Payment Processing · POS Systems · Merchant Services
Cash discount or lowest rates. Both live here.
We're not chasing the lowest quote in your inbox — we're the ones who actually read your statement first. Line by line, we find what's really costing you, then match you to the program that fits how your business runs: cash discount or traditional processing, set up right the first time.
Based in NYC. Serving clients nationwide.
No long-term commitment. If you're getting a fair deal, we'll tell you that too.
Start here
Most owners can't name their real rate. That's the whole business model.
Processors quote you a headline rate, then bill you on three other lines with more fees. What really matters is one number, and you can work it out in ten seconds with last month's statement.
This is the number that matters. If it's more than you were expecting, we can help.
Two ways to fix it
Lower the rate, or move the fee. Both are legitimate. Only one fits your floor.
Not every business is the same — pick the program that fits how you run.
Option A
Cash Discount
Under a cash discount program, your listed prices are the card price, meaning the cost of accepting cards is already built in. When customers choose to pay with cash, they get an automatic discount at the register. You protect your margins, and cash buyers get a perk.
It works best where the transaction is simple and the customer decides at the counter: quick service, retail, salons, barbershops, convenience stores and similar.
Option B
Traditional Pricing
The standard setup you're probably familiar with. You absorb the processing cost, but with us, you stop paying more than you need to. Give us your most recent processing statement and we'll make sure you get the best rate possible.
It works best where the transactions are high ticket, B2B, mostly online, or you simply don't want your customer to pay this cost.
How to read your own statement
Every processor formats these differently, and some bury them across three pages. Here's what each line is, in plain English, and what to look for. Work through your own statement with this.
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Interchange
Set by Visa and Mastercard, paid to the bank that issued your customer's card. Nobody can negotiate this, including us. The rate depends on the card type and how the transaction was run.
Look for: a separate interchange line. If you can't find one, you're on bundled pricing and the markup is hidden inside it.
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Assessments and card brand fees
Small fixed fees paid to the card networks themselves, separate from interchange. Also non-negotiable, and identical no matter who processes your payments.
Look for: network names — Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex — with small percentages attached.
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Processor markup
What your provider adds on top. This is the only part of your rate that is genuinely negotiable, which is exactly why most statements make it hard to isolate.
Look for: anything left after interchange and assessments. On interchange-plus pricing it's stated outright. On tiered or bundled pricing it isn't stated anywhere.
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Non-qualified downgrades
Transactions that failed to meet the lowest rate you were quoted and got repriced higher. Common causes: a manually keyed card, a missing zip code, a corporate or rewards card, or a batch settled late. The quoted rate can be honest and your real cost still lands far above it.
Look for: "non-qual," "mid-qual," "EIRF," "standard," or "downgrade." This is usually the single biggest gap between the rate you were sold and the rate you pay.
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Per-item and batch fees
A flat charge on every transaction, plus a charge each time you settle the day's batch. Pennies individually, and they matter enormously if your average ticket is small.
Look for: a per-transaction amount multiplied by your transaction count. On a $12 average ticket, thirty cents is another 2.5%.
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Monthly minimum
A floor. If your processing fees for the month come in below it, you're billed the difference anyway. It costs you nothing in a busy month and bites in a slow one.
Look for: a line that only appears in your quieter months.
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PCI compliance and non-compliance fees
A fee for the security compliance program, billed annually or monthly. Separately, a non-compliance fee is charged when the annual questionnaire hasn't been filed. A lot of owners have never been told the questionnaire exists.
Look for: "PCI," and check whether you're paying both the program fee and a non-compliance penalty.
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Equipment lease
Usually a separate agreement from your processing contract, often with a different company, and frequently non-cancellable for its full term. Switching processors does not end it.
Look for: a fixed monthly charge for hardware. Check the original lease term before you assume you can walk away.
Add every fee on the statement, divide by your total card volume, and you have your effective rate. That single number is the only fair way to compare one processor to another.
Can't find half of these on your statement?
That's not you missing something. Statements are formatted by the people charging the fees, and the lines that cost you most are the ones hardest to locate. Send it over and we'll mark up every one of these for you, free.
Savings calculator
See how much you're losing to processing fees.
Adjust the numbers to match your current processing. Two of them are on the front page of your statement, and the other two are on page two.
This calculator models the Cash Discount Program
This calculator shows your current cost under traditional pricing
Card sales only — leave out cash and checks.
The percentage side of your fees. Drag it, or enter your total monthly fees below and it will fill itself in.
Estimate
Under the Cash Discount Program the cost of processing is built into your posted prices, so your transaction fees drop to zero. This is an estimate built on the numbers above, not a quote — real figures come off your statement.
That's what traditional pricing is costing you today, based on what you entered. We can't promise the exact improvement without your real statement — every processor's fee structure is different — but we can promise it'll be lower. You've basically already started the process.
Enter your numbers above to see your estimate.
That's $21,000 a year back in your business.
Hire another set of hands. Take the vacation you keep putting off. Reinvest it in the equipment, the marketing or the buildout you've been holding back on. It's already your money — right now you're just paying it to someone else.
That last one is the part most owners miss. Cutting a cost drops straight to the bottom line. Earning the equivalent through new sales means doing ten times the volume for the same result.
We work for you
Consultants, not salespeople chasing a quota.
A merchant service provider is the financial company that processes your payments. A merchant consultant helps you optimize the setup — reduce fees, review statements, and pick the right hardware. By partnering with industry-leading brands like Clover, Dejavoo and Valor, we make sure you have access to the right equipment for your business rather than whatever one manufacturer happens to sell.
We won't oversell you
We won't push hardware you don't need, and we won't recommend a program that doesn't fit how your business actually runs. Sometimes the honest answer is a $240 terminal instead of a full POS.
We take on a limited number of clients
We onboard a small number of new merchants each month, on purpose. It's the only way to make sure every business gets the attention it deserves — a real conversation about your setup, and someone who knows your account when you call.
Here's exactly how we get paid
Our compensation comes 100% from our California-based processing partner, PayBotX, as a percentage of processing volume. Our advice costs you nothing, and because we only earn when you keep processing, our incentive is to get the setup right the first time.
What you get
Everything you need to accept payments.
Whichever program you land on, the same operating standard comes with it.
01
Seamless payments and processing
Accept every payment type — tap, chip and swipe — plus e-invoices and recurring billing for online clients.
02
All-in-one management
Track inventory and oversee every location from one dashboard.
03
Data-driven growth
Real-time reporting and KPIs that integrate with your accounting software.
04
Transparent pricing
You know what you'll pay from day one, with no long-term contract.
05
Compliance
PCI DSS standards and local payment compliance handled as part of the setup, not left to you.
06
Personal support
A partner who picks up when you need them, not a 1-800 number and a queue.
07
Fast funding
Get paid within 1–2 business days and keep your cash flow moving.
08
A dedicated merchant bank account
No shared accounts, no frozen funds. Control your cash flow.
Equipment
Four ways to take a payment. We'll tell you which one you need.
We work with Clover, Dejavoo, Valor and other major manufacturers, so you get hardware matched to your business rather than whatever one brand happens to sell. Operators routinely get sold the biggest box on the shelf — what you actually need depends on where the transaction happens and how complicated the ticket is.
Countertop terminals
The workhorse. A compact unit that sits by the register and does one job extremely well. If you don't need inventory, tickets or table management, this is the right answer, and the cheapest one.
- Tap, chip, swipe and contactless
- Built-in receipt printer
- Cash discount ready out of the box
- Fast to learn — staff are running it in minutes
Retail · services · professional offices
Wireless terminals
Battery powered with cellular and WiFi, so payment happens wherever the customer is standing rather than wherever the counter is. The difference between closing the sale and losing it.
- Pay at the table, the truck or the job site
- Cellular backup when WiFi drops
- Runs a full shift on a charge
- Tip prompts and digital receipts
Mobile · delivery · trades · events
Online gateways & e-commerce
Take payment when nobody is in the room. Hosted checkout, e-invoices and recurring billing that connect to the same account and the same reporting as your in-store sales.
- Secure hosted checkout and payment links
- E-invoicing with pay-now buttons
- Recurring and subscription billing
- Shopping cart and website integrations
E-commerce · subscriptions · invoiced services
POS systems
A full point-of-sale for businesses with tickets, modifiers, staff and a kitchen behind them. This is where the system stops being a way to take payment and starts being how you run the floor.
- Kitchen display and printer integration
- Customer-facing screen for tips and receipts
- Employee management, logins and shift tracking
- Inventory, modifiers and multi-location reporting
Restaurants · bars · cafés · multi-station retail
Not sure which one you need?
That's the normal answer, and it's the wrong thing to guess at. Tell us how orders move through your business and we'll find the exact solution for you — including telling you when the cheapest option is the right one, or when you need something premium.
Clover, Dejavoo and Valor are trademarks of their respective owners.
For active clients
Once you're processing with us, we can help fund what's next.
Growth capital for equipment, a buildout, hiring ahead of a busy season, or inventory — connected through our funding partner, not us. We don't underwrite it and we don't set the terms; we make the introduction and you decide if it's right for your business.
New equipment or a buildout
Upgrade hardware, renovate a space, or open a second location without waiting on cash flow to catch up.
Staffing ahead of demand
Bring on help before your busy season starts, not after you've already lost the walk-in traffic.
Inventory and working capital
Smooth out the gap between paying suppliers and getting paid by customers.
Available once you're an active 5 Apollo processing client — this is a benefit of working with us, not a way in.
Funding is provided by a separate, independent underwriter. 5 Apollo is not a lender and does not make credit decisions — approval, terms and timelines are determined entirely by the funding partner, and approval isn't guaranteed.
Ask about funding optionsWhere we work
Based in New York. Working with businesses nationwide.
We're a boutique payment consulting firm headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Being local matters here — surcharge and cash discount rules are stricter in New York than in most of the country, and we set up signage, receipt text and terminal programming to match. If you're in the five boroughs, we'll come to you in person. Everywhere else, including the surrounding tri-state area, we onboard you remotely.
New York City — on-site
Everywhere else — remote
What "local" actually gets you
- On-site installation and staff training across the five boroughs, at no additional cost
- Compliant signage and receipt language configured for New York's strict credit card pricing laws before you go live
- Someone who understands what a Friday night rush does to a restaurant POS, because we've worked them
- A person who can physically show up if something goes wrong during service
Outside the five boroughs, everything except the in-person visit is identical. Equipment arrives fully programmed and encrypted, and onboarding happens by video call.
From analysis to active
Up and running in under a week.
Already processing? Send your current merchant statement and we'll review it for free for hidden fees, surcharges and buried costs. Most business owners are surprised by what they find.
- 01Statement analysis
Send your merchant statement. We'll show you every fee, surcharge and buried cost, line by line, at no cost to you. Send all the pages as a PDF or a phone photo, whatever works for you.
- 02Custom configuration
We make sure you have the right equipment for your exact business, and the program — cash discount or traditional — that fits how you actually run.
- 03Go live in days
Skip the technical headaches. Your system arrives fully programmed and encrypted. Plug it in, train your staff in minutes, and start taking payments.
- 04Always-on support
We're available around the clock for questions or issues. You'll always have personal support when you need it most.
Attach your statement to the form above and it comes straight to us. All pages, PDF or a phone photo. If your bank account number appears on it, feel free to black it out — we don't need it to calculate your rate.
How we handle it: your statement is used only to calculate your current processing costs and prepare a quote. Only we have access to form submissions. If preparing your quote requires additional pricing review, the statement may be shared with PayBotX, our processing partner, for that purpose. We never sell it or share it with anyone else, and we delete it within 90 days if you don't move forward. Privacy policy.
FAQ
The questions operators actually ask.
What is a cash discount program? Do we have to use it?
Cash discounting is a proven, legal program in all 50 states that lets merchants eliminate their credit card processing fees. It's simple, transparent and effective, just how things should be.
With a true cash discount program, your listed prices are the credit card prices. If a customer chooses to pay with cash, our system automatically applies a discount at the register. While it typically offers the greatest savings, you're free to choose traditional processing instead. We'll set you up with whatever you feel is best for your business, and if you ever want to switch programs, we'll happily help you out.
Why don't I switch to cash discount with my current processor?
There's a reason they never mentioned it. Most banks and national processors either don't offer the program or are content collecting your processing fees. They rarely walk you through the reprogramming or equipment changes, sending you to an automated support line instead. With us, you get a seamless experience from start to finish, with real answers and ongoing support.
Will my customers be annoyed?
Some will notice. Very few walk. What determines the reaction is whether it feels like a surprise. Clear signage at the door and on the counter, and staff who can explain it in one sentence, is the whole game. Where it consistently goes badly is when the price appears at the end of a transaction the customer thought was finished.
You're giving customers the choice between a better price or a more convenient payment option. Most card users happily pay the standard posted price for the flexibility and rewards their cards provide.
Can I use my existing equipment?
Sometimes, some equipment can be reprogrammed, but in most cases you'll need new hardware. We'll order brand-new hardware and set you up with the most efficient configuration for your needs. Many businesses we work with qualify for free equipment or discounted pricing.
I'm locked into a current contract — can I switch?
We understand some contracts are hard to exit. In our experience many can be cancelled for $300–$500, and the monthly processing savings usually cover that cancellation fee easily — leaving more money in your pocket by year-end.
Bring your current agreement along with your most recent processing statement and we'll review the exit terms together. Sometimes the right move is to wait out the contract. If that's the best move for you, we'll let you know — not pressure you to switch.
Do I need to sign a long-term contract?
No long-term contracts. We believe in earning your business every month, the honest way.
How long does switching take?
Usually under a week from application to a working terminal on your counter. Underwriting takes a day or two, equipment is fulfilled within 24 to 48 hours of approval, and it arrives fully programmed and encrypted.
What businesses is this for?
Any business that takes credit cards can benefit. That includes restaurants, cafés, retail, salons, gyms, contractors, auto shops, medical practices, lawyers, accountants, e-commerce and more.
Do you offer business funding or loans?
We can connect active processing clients with a funding partner who offers merchant cash advance and alternative funding for things like equipment, staffing or expansion. We're not the lender — approval, terms and timelines are set entirely by the funding partner, and approval isn't guaranteed. If it's something you want to explore, ask once you're set up with us and we'll make the introduction.
Guides
Straight answers, whether or not you ever call us.
We write these because the questions keep coming up and almost nobody answers them plainly. Read them, use them, take them to your current processor if that's what helps.
01
Why did my processing rate go up?
Seven common causes, and how to tell from your own statement which one hit you.
02
Toast vs. Square: what each costs
A side-by-side built only from figures each company publishes itself.
03
Is surcharging legal in New York?
What GBL §518 requires since 2024, and the $500-per-violation penalty for getting it wrong.
Send the statement. Worst case, you learn your real rate.
One month, all pages. We'll come back within 48 hours and let you know exactly what you're paying, including "stay where you are," when that's the right one.
Start my free statement analysis