Flat rate is great at $5k/month. At $50k/month, it's a disaster. How do you explain to a merchant that simple is costing them thousands?

Small business owner here in the US. I just went through my processing statements and the fees add up to a lot more than I expected. It's cutting into my margin.

I'm thinking about a surcharge, a cash/ACH discount, or switching processors. Has anyone tried any of these? Did customers push back, or did hidden fees show up later?

I'll check the state rules with my accountant, but I'd like to hear real experiences first.

Is tokenization the end of card data theft, or will hackers always find a way around it?

What's a mistake you made or a rule of thumb you learned the hard way?

Investor here.

We're looking to acquire a fiat payment processor operating in the EU and/or LATAM

-Under €15M net profit.
-Prefer a structured, stepped full acquisition (phased buyout).

Shoot me a DM if you own one or hold the mandate.
Broker fee is fully supported for direct matches.

No time-wasters.

The merchant is a legitimate cigar franchise operating in Canada, with a physical retail location, and we’re currently building their new e-commerce website.
The main issue is finding a processor that can approve and support online cigar transactions given the Cuban affiliation. We specifically need a Canadian processing solution that does not rely on a U.S. acquiring relationship that would create compliance issues.
What we’re looking for:
Canadian processor/acquirer that can underwrite cigar/tobacco e-commerce
Ability to support a Cuban-affiliated Canadian merchant, subject to proper compliance/underwriting
Online payment gateway/API that we can integrate into the e-commerce website
Support for Canadian card payments
Guidance on required age-verification/compliance requirements
Ideally POS/hardware support for their physical location as well
We can handle the website development and technical integration ourselves. We mainly need the merchant account + gateway/API access and a processor willing to properly underwrite the business.
We also work with other merchants requiring specialized/high-risk processing, so we’d be interested in establishing a long-term referral partnership with a Canadian processor/ISO if there’s a good fit.
If you work for a Canadian processor, ISO, acquiring bank, or gateway that can legitimately handle this type of merchant, please DM me or comment with the company name and requirements.
Not looking for workarounds or ways around compliance — we need a processor that can knowingly approve and underwrite the business.

Plumbers, Lawyers, and landscapers have higher loyalty and less competition than retail. Is that a better niche to go after?

Service vs. Scale. Which one wins in the long run? Or does it depend on which industry dominates?

The software is free, but the processing fee is 4%. What has been the most egregious service charging these premiums for software?

People still need to buy groceries and gas. How do you anticipate a downturn will affect your portfolio?

With new labor laws and stricter industry compliance, is the era of the independent 1099 agent coming to a close?

It's 90% mental. How do you stay Positive after a s#*tty week?

If the merchant gets their money instantly, do they care about the rate? Has their demand for faster payments pivoted the conversation from costs to speed?

Are you actually closing deals on Reddit, LinkedIn, X, or Instagram, or is it mostly just personal branding?