Understand the complete cost
Review interchange, processor markup, gateway, equipment, PCI, transaction and other recurring fees.
Payment Processing Questions
Clear answers before you change how your business gets paid.
Review common questions about pricing, statements, equipment, gateways, integrations, ACH, underwriting, implementation and support.
- Pricing and statement review
- Technology and integration questions
- Implementation and support expectations
Confirm what the systems support
Identify processor, gateway, device, token, API and integration restrictions before migrating.
Know what happens after approval
Clarify setup, testing, training, go-live, troubleshooting, chargebacks and account management.
General Questions
Getting started with a payment review.
What does the initial payment review cost?
The initial discovery and statement review is generally provided without charge. The purpose is to determine whether there is a meaningful commercial or technical opportunity before recommending a change.
What information should we provide?
Three recent processing statements, current processor and gateway, payment channels, software or POS platform, monthly volume, average ticket, locations and the primary issue you want to solve.
Can sensitive information be redacted?
Yes. Bank account and full merchant-account numbers may be redacted. The pricing, card mix, transaction data and fee detail should remain visible for an effective analysis.
Does a review require us to switch processors?
No. The review should establish whether changing pricing, technology, account structure or operating controls would create enough value to justify a migration.
Pricing & Statements
Understanding rates, fees and qualification.
Why is the effective rate different from the quoted rate?
The effective rate includes interchange, card-brand assessments, processor markup, per-item fees, gateway charges, monthly fees and other costs. The quoted markup is only one part of the total.
What is interchange-plus pricing?
Interchange-plus separates the underlying interchange and card-brand costs from the processor's markup. It can improve transparency, but the complete fee schedule and transaction qualification still matter.
What causes transactions to downgrade?
Missing data, delayed settlement, card-not-present controls, authorization differences, transaction type and commercial-card requirements can move transactions into more expensive categories.
Can Level II and Level III data lower B2B card costs?
Eligible commercial-card transactions may qualify for lower interchange categories when the correct enhanced data is captured and transmitted through a supported gateway and processor.
Technology & Integrations
Connecting the processor to the systems already in place.
Can we keep our current POS, ERP, practice or property system?
Often, but the platform may limit supported processors, gateways, devices or integration methods. Compatibility must be confirmed with the software provider before migration.
What is the difference between a processor and a gateway?
The processor and acquiring relationship handle authorization, clearing, settlement and funding. The gateway connects payment-entry systems such as websites, virtual terminals or software to the processing environment.
Can stored cards move to a new gateway?
Sometimes. Token portability depends on the current provider, new provider, contractual rights, data format, security process and whether a supported token-transfer procedure exists.
Can one account support in-person, online, recurring and ACH payments?
A coordinated relationship can support multiple channels, but separate gateways, merchant accounts, devices or settlement configurations may still be appropriate depending on risk, reporting and system requirements.
Underwriting, Implementation & Support
What happens between application and go-live?
What does underwriting review?
Ownership, credit, products or services, websites, fulfillment, transaction volume, ticket size, chargebacks, financial condition, policies, industry risk and requested payment methods.
How long does implementation take?
Timing depends on underwriting, equipment, gateway setup, software certification, integration work, token migration and testing. A simple standalone setup may move quickly; complex integrations require a coordinated plan.
Who helps if the processor, gateway and software vendor blame one another?
Selective Pay helps organize the issue, identify the responsible party and escalate through the appropriate processing, gateway, equipment or integration channel.
Can you help with chargebacks and fraud controls?
We can review available gateway controls, AVS, CVV, authentication, velocity tools, device security, transaction procedures and chargeback-response workflows. No control can eliminate all fraud or disputes.
Have a Different Question?
Send the question or schedule a payment review.
Include the processor, gateway, software platform and the specific issue whenever possible.