Step-by-step setup, documents, provider selection and what to expect on the timeline.
If you are opening a business, adding online sales or switching providers, these guides walk through the process in order: deciding how you will accept payments, gathering the documents underwriters ask for, choosing between a payment facilitator and a traditional merchant account, and understanding how long approval and funding usually take.
Each guide includes checklists and decision criteria rather than provider rankings. The right choice depends on your sales volume, average ticket, whether customers pay in person or online, and how much risk your business type carries.
Read the guides in sequence if you are starting from zero, or jump to the statement-reading guide if you already process cards and want to find out whether you are overpaying.
Getting Started
Choosing a processor means weighing provider type, pricing structure, contract terms, funding speed, support and software fit. Use these criteria and questions.
Getting Started
The documents and information underwriters typically ask for when you apply for a merchant account, by business type, plus tips to avoid delays.
Getting Started
A seven-step path to accepting card payments, from choosing in-person, online or both to testing transactions and confirming your deposit schedule.
Getting Started
How long approval, equipment setup, first deposit and rate changes usually take, what causes delays, holds and reserves, and how to plan cash flow.
Getting Started
A line-by-line guide to a card processing statement: summary, interchange detail, markup, monthly fees, PCI charges and downgrades, with an audit routine.
