Guides & Articles

Longer reads on processing fees and POS setup, mostly written because somebody asked.

A restaurant worker holding paperwork beside a countertop payment terminal.

FTC Sues Toast Over Hidden Fees: What It Means for Ohio Restaurants

The FTC and eight states sued Toast on October 29 over hidden fees and hard to cancel subscriptions. What Northeast Ohio restaurants should check now.

this-week-in-paymentsrestaurantshidden feespos

Two hands at a worn diner counter, one holding a plain card to a handheld card terminal, a receipt on the counter.

Article6 min read

Fall 2026 Card Network Fee Updates: What's Changing on Clover and Fiserv Statements

Fiserv's Fall 2026 card brand updates raise several Mastercard and Visa line-item fees that reach Clover merchants. Here's what touches a Northeast Ohio shop.

this-week-in-paymentspricingcloverohio

A plain unbranded card terminal on a worn wooden shop counter, with a round analog wall clock on the brick wall behind it.

Guide4 min read

The Clocks Went Back: Is Your Card Terminal Still an Hour Ahead?

Daylight saving time ended November 1. Clover, Exatouch and Valor PayTech terminals fix themselves. First Data, Dejavoo, PAX and Verifone need a manual reset.

guideequipmentsupportohio

A small-town gas station with a lit canopy at dusk on a rain-wet street.

Article6 min read

Debit Swipe-Fee Cap Struck Down: What the Court Ruling Means for Ohio Merchants

A federal appeals court threw out the Fed's 21-cent debit interchange cap and ordered a rewrite. What it could mean for a Northeast Ohio merchant's debit costs.

this-week-in-paymentspricingcost savingsohio

A hand holding a plain white card to a handheld terminal on a worn bar counter, a pen and receipt beside it.

Article5 min read

Visa and Mastercard's Fee Settlement: Lower Rates, a November Hearing, and Money You May Be Owed

A proposed Visa and Mastercard settlement would cut credit interchange, and an older fund has paid out $631.7 million. What it means for a Northeast Ohio merchant.

this-week-in-paymentspricingcost savingsohio

The U.S. Capitol dome catching early light, seen through bare winter trees.

Article6 min read

Swipe-Fee Reform in Congress: What the Credit Card Competition Act Means for Ohio Shops

Trump is pushing Congress to pass the Credit Card Competition Act. Here's what the swipe-fee bill would do, and what a Northeast Ohio merchant can control right now.

this-week-in-paymentspricinghidden feesohio

A barista's hands setting an unbranded countertop payment terminal on a wood coffee-shop counter beside a ceramic cup and a stack of paper cups.

Article6 min read

Free POS Hardware Isn't Free: The Contract and Lease Traps Behind Toast and Square Offers

Toast and Square are discounting POS hardware to win merchants, but a free terminal can hide a higher rate, a multi-year contract, or a lease you cannot cancel.

this-week-in-paymentspospricingohio

An unplugged plain countertop payment terminal sitting in an open cardboard box on a bar counter, cable coiled beside it.

Article21 min read

The Real Cost of "Free" POS Hardware: What Shift4's August Fees Mean for Restaurant and Bar Owners

Shift4's Annual Service & Maintenance Fee hit SkyTab and Shift4 Dine restaurants for $1,200 to $2,000 on Aug. 1. What the contract allows and what to do.

pricinghidden feesrestaurantsposohio

A calm, organized back-office desk with hands resting beside a single plain sheet of paper and a coffee mug.

Article3 min read

Why Cloud 9 Payments Doesn't Charge Surprise Infrastructure or Annual Maintenance Fees

Cloud 9 Payments does not charge surprise infrastructure or annual maintenance fees. See how transparent interchange-plus pricing works for Northeast Ohio merchants.

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