payment industry news
Follow the blog for all of your payment industry news. We talk about FinTech, Credit Card Processing, High-Risk Merchants, and much more. Allen Kopleman has been providing merchant accounts for small business for over 20 years. Nationwide Payment Systems provides merchant account services to local businesses in South Florida.
Flat Rate vs Interchange Plus for a Seasonal Business
A seasonal business should compare flat rate and interchange plus on 12 months of statements, not 3. In the made-up year in this guide, a flat rate of 2.9% plus 30 cents cost $9,052 on $292,000 of sales, a 3.1% effective...
Cheapest Card Processing for a Wholesaler Selling on Net-30 Invoices
If you sell to other businesses on Net-30 terms, a $1,500 invoice paid by card costs about $49.80 on a flat-rate processor, in our arithmetic from the Stripe and Square prices read on November 13, 2026. Cards can get you...
Stripe Dispute Fees: What the $15 + $15 Really Costs and How to Lower It
As read on Stripe's pricing page on November 13, 2026, Stripe lists three dispute fees: $15.00 for each dispute received, $15.00 for each dispute you respond to manually (refunded for won disputes) and $15.00 for each...
Cheapest Card Processing for a Subscription or Membership Business
A subscription or membership business charges the same cards over and over, say $15 to $300 a charge. That changes which fees matter. Card-on-file charges can be priced higher than a customer paying at your counter: as read...
Cheapest Card Processing for a Contractor or Home Service Business
A contractor or home service business can take large card payments. In our made-up month, tickets run from a $150 service call to a deposit or progress payment of several thousand dollars, paid by invoice, payment link, or...
Is Flat-Rate Processing Ever the Better Deal? When 2.9% + 30 Cents Wins
Yes, sometimes. Flat-rate processing can be the better or the simpler deal for very small tickets, for brand-new businesses with very low volume, and for owners who will never read a statement. It stops being the better...
Cheapest Card Processing for a Medical or Dental Practice
A medical or dental practice does not take one kind of card payment. It takes small copays at the front desk, balances after insurance, and larger treatment payments by phone or invoice. Each one has a different price on a...
Cheapest Way for a Marketplace or Multi-Vendor Store to Take Payments
A store that collects money for other sellers has a different job than a normal store. This page covers card fees only. How vendor payouts work and what the legal setup looks like are questions for your payment provider and...
Cheapest Card Processing for a Salon or Spa
A salon or spa that takes cards at the counter has mostly in-person payments. The made-up shop in this guide has tickets from $40 to $300 with a tip added on top, which are our assumptions, not industry facts. On Square's...
Square Invoice Fees: Why 3.3% + 30 Cents Costs More Than In-Person Square
As read on Square's fees page on November 13, 2026, Square lists 2.6% plus 15 cents for a card taken in person and 3.3% plus 30 cents for online sales and invoices. On a $150 sale that is $4.05 in person and $5.25 as an...
PayPal Alternative With Lower Fees for Invoices and Online Sales
If PayPal fees feel high on your invoices and online sales, the fix is rarely one switch. It is a short comparison: the rate, the fixed fee per payment, any invoice fee, dispute fees, payout timing and holds, run against...
Stripe Invoicing Fee: What the Extra 0.4% Really Costs a Small Business
As read on Stripe's pricing page on November 13, 2026, Stripe's Invoicing fee adds 0.4% to each invoice that gets paid, on top of its 2.9% plus 30 cents card price. On a $150 invoice that extra is 60 cents, and the full...