Overview

The fact is, there is little to no government regulatory oversight in card processing. For better or worse, the industry is self-priced and self-regulated. That means you need to have at least a basic understanding of how credit card processing works and what to avoid.

Other than becoming an expert yourself, the single best thing you can do is to engage the services of a competent, honest service provider. But how do you know who is competent and honest? That's what this section is for. The menu at the right identifies the most common "gotchas" and discussion points for you to consider. Along with our Credit Card 101 section, you should have enough information to assess your present or future card processing relationships.