Card payment questions, answered plainly.

A broker sits between you and the card acquirers. We read your current statement, work out what you are genuinely paying once every fee is counted, approach providers on your behalf and hand you a like-for-like comparison. You keep the decision; we do the legwork and the negotiating.

The review and the consultation are free. Brokers in this market are paid a commission by the provider a merchant ultimately signs with, so there is no fee to you either way. If your existing deal is already competitive we will say so.

One recent merchant statement is usually enough. It shows your turnover, card mix, average transaction value and every fee you are being charged, which is everything needed for a genuine like-for-like comparison.

No. A review is just a review. If you would rather stay where you are, that is a perfectly good outcome and it costs you nothing to have found out.

Usually yes. Card processing and terminal rental are often two separate agreements with different end dates, and many merchants are outside the notice period on one of them without realising. It is worth knowing where you stand before it auto-renews.

The MSC is the percentage taken from every card transaction. It is the headline number providers quote, but it is rarely the whole cost: authorisation fees, PCI charges, minimum monthly charges and terminal rental all sit alongside it.

Quoted rates usually apply to consumer debit cards only. Credit, business and international cards are charged at higher rates, so the more of those you take, the further your real cost drifts from the headline. Dividing total charges by total card turnover gives your true effective rate.

For a straightforward terminal, typically a few working days from approved application to a machine in your hand. Online setups vary with the platform you are using.