Peakwa analyzes your processing statement line by line, identifies hidden fees, compares your rates against current benchmarks, and tells you exactly how much you could save. No obligation. No sales pressure. Just the facts.
Takes 60 seconds. We'll analyze your statement and show you the facts.
We read every line of your current processing statement: interchange rates, markup, fees, and any non-standard charges. We translate it into plain English.
We compare your effective rate against current market benchmarks for your business type and volume. You see where you stand.
We give you a clear savings estimate: what you are paying now, what you should be paying, and the difference in dollar terms. No jargon.
EXPERT ANALYSIS
Processing statements are designed to be hard to read. Dozens of line items, multiple rate tiers, monthly fees for services you may never have asked for. Most business owners pay the total and move on without knowing whether it is fair.
A Peakwa merchant consulting review takes that statement apart. We identify every fee, explain what it is for, flag anything unusual, and give you a clear picture of what a fair rate looks like for your business type and volume.
Here are the line items that appear on most small business processing statements, what they mean, and when they signal a problem.
| Line Item on Statement | What It Is | Red Flag If... |
|---|---|---|
| Interchange Fee | The real cost set by Visa and Mastercard for each card type. This is the base cost — not the processor's margin. | Your statement does not show interchange separately. This means you are on flat-rate or tiered pricing and cannot see your real cost. |
| Processor Markup | The processor's margin on top of interchange. On interchange-plus pricing this appears as a separate line. | The markup is above 0.5% plus 10 cents for most transaction types. Higher markups often have room to negotiate. |
| Monthly Minimum Fee | A fee charged if your processing volume falls below a threshold set in your contract. | You are paying this fee regularly, which means your volume is consistently below the minimum — worth reviewing your contract terms. |
| PCI Non-Compliance Fee | A monthly fee charged if you have not completed your annual PCI compliance assessment. | You are paying this fee. It disappears once you complete the free PCI self-assessment questionnaire. Peakwa can help. |
| Statement Fee | A fee charged simply for producing your monthly statement. | Any amount. This fee exists purely to add margin. Many processors will remove it on request or when switching to e-statements. |
| Batch Fee | A fee charged each time you settle your daily transactions. | Above $0.10 per batch. Higher batch fees add up on high-transaction-count businesses. |
| Non-Qualified Surcharge | An additional fee applied to transactions that fall into mid-qualified or non-qualified tiers on a tiered pricing plan. | Frequent appearance on your statement. This is the hallmark of tiered pricing and the main source of hidden cost. |
| Equipment Lease Fee | A monthly fee for a leased terminal, often on a non-cancellable multi-year contract. | You are still paying this on equipment you may own outright or that has been fully paid for. Many equipment leases continue billing past the payoff date. |
If you see any of these on your statement and are not sure whether you are being charged fairly, a free Peakwa review will tell you.
| What We Review | What We Look For |
|---|---|
| Effective Rate | Your total fees divided by total volume. The single most useful number for comparing processors. |
| Pricing Model | Whether you are on interchange-plus, flat-rate, or tiered — and whether a different model would save you money. |
| Interchange Categories | Which card types your customers use most and whether you are being charged the correct rate for each. |
| Monthly and Annual Fees | Every recurring charge including statement fees, monthly minimums, PCI fees, and annual fees. |
| Equipment Costs | Whether any equipment lease or rental fees are justified or can be eliminated. |
| Contract Terms | Early termination clauses, auto-renewal provisions, and rate increase rights buried in the fine print. |
We recommend the right pricing model for your business: interchange-plus, flat-rate, or cost-plus. We show you the expected saving from switching before you commit to anything.
If switching processors makes sense, we handle the transition: new account setup, equipment configuration, and a seamless handover so you never miss a day of processing.
If a zero fee or cash discount program is right for your business, we identify that during the review and set it up as part of the same engagement. Your processing fees can go from their current level to zero.
Small and mid-sized businesses that have never had their processing statement independently reviewed and want to know if they are paying a fair rate.
Retailers, service providers, and subscription businesses that have seen their monthly processing fees increase and want to understand why.
Business owners who have received a better rate quote from another processor and want to compare it against their current deal before switching.
We work for you, not the processors. Our goal is to find you the lowest overall effective rate.
We don't just find the savings — we can handle the transition and equipment setup if you choose to switch.
Our statement review is completely free, and there is no obligation to use our services afterwards.
A merchant statement review is an analysis of your current payment processing statement by an expert. We read every line, calculate your effective rate, identify any fees that are higher than they should be, and give you a clear picture of what you are paying versus what a fair rate looks like for your business type.
Yes. Peakwa's merchant statement review is free with no obligation. We provide the savings estimate whether or not you choose to switch to Peakwa. If there is no saving to be found, we tell you that too.
Most reviews are completed within one to two business days of receiving your statement. We schedule a call to walk you through the findings at a time that works for you.
Your most recent processing statement or the last two to three months of statements if you want a more accurate picture. That is all we need to get started.
We tell you. The review is honest, not a sales pitch. If your current processor is giving you a fair deal, we say so. If there is saving available, we quantify it and explain exactly how to get it.
Most small business owners set up their payment processing once and never look at it again. The processor sends a statement every month, the total gets paid, and the actual breakdown of fees goes unexamined. This is expensive inertia. Processing fees are one of the largest recurring costs for card-accepting businesses. Rates change, contract terms expire, and new fee line items appear. Without periodic review, businesses routinely overpay by hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.
A merchant statement review is the process of examining that statement with an expert who knows what fair rates look like, what common hidden fees are called, and how to calculate your true effective rate for comparison. It takes one to two business days and the results are a concrete savings estimate in dollar terms, not a vague suggestion to negotiate.
Peakwa provides clarity, transparency, and savings for U.S. businesses, helping them operate more efficiently and profitably.
