Merchant guides & learning
Straight answers on payments.
No jargon, no sales spin — practical guides to what you actually pay to accept cards, how pricing models differ, how Level 2/3 lowers commercial-card cost, how to pick a gateway, how PAX terminals work, and how tokenization keeps you PCI-simple. Written by the team that builds and runs the rails.
All guides
Pick where the money hides.
Free kit · open data
Statement audit template
A reusable CSV, JSON Schema, synthetic example, fee taxonomy, and seven-field workflow for comparing merchant statements.
Fees · how-to
Lower your processing fees
Find your true effective rate, switch to interchange-plus, cut junk fees, and optimize commercial cards with Level 2/3.
Pricing · compared
Interchange-plus vs flat-rate
How each pricing model works, which one costs you more as you grow, and how to read the markup you actually pay.
B2B · commercial cards
B2B card processing
How corporate, purchasing, and government cards work — and why Level 2/3 data lowers their interchange.
Agentic commerce · explainer
Agentic commerce for merchants
What AI ordering actually requires: the UCP and ACP protocols, what Square's Google deal really was, who takes the payment, and the three steps worth taking today.
Gateways · how-to
Choosing a payment gateway
Gateway vs processor, the features that matter (E2EE, tokenization, Level 2/3, ACH), and the questions that reveal real cost.
PCI · compliance
Tokenization & SAQ-A
How tokenization and E2EE shrink PCI scope to SAQ-A — keeping the card number off your systems, lowering cost and risk.
Hardware · setup
PAX A920 setup & apps
What the PAX A920 and A920 Pro are, how first-boot setup and PAXSTORE app installs work, and how to take card-present payments.
Free tool · fees
Effective rate calculator
Total fees ÷ total volume — enter two numbers from your statement and see what you really pay to accept cards.
2026 · tracker
2026 interchange changes
The Visa–Mastercard settlement, Visa's CEDP and the Level 2 sunset, new Mastercard fees, and the Illinois law — and what to do about each.
Rules · by state
Surcharge rules by state
Where surcharging is banned, capped, or fine with disclosure — plus the network rules and a compliance checklist. Reviewed July 2026.
Pricing models · compared
Dual pricing vs cash discount
The three fee-shifting models compared — the math on a $100 sale, state legality, network rules, and how to choose.
B2B · rails
ACH vs card fees for B2B
The real math on a $5,000 invoice — ACH's flat fee vs a commercial card's ~$135 — and a decision table for which rail wins.
Virtual terminal · how-to
Virtual terminals explained
Browser-based card entry for phone orders and invoices — the honest answer on merchant accounts, costs, and PCI scope.
Hardware · fixes
PAX A920 troubleshooting
Wi-Fi drops, comms errors, frozen screens, battery, printer, and stuck PAXSTORE updates — the fix for each, step by step.
Unattended retail · operations
Vending payment processing
Evaluate underwriting, age verification, payment authorization, dispense outcomes, remote refunds, settlement, and machine-level reconciliation.
Put it to work
Send one statement. Get an honest rate.
We'll read your current statement, show you your true all-in effective rate, and quote interchange-plus with the markup and every fee shown as separate lines. No application fee.