High processing fees drain profits. You already know that. What you might not know is how much you’re actually losing each month to rates that don’t make sense for your business model.
Lower processing fees mean more working capital stays in your account. Next-day funding means you’re not waiting around for money you’ve already earned. When 56% of small business owners struggle with cash flow management, getting paid faster isn’t a luxury—it’s survival.
You’ll accept every payment type your customers want to use. Credit cards, debit cards, fleet cards for commercial accounts, wireless payments for mobile transactions, gift cards, loyalty programs, and online payment acceptance. One system handles it all, so you’re not juggling multiple processors or turning away business because you can’t take their preferred payment method.
The difference shows up in your bank account. Faster deposits, lower fees, and fewer payment-related headaches that pull you away from actually running your business.
We’ve served Washington, DC businesses since 1992. That’s over three decades of watching payment technology evolve from carbon-copy imprinters to contactless tap-to-pay.
We’re a registered ISO of PNC Bank, which means your transactions run through established banking infrastructure, not some fly-by-night processor. Our office is in Annapolis, close enough to understand the DC market—government contractors, professional services, retail operations, and the unique payment needs that come with serving the nation’s capital.
DC businesses deal with specific challenges. Government contracts often require fleet card acceptance. Professional services need seamless online payment acceptance for retainer invoices. Retail locations want gift card programs that actually drive repeat business. We’ve built processing solutions around these realities because we’ve been working with DC-area businesses long enough to know what actually matters.
First, we evaluate your current processing situation. What are you paying now? What payment types do you need to accept? Where are transactions happening—in-store, online, mobile, or all three?
Then we design your processing approach. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all package. If you’re running a fleet-based operation, we set up fleet card processing so you can capture that commercial business. If you’re doing significant online sales, we integrate online payment acceptance with your existing systems. Retail location? We’ll include gift card programs and loyalty card processing if that makes sense for your customer base.
Equipment gets installed and tested. Whether it’s countertop terminals, wireless payment devices for tableside service, or virtual terminals for phone orders, everything gets configured before you process your first transaction. We don’t hand you a terminal and wish you luck.
You start processing with next-day funding. Money hits your account the next business day, not three to five days out. Our support team is available 24/7 when technical issues pop up, because payment problems don’t wait for business hours.
Ongoing support includes reviewing your statements to make sure your rates stay competitive. Processing costs can creep up over time if nobody’s watching. We watch.
Ready to get started?
Credit card processing covers Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Debit cards with PIN pads for customers who prefer that. Check acceptance if you still deal with paper checks, which plenty of DC businesses do, especially in government contracting.
Fleet card processing is significant in the DC area. Companies managing vehicle fleets use WEX, Voyager, and other fleet cards. If you’re not set up to accept them, you’re turning away commercial customers who can’t pay any other way.
Wireless payment acceptance works for businesses that need mobility. Food trucks, delivery services, on-site service providers—anyone who needs to process payments away from a fixed terminal. The devices connect through cellular networks, so you’re not dependent on customer WiFi.
Online payment acceptance integrates with your website or invoicing system. Customers pay invoices online, you get next-day funding, and nobody’s chasing down mailed checks. For DC-area professional services—law firms, consultants, accountants—this speeds up receivables considerably.
Gift card programs and loyalty card processing drive repeat business. Customers buy gift cards, you get immediate cash flow, and they come back to redeem them. Loyalty programs reward frequent customers and give you data on buying patterns.
Transparent pricing means interchange-plus rates, not bundled pricing that hides what you’re actually paying. Your statement shows the actual interchange cost plus our markup. No surprises, no “miscellaneous fees” that don’t make sense.
Processing fees break down into three parts: interchange fees (set by card networks), assessment fees (also set by card networks), and the processor’s markup. Interchange rates range from 1.15% + $0.05 for basic debit cards up to 2.95% + $0.10 for premium rewards credit cards.
The processor’s markup is where costs vary wildly. Some DC businesses pay flat rates of 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, which sounds simple but gets expensive on large transactions. Others pay bundled “qualified” and “non-qualified” rates that can hit 3.5% or higher depending on card type.
Interchange-plus pricing shows you the actual cost breakdown. You see the interchange fee, the assessment fee, and our markup separately. For most DC small businesses, total effective rates land between 2.2% and 2.8% depending on your average transaction size and card mix. Higher average tickets generally mean lower effective rates.
Monthly fees add another layer. Some processors charge statement fees, PCI compliance fees, gateway fees, batch fees, and other line items that add $30-$50 monthly. We include PCI compliance support and don’t nickel-and-dime you with batch fees for settling transactions daily.
Next-day funding is standard for most business types. Transactions processed today hit your bank account the next business day. If you batch out by 5 PM Eastern, funds arrive the following morning.
Some processors hold funds for 2-3 business days or longer, especially for new accounts. That delay kills cash flow when you’re trying to restock inventory or make payroll. The difference between next-day and three-day funding on a $10,000 processing day is having that money available Thursday versus the following Monday.
Weekend transactions settle on Monday since bank processing doesn’t run on weekends. Friday sales show up Monday morning. This is industry-wide, not processor-specific.
New merchant accounts sometimes have reserve requirements or rolling reserves for the first few months. High-risk industries or businesses with no processing history might see 5-10% of funds held for 6 months. Most DC retail, restaurant, and professional service businesses don’t hit these requirements and get standard next-day funding from day one.
Same-day funding exists but costs extra and usually requires a different fee structure. For most businesses, next-day funding provides enough cash flow without the premium pricing.
Fleet card acceptance requires specific setup beyond standard credit card processing. WEX, Voyager, Fuelman, and other fleet cards need Level 3 processing data—information like fuel type, odometer reading, driver ID, and vehicle number.
Standard credit card terminals don’t capture this data. You need either fleet-specific terminals or terminals programmed for Level 3 data capture. Without proper setup, fleet card transactions get declined or processed at higher non-qualified rates that eat into your margins.
DC has significant fleet card volume. Government contractors, delivery services, maintenance companies—all use fleet cards for fuel and vehicle expenses. If you operate a gas station, auto repair shop, or any business serving commercial vehicles, fleet card processing captures sales you’d otherwise miss.
The setup process involves registering with individual fleet card networks, configuring terminals to prompt for required data fields, and testing transactions before going live. This isn’t something you figure out on your own. We handle fleet card setup as part of merchant services for businesses that need it.
Processing rates for fleet cards differ from consumer credit cards. Interchange rates are often lower, but you need the proper setup to qualify for those lower rates. Improper setup means paying standard credit card rates on fleet transactions, which defeats the purpose.
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance is mandatory for any business that accepts credit cards. The requirements vary based on transaction volume, but all merchants must follow basic security protocols.
Level 4 merchants (fewer than 20,000 e-commerce transactions or 1 million total transactions annually) complete an annual Self-Assessment Questionnaire and quarterly network scans. This covers most small to medium DC businesses. Level 1 merchants (over 6 million transactions annually) need annual on-site security audits by qualified assessors.
Your responsibilities include maintaining secure networks, protecting cardholder data, implementing access controls, and monitoring network activity. Practically speaking, this means using secure terminals, not storing full card numbers, limiting who can access payment systems, and keeping software updated.
We provide PCI compliance support as part of merchant services. You get access to the Self-Assessment Questionnaire, quarterly scanning tools, and guidance on meeting requirements. Some processors charge $99-$199 annually for PCI compliance programs. We include it.
Non-compliance carries risk beyond fees. Data breaches expose you to card brand fines, customer lawsuits, and reputation damage. A single breach can cost tens of thousands in forensic investigations, notification requirements, and penalty fees. Compliance isn’t optional paperwork—it’s protection against business-ending liability.
If you’re processing card-not-present transactions (online, phone orders), PCI requirements increase. You need secure payment gateways, SSL certificates, and additional data protection measures. We help configure these systems to meet compliance standards.
Gift card programs generate immediate cash flow and guaranteed future traffic. Someone buys a $50 gift card, you get $50 today. When they redeem it, they typically spend more than the card value—industry average is 20% over the gift card amount.
Breakage is real. About 10-15% of gift card value never gets redeemed. That’s straight profit, though you need to account for it properly in your books. Unredeemed cards represent sales without cost of goods sold.
Gift cards also bring new customers. When someone receives your gift card, they visit your business, often for the first time. If the experience is good, they become regular customers beyond the initial gift card visit.
Loyalty programs drive repeat business through rewards. Customers earn points per purchase, then redeem points for discounts or free items. This creates incentive to return instead of going to competitors.
The data matters as much as the rewards. Loyalty programs track purchase frequency, average ticket size, and product preferences. You learn which customers visit weekly versus monthly, what they typically buy, and when they’re likely to return. This information shapes inventory decisions, staffing levels, and marketing efforts.
DC businesses competing with national chains need loyalty programs to match what customers expect. If the chain offers rewards and you don’t, you’re at a disadvantage. Implementation through your merchant services system means customers use the same card they’re paying with to track loyalty points—no separate loyalty cards to carry.
Terminal malfunctions happen. Devices freeze, connectivity drops, card readers fail. When you can’t process payments, you’re losing sales every minute the system is down.
Our technical support runs 24/7. Call the support line, explain the issue, and get troubleshooting help immediately. Most problems resolve over the phone—rebooting terminals, checking connections, adjusting settings. Support reps walk you through diagnostics until the terminal works or we determine it needs replacement.
Hardware replacement happens fast. If your terminal is dead, we ship a replacement via overnight delivery. You’re not waiting a week for equipment. For businesses that can’t afford any downtime, we recommend keeping a backup terminal on hand. The cost of a spare terminal is less than losing a Saturday’s worth of sales.
Processing outages at the network level are rare but possible. When card networks or processors experience system-wide issues, nobody can process transactions. These outages typically resolve within hours. Having a backup processor isn’t practical for most businesses, but knowing your processor has redundant systems and solid uptime history matters.
We follow up after technical issues to verify everything’s working normally. If you needed a replacement terminal, we call back the next day to confirm the new device is processing correctly. If settings were adjusted, we check that transactions are batching and settling properly.
Payment problems cost you money. Fast support minimizes downtime and gets you back to processing sales. That’s why support quality matters as much as processing rates when choosing merchant services.
Local Resources
Other Services we provide in Washington
