red flags.
Read →Guide · 7 min
Why processors freeze merchant funds
What triggers a hold, how rolling reserves work, and the structural fix.
Read →Guide · 6 min
What is a rolling reserve?
How much one really costs in working capital, and how to get it released.
Read →Guide · 9 min
Chargeback prevention guide
The three real causes, what each one costs, and how to fight one you can win.
Read →Guide · 7 min
Merchant account approval requirements
What underwriters actually assess, and what to do if you're declined.
Read →Guide · 7 min
PCI compliance for small business
Which questionnaire applies to you, and how to shrink your scope.
Read →Guide · 6 min
EMV and the liability shift
Why chip acceptance is a liability instrument, not a convenience feature.
Read →Guide · 7 min
Surcharging rules explained
The card brand rules that apply everywhere, before your state's do.
Read →Guide · 8 min
How to choose a POS system
The lock-in question to ask first, and how to judge five-year cost.
Read →Guide · 7 min
Payment security best practices
Hold less card data, so a breach has less to take.
Read →Audited by an outside assessor, not self-certified.
Your customers' card data sits behind the highest level of payment security, checked every year by an independent auditor.
Card data
PCI DSS Level 1
The highest level of card-data security compliance, assessed every year by A-LIGN, an independent auditor.
Health data
HIPAA
Independently assessed by A-LIGN for handling protected health information, so medical and dental practices can take payments without adding risk.
Stored cards
Tokenization
Saved cards are stored as tokens, never the real card number, so there is no live card data in your systems to steal.
Apply today. Approved by a person. Funded by tomorrow.
Ten minutes to apply, 24 to 48 hours to a real approval, then your money hits your account every business day.
Step 01 · today
Apply in ten minutes
Step 02 · 24 to 48 hrs
A person underwrites it
Step 03 · day one
Take cards, get paid next day
Or email sales@corecommerce.com