Michael Lanning

Fees February 4, 2026 25 min read

How to Audit Your Merchant Processing Costs

Merchant processing costs can quietly become one of the biggest “invisible” expenses in your business. They’re often treated like a fixed cost—something you accept because payments are complicated. But merchant processing costs...

Payment Processing December 13, 2025 10 min read

Buy Now Pay Later BNPL: Should Your Business Offer it

Buy now, pay later, or BNPL, services are gradually becoming a preferred payment method for consumers. This allows them to pay for purchases at a convenient later date. It might be an...

POS System November 3, 2025 25 min read

How to Optimize Your POS System for Fee Reduction

Optimizing your POS system for fee reduction is one of the fastest, most controllable ways to improve margins without cutting service or raising prices. In the United States, payment acceptance costs are...

POS System November 3, 2025 19 min read

How to Reduce POS Subscription Fees Without Sacrificing Features

Running lean without losing capability is the dream—especially when it comes to POS subscription fees. For many U.S. retailers, restaurants, salons, and service businesses, the monthly cost of point-of-sale software creeps up...

Membership Payment Programs November 3, 2025 20 min read

How Membership-Based Merchant Pricing Works

Membership-based merchant pricing is a payment processing model where a business pays a fixed membership (or subscription) fee to access wholesale interchange and network costs, plus a small, transparent processor markup. Instead...

Merchant Savings Program November 3, 2025 17 min read

Merchant Savings Programs: How They Actually Work

Merchant Savings Programs are the playbook U.S. businesses use to take control of card-processing costs without wrecking the customer experience. In a world where every basis point matters, the right program can...

Merchant Statement November 3, 2025 17 min read

How to Audit Your Merchant Statement for Savings

Auditing your merchant statement for savings is one of the quickest ways to lower payment acceptance costs without changing your point-of-sale or disrupting your customers. The trick is understanding what each line...

Fees November 3, 2025 20 min read

Common Hidden Fees in Merchant Statements (and How to Avoid Them)

Merchant statements should help you understand what you pay to accept cards, not bury you in fine print. Yet many U.S. businesses discover unexpected costs only after the bill hits their bank...

Payment Processor November 3, 2025 19 min read

How to Negotiate Lower Rates with Your Processor

If you want to negotiate lower rates with your processor, you need a plan, data, and timing. You also need to understand interchange, brand fees, markup structures, and compliance rules. This guide...

Fees November 3, 2025 19 min read

How to Lower Your Credit Card Processing Fees

Lowering credit card processing fees is one of the fastest ways to boost margins without changing your prices or cutting service. The key is understanding what you pay today, where the waste...

Michael Lanning

Recent posts by Michael Lanning