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Merchant services guides

The parts of this industry nobody explains to you.

Twelve plain-language guides to credit card processing, written for business owners rather than risk teams. No sales pitch, and useful whether or not you ever become a customer.

Pricing and cost

Guide · 8 min

Interchange-plus vs flat-rate pricing

What interchange really is, where the spread goes, and which model costs you less.

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Guide · 9 min

How to read your merchant statement

The order to read one in, the one calculation that matters, and the red flags.

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Guide · 7 min

Surcharging rules explained

The card brand rules that apply everywhere, before your state's do.

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How the money moves

Guide · 8 min

How credit card processing works

Authorization to deposit, every party involved, and where each dollar goes.

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Guide · 7 min

Why processors freeze merchant funds

What triggers a hold, how rolling reserves work, and the structural fix.

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Guide · 6 min

What is a rolling reserve?

How much one really costs in working capital, and how to get it released.

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Getting approved

Guide · 7 min

Merchant account approval requirements

What underwriters actually assess, and what to do if you're declined.

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Risk and security

Guide · 9 min

Chargeback prevention guide

The three real causes, what each one costs, and how to fight one you can win.

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Guide · 7 min

PCI compliance for small business

Which questionnaire applies to you, and how to shrink your scope.

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Guide · 6 min

EMV and the liability shift

Why chip acceptance is a liability instrument, not a convenience feature.

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Guide · 7 min

Payment security best practices

Hold less card data, so a breach has less to take.

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Equipment

Guide · 8 min

How to choose a POS system

The lock-in question to ask first, and how to judge five-year cost.

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Or read the payments glossary.