Review what you are paying for POS and card processing
Send one processing statement. We break it down line by line, show what is set by the card networks and what is the processor's, and tell you whether a different structure could reduce cost on your current POS or whether the platform decides that for you.
| Item | Detail | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Card volume | Restaurant, card-present | $100,000 |
| Fees paid today | 3.20% effective rate | $3,200 |
| Interchange and assessments | Set by networks, about 1.80% | $1,800 |
| Processor markup and fees | Everything above interchange | $1,400 |
| Fees at a 2.10% target rate | Interchange-plus, fair markup | $2,100 |
Who the review is for
Operators who accept cards at more than one location and have never seen their processing cost broken down: restaurant and hospitality groups, retail chains, clinics, service businesses with front desks, and anyone whose statement arrives every month and goes straight into a folder.
It is most useful for businesses with roughly three to fifty locations on an open-platform POS such as Aloha, Oracle MICROS, PAR Brink, Revel, or Lightspeed, or on legacy terminals, because those setups usually allow a choice of processor. Single-location businesses and bundled platforms are welcome too. The review tells you what your options are either way.
What a processing statement contains
Statements differ by processor, but the same pieces are always there once you know where to look.
What a statement review examines
- Effective cost: total fees divided by total card volume, so the whole statement becomes one comparable number
- Processor markup: what sits above interchange and assessments, and how it is expressed
- Recurring fees: monthly, annual, PCI, minimums, and equipment charges that add up regardless of volume
- Pricing structure: whether flat-rate or tiered pricing is hiding the markup inside a blended rate
- Unusual fees: charges that do not correspond to a network fee or a service you use
- Possible downgrades where identifiable: transactions billed at higher interchange because of how they were entered or settled
- POS and processor restrictions: whether your platform ties you to a processor, and what changing would involve
Savings can only be determined after the actual statement and platform are reviewed. We give a number after reading it, and the number is a potential outcome to verify with the processor, never a guarantee.
Why POS and processing can be connected
Some POS platforms include payment processing as part of the product. The software, the terminals, and the processor come from one company, and the processing revenue is part of how the platform is priced. On those platforms, changing the processor is usually not an option without leaving the platform.
Other platforms are open. The POS software works with a range of processors through certified integrations, and the merchant account is a separate agreement. On those platforms the processor can often change while the POS stays.
Neither model is wrong. Bundled platforms can be simpler to run, and open platforms can be cheaper to process on. The point of the review is to know which one you have and what that means for your options.
When processing may change without changing the POS
Open platforms such as Aloha, Oracle MICROS, PAR Brink, Revel, and Lightspeed generally support more than one processor, though the specific processors available depend on the version, the payment integration in use, and any agreements attached to the software. Legacy standalone terminals can usually be re-keyed or replaced with terminals on a different processor.
Platforms that bundle processing, including Toast, Square, and Clover in their standard configurations, generally require their own processing. Some offer exceptions or enterprise arrangements, and those are worth asking about, but the default answer is that processing stays with the platform.
We confirm processor choice per platform and configuration before suggesting a change. Do not assume any platform supports a switch until it has been checked against your setup.
When replacing the POS may make sense
Processing cost alone is rarely a good enough reason to replace a POS. Replacement is disruptive, and staff, menus, integrations, and reporting all move with it. It starts to make sense when the platform itself is the problem.
- The platform is end of life, unsupported, or cannot run on current hardware
- Locations run different systems and reporting has to be reconciled by hand
- Online ordering, delivery, loyalty, or accounting integrations are missing or fragile
- Terminals are failing, are not EMV or contactless capable, or are past their useful life
- The contract structure locks you into pricing that no review can change
POS and payment technology planningRetail POS rollout planningPayment device refresh
How to evaluate a multi-location setup
Multi-location businesses have more room to negotiate on price and more to lose from a bad rollout, so the review looks at the whole estate rather than one statement.
What to send
- One full month's processing statement, all pages, for at least one location
- The POS platform and version at each location, if you know it
- Approximate monthly card volume and location count
- Any processing or POS contract, or the renewal date if you have it handy
- Anything that bothers you about the statement, such as a fee you do not recognize
Submit the form first. We follow up with instructions for sharing the statement. If you choose to email it, redact account, banking, routing, and other identifying numbers before sending; the fee lines are all we need.
What happens next
- ReadWe read the statement line by line and calculate the effective cost.
- ExplainYou get a plain breakdown: what is network cost, what is markup, what is fees.
- Check the platformWe confirm whether your POS allows a processor change and what it would take.
- OptionsIf there is room, we lay out the options with the trade-offs. If there is not, we say so.
- DecideYou decide. No pressure, and a POS conversation only if it makes sense for the business.
Questions buyers ask
What is an effective rate and how do I calculate mine?
Total fees for the month divided by total card volume for the month. If the statement shows $100,000 in card sales and $3,200 in total fees, the effective rate is 3.2 percent. It is the one number that lets you compare processors and pricing structures on equal terms.
What is interchange, and can it be negotiated?
Interchange is set by the card networks and paid to the card-issuing bank. It is the same for every processor, so it cannot be negotiated. What can change is how much the processor adds above it, and whether transactions are being billed at higher interchange categories than necessary.
Will I have to change my POS to change processors?
It depends on the platform. Many open platforms support more than one processor and the POS can stay. Platforms that bundle processing generally require their own. We check your specific platform and configuration before suggesting anything.
How much can a review save?
There is no honest answer before reading the statement. Some statements have little room because interchange dominates the cost. Others carry markup and fees that a different structure would reduce. Any figure we give is calculated from your statement and confirmed with the processor before you commit.
Is flat-rate pricing bad?
Not always. Flat-rate pricing is simple and can be reasonable for low-volume or card-not-present businesses. At higher volumes with mostly in-person debit and credit, the flat rate often costs more than interchange-plus because the markup is blended into every transaction.
What does Days Dynamics get out of this?
The review is how we start a relationship with operators who may later need POS hardware, terminals, networks, or a rollout planned. If your statement is already in good shape, we tell you that and the conversation ends there.
Do you work with restaurants only?
No. Restaurant and hospitality groups are the most common request because their volume and platforms make the review worthwhile, but retail chains, clinics, and service businesses with card-present volume go through the same process.
Send a statement for review
Tell us about your platform and locations. A person on our team reviews every request, follows up with next steps, and explains how to share the statement.
Prefer to talk? Call (702) 670-1738 or email sales@daysdynamics.com.