By Suneera Madhani, CEO and Founder of Fattmerchant
Regardless of if a business is brand new or has been around for years and years, every company likes to see their bottom line bigger, and merchant processing can be a large place to save money. Retaining as much profit as possible is a major business goal for every restaurant owner no matter how big or how small. A huge hit to the profit of your business every month is the cost of processing credit cards and your monthly merchant services bill. While ways to save money are sometimes hard to spot, there are many cost reduction strategies that you can seamlessly adopt within your credit card processing practice to easily put money back into your bottom line where it belongs.
Look for a merchant services provider with transparent costs. Increased profits are always a good thing, but a jump in sales also leads to an increased merchant services bill at the end of the month. If you’re thinking there has got to be a better way, you’re completely right! The increase in your bill does not need to be nearly as drastic as it probably is. Many credit card processors have hidden fees and large markups that you end up paying dearly for every month. These fees can be listed as being for anything from statement fees to cancellation fees but none of them are necessary. Do your research and look for a merchant service provider with transparency. The right processor won’t charge any unnecessary fees or insane percentage markups and will be upfront about every cost.
Look for companies that don’t hold you to contracts. We understand that contracts can sometimes be an unavoidable part of business. But don’t sign any contracts that are not completely necessary, such as one with a merchant services provider. Contracts often hold you in to long-term agreements that charge hefty cancellation fees if you want to cancel. Why should you have to pay for a provider’s inability to deliver? The answer is you shouldn’t. Don’t get stuck giving your hard earned money to someone who doesn’t deserve it. By avoiding contracts, you’ll always be ready to make changes that’ll lead to bigger profits and a bigger bottom line for your business.
Stay up-to-date with compliance. By keeping up to date with any compliance regulations, you can stay ahead of the curve and save yourself a lot of time and money in the long run. An example of how just a few minutes saving you a good amount of money is making sure that you have completed your PCI (payment card industry) compliance questionnaire. By simply taking five minutes to fill out the questionnaire and ensuring that you are compliant with the industry requirements, you will not have to pay the yearly non-compliance fee that comes from the credit card companies. If you find the right merchant services provider, they should make sure you are not only aware of any compliance regulations or changes but also help you get them done painlessly and efficiently
If you didn’t notice, or were too excited about all the money your business can save, the common theme among all these strategies is that just a little bit of research and paying attention to the details can go a long way. Take the time to make sure you are getting the best, most transparent, services possible for the lowest price. Your business and your bottom line will thank you.
Fattmerchant is a subscription-based merchant service provider offering unlimited payment processing at direct cost for a flat monthly membership and no contract. Suneera Madhani, CEO of Fattmerchant, founded the company in 2014 after working in the credit card processing industry for four years, wanting to create and sell a product that was transparent and provided value to the everyday business owner. Fattmerchant offers credit card processing for every business type, without adding mark-ups or other fees, and providing free equipment, no contract and no ancillary fees.
