Payment processing without the fog

How a card payment moves

Payment processing is the infrastructure behind every swipe, tap, invoice, and online checkout. A transaction may feel instant, but it moves through a terminal or checkout, a processor, a card network, and the customer’s issuing bank before the approval comes back.

Network costs versus processor pricing

The important distinction is between the underlying network costs and the processor’s pricing model. Interchange is set by the card networks. The processor’s markup, software, equipment, support model, and contract terms are where offers begin to differ.

Common pricing models

Flat-rate pricing can be easy to understand. Interchange-plus makes the underlying card cost and processor markup more visible. Tiered pricing groups transactions into categories that can make the true cost harder to follow.

None of those labels is enough on its own; the right route depends on volume, average ticket, card mix, how payments are accepted, and which tools must work together.

Why PayPro starts with questions

PayPro begins with discovery instead of a product name.

• How do customers pay?
• What must the system do?
• What already exists?
• What matters most: cost, equipment, workflow, reliability, reporting, support, or a required integration?

A useful comparison puts all of those answers beside the complete statement, not just the advertised rate.