Michael Lanning

Interchange Pricing May 30, 2026 23 min read

What Is Interchange-Plus Pricing?

Choosing a payment processor can feel overwhelming because every quote seems to use different terms. One provider may advertise a low rate, another may promote no hidden fees, and another may promise...

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Payment Processing May 30, 2026 24 min read

Payment Processing Challenges for Small Businesses

Reliable payment processing is no longer just a back-office function. It affects how quickly a business gets paid, how smoothly customers complete purchases, how accurately revenue is tracked, and how confidently owners...

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Merchant Account May 30, 2026 24 min read

Merchant Account Setup Checklist

A merchant account setup checklist gives businesses a practical way to prepare before accepting credit cards, debit cards, online payments, invoices, mobile payments, and recurring billing.  Without a clear checklist, the setup...

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Merchant Services May 30, 2026 24 min read

What Is a Merchant ID (MID) and Why Does It Matter?

Accepting card payments involves more than a terminal, checkout page, or payment app. Behind every approved sale is a structured payment system that needs to know which business should receive the funds,...

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March 25, 2026 11 min read

Can Level 2 and Level 3 Data Lower B2B Processing Costs? What Merchants Need to Know

For many businesses, credit card processing fees feel like a fixed cost of doing business. Companies often focus on approval rates, funding speed, and customer payment experience, but rarely examine whether they...

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Tokenization March 19, 2026 26 min read

How to Handle a Credit Card Dispute: A Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

A credit card dispute can feel like a routine admin issue at first. Then the notice arrives, funds are pulled, a response deadline appears, and suddenly your team is juggling evidence, customer...

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Cost Reduction March 19, 2026 28 min read

Cash Discounting vs Surcharging: A Legal and Financial Comparison for Merchants

Every business that accepts cards eventually asks the same question: should we absorb payment processing fees, raise prices across the board, or use a pricing strategy that helps recover some of those...

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Cost Reduction March 19, 2026 33 min read

Hidden Fees in Your Merchant Statement: How to Spot and Remove Them

Most business owners know they pay credit card processing fees. What many do not realize is that a meaningful part of those costs may come from charges that are hard to recognize,...

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Cost Reduction March 19, 2026 35 min read

Tiered Pricing Models: What They Are, How They Work, and Why Many Merchants Should Avoid Them

If you have ever shopped for a merchant account and heard a sales rep talk about a “qualified rate,” a “discount rate,” or a “simple three-tier plan,” you were likely being introduced...

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Cost Reduction March 19, 2026 28 min read

Interchange Plus vs. Flat Rate Pricing: Which Saves You More?

Choosing a payment processor can feel simple until you start comparing the pricing. That is when many business owners realize they are not really choosing a processor first. They are choosing a...

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