Protect the card-present distinction
A blended plan can charge the same provider rate across very different transaction types. Interchange-plus keeps the network category visible and adds the account markup separately.
Your shop should keep the economics of an in-person sale.
A dipped or tapped card at the register carries a different network cost from an online checkout. Retail pricing should preserve that distinction and remain understandable through returns, slow months and holiday volume.
Published pricing is a target, never a promise or guarantee · Underwriting sets the final rate
The register creates its own pricing advantage
Network pricing reflects how the card is accepted. When the customer and card are physically present, the transaction can qualify differently from a keyed or online sale.
Read refunds as their own ledger event
A returned item removes revenue, but fee treatment depends on the network and provider rules. Ask which components are returned, which are retained and how each appears on the statement.
Let slow months become quiet statements
Retail volume moves with weather, tourism and holiday trade. Fixed account costs deserve scrutiny when the shop floor is quiet, not only when the queue reaches the door.
A boutique month with a mid-sized basket
The example is computed from current pricing rather than copied into the page. Both accounts receive the same 800 derived transactions.
| Input or result | This account | Dharma |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly card volume | $40,000.00 | |
| Average ticket | $50.00 | |
| Derived transactions | 800 | |
| Monthly markup and fees | $60.00 | $124.00$0/mo + 15 bps + 8¢/txn |
| Monthly difference | $64.00 | |
The modeled annual difference is $768.00 if the same month repeats. That is an estimate, not a quoted saving. The account's markup is a target, never a promise or guarantee, and the processor's underwriting department determines final pricing.
This compares processor markup and monthly fees only. Interchange and card-brand assessments are set by the card networks, apply equally to all providers, and are not included.
A return should be explainable line by line
The sale
The statement should identify network cost and processor markup instead of hiding both inside one blended deduction.
The refund
Card-network rules determine what interchange treatment applies. Provider policy determines whether its own markup or fixed charges remain. Those are separate questions.
The net result
Reconcile the original sale and refund together. If the provider cannot show which fee components moved in each direction, the statement is not doing enough work.
When flat rate is actually better
A craft-fair booth, temporary pop-up or hobby shop with occasional card sales may reasonably choose a flat-rate mobile provider. Quick setup and familiar hardware can outweigh pricing precision at very low volume.
A permanent store with regular trade should compare using its own average basket and seasonal months. One strong holiday period is not a substitute for understanding the full year.
Questions that surface at the register
Can a holiday surge cause a risk review?
Yes. A large change from the volume described in the application can trigger the processor’s review process. Pcnaid is a referral partner and cannot promise that funds will never be held.
Is the target markup assigned automatically?
No. It is the pricing submitted with the application, never a promise or guarantee. The processor’s underwriting department determines the final rate from the business profile.
Who handles a broken reader?
The support front line is an AI voice agent that gathers and triages the issue. Processor-controlled matters such as funding, holds and account balances are routed to the processor.
Bring a real store month to the calculator.
Use card volume after refunds and an average ticket based on settled payments. The result will show whether transaction count or volume carries more weight.
Applying carries no obligation. Underwriting, approval and final rates are determined by the processor.
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