The Credit Card Guy

04/27/2026

A global baptism movement is now being planned after thousands were baptized in California. Pastor Mark Francey’s ministry hopes to see tens of thousands baptized worldwide on May 24. In a culture obsessed with fame, politics, and outrage, this is the kind of news Christians should be celebrating: people publicly declaring Jesus.

02/05/2026

01/30/2026

ALL THINGS PAYMENTS ALL THE TIME.START NOW AND GET A FREE TERMINAL.

01/28/2026

You are not losing money on price.
You are losing money on payment fees.

More sales.
More volume.
Less profit.

Here are 5 sneaky fees hiding in many merchant statements.
Audit them and keep more from every swipe.

1️⃣ Non-qualified and mid-qualified surcharges
Tiered pricing pushes many transactions into expensive buckets.
You pay extra on rewards, corporate, or keyed-in cards.

→ Action today: Ask your processor for “interchange plus” pricing instead of tiered pricing. Get every rate line in writing.

2️⃣ PCI non-compliance fee
If your PCI form stays incomplete, a monthly penalty appears.
Often buried under “security” or “regulatory” wording.

→ Action today: Call support and ask how to complete PCI in one session. Block time today and finish the questionnaire.

3️⃣ Statement and junk monthly fees
“Monthly service.” “Reg fee.” “Account fee.” Different names, same outcome.
You pay whether you process or not.

→ Action today: Circle every flat monthly line on your last statement. Ask which fees are mandatory by card brands and which are provider choices. Push to remove provider choices.

4️⃣ Batch and daily settlement fees
Some processors add a charge every time you settle.
Daily batching turns into 30 extra fees each month.

→ Action today: Check for a “batch” or “settlement” line near the end of each processing day. Negotiate one flat monthly fee or move to a provider with no batch charge.

5️⃣ Extra gateway and per-auth fees
Online or virtual terminals often add separate gateway and authorization charges.
Small numbers that add up across hundreds of tickets.

→ Action today: Add gateway fees and per-authorization fees to your per-transaction cost. Compare to a quote with one simple per-transaction rate.

Do this once.
Do it carefully.
Then stop overpaying every month.

If you want a second set of eyes on your numbers, comment “STATEMENT” and I will walk you through a clean, wholesale pricing breakdown with smart terminals and POS options.

01/28/2026

You pay your processor every day.
But you rarely check if those fees make sense.

More fees.
More confusion.
Less profit.

Here is a simple 30‑second checklist to see if you overpay on every card swipe:

1️⃣ Check your effective rate
→ Action today: Grab last month’s statement.
→ Divide total processing fees by total card volume.
→ If you see more than 2.8% for normal retail or service, you likely bleed margin.

2️⃣ Count the number of add‑on fees
→ Scan the summary page.
→ Look for things like:
- Statement fee
- PCI fee
- Batch fee
- Monthly minimum
- Non‑qualified surcharge
- Annual fee
→ Action today: If you see more than 3 different fixed fees, your pricing needs a review.

3️⃣ Look at debit card pricing
→ Find where debit card transactions show.
→ Action today: If debit runs at the same rate as rewards credit, you overpay on every small ticket.

4️⃣ Check for tiered pricing language
→ Search for words like:
- Qualified
- Mid‑qualified
- Non‑qualified
→ Action today: If those tiers appear, you likely pay marked‑up rates on a big share of your volume.

5️⃣ Spot hidden contract traps
→ Action today: Look for
- Early termination fee
- Equipment lease term
→ If you see long terms or large cancel fees, that processor owns you, not the other way around.

You work hard for every dollar.
Your processor should not skim extra on each swipe.

Action for today:
Take one statement.
Run this checklist.
Circle every fee that fails the test.

If you want a wholesale‑level review, send me “CHECKLIST”.
I will walk you through a clean, transparent setup with smart EMV terminals, POS, and funding options that keep more profit in your pocket.

01/28/2026

You stare at your processing bill.
The total climbs every month.

More fees.
More line items.
Less profit.

Here are 7 red flags on your processing bill that scream “you pay for stuff you never use” and what to do today:

1️⃣ “Gateway” or “e‑commerce” fees, no online sales
→ You run only in‑store cards, no website checkout.
Action:
- Look for words like “gateway,” “e‑com,” or “shopping cart.”
- Email your provider: “Remove all gateway and e‑commerce fees from my account. We run card‑present only.”

2️⃣ Wireless or 4G fees on wired terminals
→ Your terminals plug into ethernet, no SIM card in sight.
Action:
- Circle any “wireless access,” “GPRS,” or “4G” fee.
- Ask support to downgrade to standard IP pricing.

3️⃣ POS software subscriptions you never log into
→ You use the terminal keypad, not full POS software.
Action:
- Check for “POS license,” “software,” or “app fee.”
- Cancel all software seats not used weekly by staff.

4️⃣ PCI tools or “security bundles” you never touched
→ No one in your shop knows the login for the PCI portal.
Action:
- Ask your manager who handles PCI. If no clear answer, you pay for dead tools.
- Tell your rep to remove unused PCI add‑ons and give one simple compliance path.

5️⃣ “Loyalty” or “rewards” program fees with zero members
→ No customers carry your store loyalty card.
Action:
- Pull a report from POS. If loyalty redemptions equal zero, cut the fee.

6️⃣ Multiple “account” or “MID” fees for locations you do not have
→ One location, one merchant account, yet several monthly account fees.
Action:
- Ask for a list of all MIDs under your tax ID.
- Close every inactive or duplicate profile.

7️⃣ Terminal rental for hardware you already own
→ You paid for terminals upfront, yet see “equipment rental.”
Action:
- Match serial numbers on terminals to charge descriptions.
- Tell your provider to stop all rental charges tied to owned devices.

Today, pull your last 3 statements.
Highlight every fee that matches this list.
Then ask one question: “What stops you from removing these by month‑end?”

You protect margin when you clean your bill.
You stretch every card sale further.

If you want help line‑by‑line, send “STATEMENT” and we run a free audit for hidden junk fees.

01/28/2026

You work hard for every sale.
But your payment setup might leak profit on every swipe.

The good news.
You lower costs without raising prices on your customers.

Here are 5 quick tweaks to start today:

1️⃣ Clean up your transaction mix
→ Review your last 3 months of statements
→ Spot small tickets that run as credit instead of debit
Action today: Ask your provider to route small in-person payments as PIN debit when possible. Lower cost per sale. Same price for customers.

2️⃣ Stop overpaying for card-not-present
→ Online and keyed-in payments cost more
→ Many businesses pay for features they do not use
Action today: Call your processor. Ask what you pay for keyed vs online vs in-person. Turn off unused services. Push more customers to lower-cost in-person or pay-by-link options.

3️⃣ Right-size your terminal and POS
More hardware.
More fees.
More stress.

Most locations need one smart EMV terminal and a lean POS setup.
Action today: List every device you pay for. Cancel equipment you do not use weekly. Ask for a single smart terminal or POS bundle with transparent pricing.

4️⃣ Fix hidden add-on fees
→ Statement fees
→ PCI fees
→ Monthly junk fees
Action today: Circle every monthly fee on your statement that is not tied to volume. Take a photo. Send it to your provider and ask one question: “Which of these fees are optional or negotiable?” Do not accept vague answers.

5️⃣ Use basic payment automation
→ Automatic updates for expired cards
→ Smart routing between processors if you process higher volume
Action today: Ask your provider if they support account updater and automatic retry. This reduces failed payments and support time without extra work for you.

You stay focused on sales.
Your payment system should protect margin, not eat it.

If you want a second set of eyes on your current setup, send me your last statement and your average ticket size.
I walk you through where you cut costs without touching your prices.

01/22/2026

Our average Client is making an extra 28% with our Restaurant, Bar driven Venue POS. Contact us for more info.

01/22/2026