What Payment Providers Won't Tell You: Inside the Hidden Cost of Accepting Cards | Joe Zahaitis

About this episode

Joe Zahaitis discusses the hidden costs of accepting card payments and how to navigate the complexities of payment processing.

If you take card payments, you're probably paying more than you think. Not because you missed something, but because the system isn't built for you to see it clearly. From layered interchange tiers to fees that quietly grow with your sales, most business owners never get the full picture. In this conversation, payments veteran Joe Zahaitis walks Sana through what's really happening behind your merchant statement, why the lowest rate isn't the safest choice, and how to read your effective payment rate so you can make calmer, smarter decisions about who handles the money flowing through your business. About the Guest: Joe Zahaitis is the President of Bankcard International Group and brings nearly three decades of experience inside the payments industry. He has worked across institutions including Bank of America Merchant Services, Discover Network, and Ingenico ePayments, and is a long-time advocate for transparent, relationship-based merchant services. Key Takeaways: Calculate your effective rate every month: total volume divided by total fees. The number at the bottom of page five tells you more than the rate you were quoted. Payment processing isn't a side cost. For most…

People in this episode

Host: Sana Chakraborty

Guest: Joe Zahaitis

Topics covered

• payment processing
• merchant services
• business costs
• financial transparency
• effective payment rates
• entrepreneurship

Keywords

• payment providers
• merchant statement
• interchange fees
• effective rate
• business revenue
• financial decisions

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bankcard International Group, Bank of America Merchant Services, Discover Network, Ingenico ePayments

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