What card and ACH payments are
Card payments let customers pay with credit or debit cards through a terminal, website, invoice link, mobile device, or recurring billing setup. ACH payments move money directly between bank accounts. Both methods affect how quickly you are paid, what each transaction costs, how payment data is secured, and how the deposit is matched back to the right customer or invoice.
Common challenges
- Processing statements that are difficult to interpret
- Pricing that no longer reflects volume or risk
- Disconnected card, ACH, online, recurring, or mobile channels
- Funding, chargeback, PCI, or support issues without clear ownership
How TSC helps
- Statement and effective-rate analysis
- Card-present, ecommerce, mobile, recurring, ACH, and eCheck strategy
- Processor, gateway, and pricing-model evaluation
- PCI guidance, tokenization, funding, chargeback, and ongoing support
Commercial card data and today’s rules
Extra transaction detail can affect eligible commercial-card fees. Visa’s US Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP) has replaced its legacy Level 2/3 programs. Mastercard has separate requirements. TSC checks card eligibility, data quality, gateway and processor support, and the actual net cost before recommending changes.
Illustrative fee scenario
What could incomplete card data cost?
Eligible commercial-card transactions can cost more when required data or processing conditions are missing. Explore an example, then have TSC verify the actual opportunity.
Type an amount from $10,000 to $1,000,000. Buttons step by $10,000 through $50,000, then $20,000, with a final $10,000 step to the cap.
The share of your card volume paid with corporate, purchasing, or other commercial cards. Enter 5%–100%; buttons change it by 5%.
Illustrative annual fee difference
$1 per month on $100 in assumed nonqualifying monthly volume.How this example is calculated
Monthly card volume × commercial card ratio × 20% assumed nonqualifying × 0.70% fee reduction × 12. For example, $100,000 total volume × 50% commercial cards = $50,000 in commercial card volume. Assuming 20% ($10,000) is nonqualifying, a 70 basis point fee reduction on that portion equals $70 per month, or $840 per year.
The fixed 20% nonqualifying share and 70 basis point difference are illustrative assumptions, not verified averages or findings about your business. Actual eligibility, card mix, network programs, data quality, timing, processor configuration, program fees, and implementation costs can change the result. A statement and transaction review is needed to estimate net savings. Rounded displayed figures may differ slightly from the underlying calculation.
Frequently asked questions
Your questions answered.
Does TSC represent one payment processor?
No. TSC evaluates the client’s economics, systems, risk, and operational requirements before recommending a processor, gateway, or specialist partner.
Can TSC review both card and ACH costs?
Yes. The review can include interchange, processor markup, gateway fees, ACH pricing, ancillary fees, funding, and the operational cost of the surrounding workflow.
What does a merchant account do?
A merchant account is part of the setup that allows a business to accept card payments and receive settlement. The processor, gateway, bank relationship, pricing, risk rules, and support model all affect how that setup performs.
How can a business increase ACH adoption?
Start with the right use cases and customer experience. Clear payment instructions, saved bank accounts, recurring authorization, pay-by-link, ERP integration, and thoughtful pricing can make ACH easier to choose without creating collection friction.
Can every merchant add a credit card surcharge?
No. Surcharging depends on card-brand rules, state law, card type, notice, signage, disclosure, registration, and processor capability. Debit cards generally cannot be surcharged. TSC reviews the operating and compliance requirements before recommending it.
How is a cash discount different from a surcharge?
A surcharge adds a disclosed fee to an eligible credit card transaction. A compliant cash-discount program presents a posted price and offers a reduction for cash or another qualifying method. The pricing display, receipts, state rules, and card-brand requirements matter.
Does accepting ACH remove PCI responsibilities?
No. ACH is not governed by PCI DSS in the same way as card data, but a business that also accepts cards still has PCI responsibilities. ACH also carries its own authorization, account-validation, return, and security requirements.
Talk with TSC
Let’s find the right next step.
Book a consultation or contact us with your payment question. We will help identify what to review and explain the next steps.