Why is a debit swipe charged at the credit-card rate on my current statement?

Flat-rate US processors charge the same in-person rate on every card regardless of underlying interchange cost. Regulated US debit interchange under Durbin sits far below the flat card-present rate. On interchange-plus the actual cost of a debit swipe passes through as its own line and Payzium's card-present margin sits on top.

Will I have to replace my terminal?

Depends on the terminal. Bundled-POS hardware (Square, Clover boarded to a specific processor) is boarded to the platform. Standalone US terminals from open manufacturers can sometimes be reprogrammed depending on the model. The Payzium hardware page lists the qualifying-device program terms; Clover placement runs as a separate disclosed program.

I am mid-contract on a terminal lease. Can I switch anyway?

Yes. The lease and the merchant account are legally separate contracts; closing a merchant account does not close a hardware lease. The lease continues under its own terms. The switch analysis on the boarding conversation weighs the ongoing lease against the rate savings on Payzium.

How fast can I go live?

Standard file, standard state, standard concept: boarded to processing within a business week from clean documents. Concepts that need extra risk review (age-restricted goods, high-risk merchant category codes) take longer; the boarding conversation covers that at Program A election.

What is Pay less or it's free?

Payzium's US Savings Guarantee. If Payzium cannot lower the merchant's eligible processing cost against the merchant's prior baseline over the guarantee period, Payzium refunds or waives the Payzium fees covered by the guarantee. Approved eligible switching costs are reimbursed up to US$1,000. Requires documentation and approval. The written instrument is the governing document.

What about the PCI compliance fees on my current statement?

Payzium includes PCI compliance assistance on the account. The self-assessment questionnaire is the only thing standing between a US retail merchant and the elimination of most PCI non-compliance line items. The fee stops accruing the quarter after the SAQ is complete.

Brick and mortar

US retail runs card-present at large volumes. Every basis point of blended markup becomes real dollars in a low-margin cost structure.

Program A charges 0.30 percent card-present, plus card-network interchange and assessments at cost, plus a $5 monthly account fee. Regulated debit under Durbin flows through as pass-through. Written on the pricing schedule.

Start your US application

Interchange at cost, in writing
Pay less or it's free
Honest Rate Promise
No junk fees

What you pay

A US retailer on Payzium at typical volumes.

$268/mo
$20,000 monthly volume. About $4,183 a year less than Square USA.
$664/mo
$50,000 monthly volume. About $10,548 a year less than Square USA.
$1,567/mo
$120,000 monthly volume. About $25,615 a year less than Square USA.
$3,260/mo
$250,000 monthly volume. About $53,429 a year less than Square USA.

Math is for a debit-leaning US card mix at $35 average ticket, 95 percent card-present. Payzium runs the same math on your own numbers before you sign.

Common patterns

Four cost mechanisms every US independent retailer pays for.

01
Regulated debit invisible on a flat-rate statement
US regulated debit under the Durbin Amendment caps issuer interchange at roughly 0.05 percent plus $0.22 per transaction on the issuer side, for regulated card-issuing banks. On a flat-rate processor's 2.6 percent plus $0.15 in-person rate, every debit transaction is billed the credit-card rate regardless. Retail card mixes lean heavily toward debit; the spread between the flat-rate charge and the regulated pass-through is where the largest single savings live.
02
PCI non-compliance fee cycles
Standard US retail merchant agreements include a PCI non-compliance fee, typically $99 to $199 quarterly, charged when the merchant has not completed the annual self-assessment questionnaire on the processor's portal. Most independents do not know the portal exists; the fee bills quietly. Payzium includes PCI compliance assistance on the account. No non-compliance fee accrues on Payzium-controlled billing.
03
Terminal integration and hardware program
Program A carries the qualifying-device terminal program (Dejavoo Z8, QD4, P1, Valor VL100). Terminal included with no upfront equipment purchase price under that program. A $5 monthly account fee applies. Clover placement is a separate program with its own volume pledge and 1-year term, plainly disclosed on the hardware page before boarding.
04
Monthly minimums and statement fees
Standard US processor contracts include a monthly minimum fee, typically $25 to $50, charged when processing volume falls below the threshold that would generate that much in discount fees. Plus a monthly statement fee. Plus an account-on-file fee on aged accounts. Payzium does not charge monthly minimums, statement fees, or account-on-file fees. The pricing schedule is the full list of Payzium-controlled billing.

What changes

Three US retailers. Three switches.

Denver, CO
Specialty grocery
$48,000 per month, 70% debit
On Square USA Free plan card-present at 2.6 percent plus $0.15. Paying roughly $1,404 per month on processing.
On Payzium Program A at 0.30 percent plus interchange. Paying roughly $520 per month.
$10,608
Lower annually
Charlotte, NC
Hardware and home goods
$85,000 per month, 60% debit
On Square USA Free plan card-present at 2.6 percent plus $0.15. Paying roughly $2,479 per month on processing.
On Payzium Program A at 0.30 percent plus interchange. Paying roughly $902 per month.
$18,924
Lower annually
Providence, RI
Boutique apparel
$22,000 per month, 65% debit
On Square USA Free plan card-present at 2.6 percent plus $0.15. Paying roughly $645 per month on processing.
On Payzium Program A at 0.30 percent plus interchange. Paying roughly $246 per month.
$4,788
Lower annually

Illustrative composite. Numbers reflect Payzium's published rates and typical retailers card mix at the stated volumes. Not a real customer case.

Open account

The same published rate, however you sign up.

Step 1
Tell us about your retail
Business name, role, monthly volume, your POS.
Step 2
Boarding conversation
We confirm the pricing program and the qualifying device on the account before you sign.
Step 3
Sign and go live
Board on the pricing program that fits your counter. Program A drops in behind any US POS with an open payments integration. If the POS is bundled, Program A boards against the qualifying-device terminal program instead. The Payzium hardware page carries the terms plainly before boarding.

Start your US application

No phone calls required. Rates are on /us/pricing.

FAQ

US retail runs card-present at large volumes. Every basis point of blended markup becomes real dollars in a low-margin cost structure.

A US retailer on Payzium at typical volumes.

Four cost mechanisms every US independent retailer pays for.

Regulated debit invisible on a flat-rate statement

PCI non-compliance fee cycles

Terminal integration and hardware program

Monthly minimums and statement fees

Three US retailers. Three switches.

The same published rate, however you sign up.

Tell us about your retail

Boarding conversation

Sign and go live

Frequently asked questions

Related US verticals.