What we audit
Card payments
Card processing is the single most opaque line on most retail and hospitality P&Ls. We rebuild your effective rate from the statement and show you what the same volume costs elsewhere.
What we need from you
- Your most recent merchant statement
- Terminal rental agreement, if separate
What we check
Everything on this list, on every audit.
Not a sample. If a line does not apply to your business, the report says so and why.
- 01Effective rate — total charges divided by total turnover, the only number that matters
- 02Blended versus Interchange++ pricing and which one suits your card mix
- 03Terminal rental and whether you are still paying for hardware you own outright
- 04PCI DSS compliance fees and non-compliance penalties
- 05Authorisation, minimum monthly service and gateway charges
- 06Contract end date, notice period and early-termination exposure
Where the money goes
The four ways this line quietly gets more expensive.
None of these involve anyone doing anything wrong. They are how the contracts are built.
Rate creep after the introductory period
Introductory pricing typically lifts at 12 or 18 months without a letter. The statement changes; nothing else does.
Blended pricing hiding premium cards
On blended pricing, commercial and non-UK cards cost the acquirer more but cost you the same headline percentage — the margin is invisible.
Terminal rental past the hardware's value
A £250 terminal on £29/month for four years is £1,392. Rental agreements frequently auto-renew.
Duplicate PCI charges
Businesses running two acquirers often pay two annual PCI fees for one certified estate.
What you receive
This line, on your report.
Your current effective rate, benchmarked against live pricing from every acquirer on our panel, with the pound difference per year, your contract end date and the notice period you have to work to.
Sector notes
How card payments behaves by sector
The same line costs differently depending on what the business does. These are the sectors where it matters most.
- Industrial unitsWarehousing, light manufacturing, workshops and trade counters.
- Restaurants & takeawaysHigh card volume, heavy gas and electricity, delivery platform fees.
- Convenience & retailCash handling, chilled load, card mix and EPOS licences.
- Pubs & barsTied agreements, cellar cooling, card volume and licensing.
- Salons & barbersCard terminals per chair, booking software, low-load energy.
Other lines
The rest of the audit.
The last step is yours
Send us three bills. Keep the report either way.
It takes about five minutes at your end. Nothing is chargeable, nothing auto-renews, and nobody calls you unless you ask.