Merchant processing
Credit card processing that belongs to the POS project
Processing integrated with the system that rings the sale, supported by the people who installed it. We read a statement before saying anything about cost.
No rate quoted before somebody has read your statement.
Why change card processing at the same time as the POS?
Because integration and support are decided at the same moment. When processing runs through the POS, a batch that does not settle or a disputed transaction is one system and one phone call, rather than two vendors who each point at the other. Whether it also costs less is a question about your statement, and we will not answer it before reading one.
What we will do is read the current statement and say plainly what integrating would change: what becomes simpler operationally, what stays the same, and what the actual comparison looks like on your own volume.
- One system to reconcileSales and settlement match because they came from the same place.
- One number to callA payment problem at a register is a POS problem too.
- Standalone terminals still have their placeNot every counter needs integration, and we will say so.
- Reviewed, not promisedA rate claim before reading a statement is a guess with a number on it.
- The cost of switching is part of the reviewProvider, contract and equipment are looked at before anything is recommended.
We do not publish rates, and we do not promise savings. Some statements are already competitive; when yours is, the honest answer is to keep it.
What merchants tell us before switching
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The POS and the card terminal are separate arguments
A failed batch becomes two support calls and no owner.
Integrated processing puts the sale and the settlement in one system.
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The statement is unreadable
Nobody can tell what is being charged, or for what.
We read it with you and explain the lines, whatever you then decide.
Statement review -
Totals are re-keyed into the register
Typing errors become reconciliation work and chargeback exposure.
The amount comes from the sale rather than from a keypad.
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An outage stops the store completely
No payments means no trading, on the busiest day.
Plan the fallback before it is needed rather than during.
Payment outage planning
Infinity processing
Two processing paths we support with Infinity
For an Infinity system, BizTracker offers two processing paths: Bold and Hybrid. Which one fits is decided from the POS requirements and the merchant statement rather than from a headline rate.
Bold
One of the two processing paths for an Infinity system. It is recommended when the statement and the way the counter takes payment point to it, and not before either has been looked at.
Hybrid
The other processing path for an Infinity system, recommended the same way: after a current statement has been read and the counter workflow is understood.
Choosing between them
What decides which processing path fits
Four things, all of them about your store rather than about a provider. A recommendation made without them is a guess with a logo on it.
What the statement actually shows
Statement reviewThe complete monthly cost, fees and equipment charges included, from one recent statement read line by line rather than from the headline rate.
How the counter takes payment
Integrated through the POS or on a standalone terminal, and how many lanes take cards.
What the trade does at the counter
Liquor store paymentsA fast counter where cards are most of the volume decides differently from one where they are not. Liquor stores have their own page on this.
What the current contract and equipment allow
Contract terms and any leased equipment are reviewed before a change is recommended, so the contract and equipment terms that affect a switch are reviewed first rather than discovered at the end.
When the change can happen
Payment outage planningWith a new Infinity system or on its own, and planned around the store’s busiest trading days rather than into them.
Options
How processing gets set up
Integration is a choice, not a requirement. These are the real options.
Integrated with the POS
Terminal or integratedThe register drives the payment; settlement matches the sale.
Standalone terminal
A separate terminal beside the register, where that genuinely fits better.
Compliance and EMV
PCI and EMVThe payment devices are set up and tested with the system; PCI validation stays between the business, its processor and its acquiring bank.
Local, where it helps
Tampa Bay merchant processingAcross Tampa Bay a statement can be read at the counter, and a payment device can be looked at in person.
Outage planning
Payment outage planningWhat the store does when payments stop.
Pricing programs
Cash discount, surcharge and dual pricing
These are program options BizTracker can set up as part of merchant processing. Whether any one of them is available to a particular store is not something a web page can answer: it depends on the store’s own situation, on the processor and the specific program, on card-network requirements, and on the law and rules that apply where the store trades. We read the statement first and then say which, if any, is worth discussing.
Cash discount
Statement reviewOne posted price, with a discount applied when the customer pays cash. Whether it can be set up, and how it has to be shown at the counter and on the receipt, follows the processor and the program and the rules that apply to your business.
Surcharge
An added amount on a card transaction. Card networks and applicable law set conditions on whether it may be applied at all, to which card types, and how it has to be disclosed. It is decided case by case rather than offered as standard.
Dual pricing
Two prices shown for the same item, one for cash and one for card. What the shelf and the register have to display, and whether the program is available at all, turn on the same four things as the other two.
What decides whether one fits
Statement reviewYour situation, the processor and program, card-network requirements, and the law and rules where you trade. None of those is assumed here and none of them is ours to promise: a program that suits one counter may not be available to the next one.
Processing questions
Which processors does BizTracker offer with Infinity?
Two processing paths: Bold and Hybrid. Which one fits is decided from a current statement and how the counter takes payment, and nothing is recommended before the statement has been read.
Can I change processors and keep my POS?
Usually yes. Which processors integrate with a given system is a specific question, so we confirm it for your setup rather than answering in general.
Is there help with the cost of switching?
Switching assistance may be available for qualifying merchant-processing accounts after review of your current provider, contract and equipment situation. Whether anything is available, and what form it would take, depends on that review — which is why no figure appears here, and why it is worth being wary of anyone who quotes one before seeing your contract.
Will switching save me money?
Sometimes, and sometimes not. That is what the statement review is for. If your current arrangement is already competitive we will tell you that.
What is the difference between a standalone terminal and integrated payments?
A standalone terminal takes the payment separately and the total is re-keyed; integrated payments take the amount from the sale itself. The second removes a class of error and makes reconciliation match.
What happens if the internet goes down?
That depends on the setup, which is exactly why it is worth planning before it happens. The outage planning page covers the options.
Do you offer cash discount, surcharge or dual pricing?
Yes, as program options, where they are supported. Whether one can be set up for your store depends on your situation, on the processor and the specific program, on card-network requirements, and on the law and rules that apply where you trade. That is looked at with the statement rather than answered in advance.
Do you handle PCI compliance?
It is part of how we set processing up, rather than a document handed to the merchant afterwards.
Is processing for a restaurant handled the same way?
Restaurants and bars run on LINGA, and their processing is reviewed with that system. Bold and Hybrid are the processing paths for Infinity retail systems. Hybrid is the same commercial program BizTracker offers with LINGA restaurant systems — the same rate structure and the same merchant agreement — and LINGA can also support other processors.
Can I keep my current credit card terminal?
It depends on the terminal, the current contract and the equipment situation. If the current arrangement is already competitive, keeping it can be the answer; if a change is recommended, the device is checked against the processing path and the POS first.
What should I look for on a processing statement?
Total fees against total card volume, recurring monthly charges, equipment costs, and the contract terms, including renewal and cancellation. A headline rate on its own does not show what the store actually pays.
Should I change processors just to get a lower rate?
Not on the rate alone. Integration, who supports what, equipment and contract terms decide whether a change is worth making.
We do not publish rates. Any figure specific to your business comes after a statement review, in writing.
Send us a statement
One recent processing statement is enough for a useful conversation. We will explain what it says either way. Switching assistance may be available for qualifying merchant-processing accounts after review of your current provider, contract and equipment situation.