Michael Lanning

Credit Card Processing November 3, 2025 24 min read

Understanding the True Cost of Credit Card Processing

Credit card processing touches every modern sale, but the true cost of credit card processing is rarely obvious at first glance. Statements are dense, fee names change, and pricing models hide margins...

ACH October 10, 2025 16 min read

How to Accept eChecks and ACH Payments Online

Accepting eChecks (electronic checks) and ACH payments (Automated Clearing House) online offers businesses a lower-cost, secure, and flexible method for transferring money directly from a customer’s bank account. In this article, we...

Payment Processing October 10, 2025 24 min read

Using Analytics to Reduce Costs in Payment Processing

In today’s competitive business landscape, payment processing is both a necessity and an expense. As transaction volumes grow, even small inefficiencies in processing can translate into large costs. Analytics, data-driven decision making,...

Payment Processing October 10, 2025 17 min read

Affordable Payment Solutions for Startups and Small Businesses

Affordable payment solutions for startups and small businesses are tools, partners, and workflows that let you accept money without draining your margins or slowing growth. Affordability isn’t only about the sticker price. ...

Chargebacks October 10, 2025 13 min read

Best Practices for Reducing Chargebacks and Avoiding Extra Fees

Chargebacks drain revenue, inflate processing costs, and—if unmanaged—can trigger network monitoring programs that pile on extra fees. The good news: you can meaningfully reduce chargebacks and control fees with the right mix...

Merchant Services October 10, 2025 16 min read

How to Audit Your Merchant Services Statement for Savings

Auditing your merchant services statement is a critical activity for any business that processes credit cards, debit cards, or digital payments. A thorough audit helps you uncover hidden fees, incorrect charges, and...

Merchant Services October 10, 2025 18 min read

Why Small Businesses Overpay for Merchant Services

Small businesses often discover that merchant services cost far more than they expected. The bills look complex, the fee names are vague, and the pricing models are hard to compare. That combination...

Membership Payment Programs October 10, 2025 32 min read

How Membership Payment Programs Simplify Reporting

Membership payment programs (also called membership billing systems, subscription payment systems, or automated dues platforms) are software tools or services designed to collect, manage, and automate recurring membership fees and associated transactional...

ACH October 10, 2025 15 min read

Recurring Billing with ACH: How to Save on Processing Fees

Recurring billing via ACH (Automated Clearing House) is one of the most cost-efficient ways for businesses to collect regular payments (subscriptions, memberships, service fees). But “cost-efficient” does not mean “cost-free.” There are...

Tokenization October 10, 2025 23 min read

The Difference Between Encryption and Tokenization in Payments

In the domain of payment processing and financial data security, the terms encryption and tokenization are often used—and sometimes misused—as if they are interchangeable. Yet, while both encryption and tokenization aim to...

Michael Lanning

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