Editorial Disclaimer & Review Methodology

Editorial Independence

RateIQ is not compensated by any payment processor reviewed on this site. We do not currently receive referral fees, affiliate commissions, lead generation payments, or any other form of compensation from any processor whose products or services are discussed in our editorial content. Our ratings, scores, and written analysis are produced independently of any commercial relationship with the processors we cover.

All product names, company names, brand names, and trademarks referenced in RateIQ content are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this site is for identification and informational purposes only under nominative fair use principles and does not imply affiliation with, sponsorship by, or endorsement by those companies.

Commercial Context

RateIQ is building a merchant payment analytics platform. Our business helps merchants audit their processing statements, monitor their effective rate over time, identify fees that may be negotiable, and understand their options — including negotiating with their existing processor or considering alternatives evaluated through our platform.

We have a commercial interest in the payment processing market. That interest is aligned with merchants paying less — not with any specific processor gaining or losing customers. We disclose this context on every review so readers can weigh our analysis with full knowledge of our business model.

When RateIQ earns revenue from processor relationships, we will update this page and add a prominent disclosure to the top of every affected review. As of the date shown above, no such revenue relationships exist.

How We Score Processors

RateIQ scores processors across eight categories. Each receives a score from 1 to 10. The overall score is a weighted average. Scores reflect conditions as of the review's publication date and are subject to change when material updates occur.

Sources We Use

Every factual claim in a RateIQ processor review is traceable to a specific source. We maintain an internal Sources & Verification Log for each review. Sources include:

• BBB complaint filings and processor responses — documented patterns of specific fee charges and fund hold incidents; individual complaints attributed to the platform, not treated as verified findings
• Trustpilot, Capterra, and GetApp verified reviews — merchant sentiment patterns and recurring fee behavior across large review samples
• Merchant Cost Consulting, CardFellow, and CardPaymentOptions — independent payment consulting firms publishing statement analysis based on actual merchant account audits
• Merchant Maverick and FitSmallBusiness — contract term analysis and pricing structure characterization
• SEC filings and publicly available merchant agreements — contract language, early termination clauses, and fee schedule documentation; primary source citations provided where applicable
• Visa and Mastercard published interchange tables — interchange rate benchmarks; updated when card networks publish changes
• RateIQ Processor & ISO Landscape database — proprietary market intelligence compiled from Nilson Report, TSG Payments Directory, and public company filings

What We Don't Do

• We do not accept payment from processors in exchange for coverage, favorable scores, or any form of editorial consideration
• We do not use affiliate links embedded within review content
• We do not adjust scores based on any commercial relationship, potential or actual, with a processor
• We do not republish processor press releases or marketing materials as editorial content
• We do not use charged or conclusory language about processor conduct in RateIQ's editorial voice; negative characterizations are attributed to named third-party sources

Accuracy, Dates & Individual Results

Processor reviews reflect publicly available information as of the date shown on each review. Payment processing fees, contract terms, rate structures, and company details change frequently — in some cases multiple times per year. RateIQ reserves the right to update any review at any time without notice and is under no obligation to update content to reflect changes occurring after the publication date.

Fee ranges and rate estimates represent documented ranges from publicly available sources and independent audits. Your actual fees will depend on your processing volume, card mix, industry classification, contract terms, and negotiation history. Individual results will vary. Always verify current fees and contract terms directly with your processor before making any business decision.

Third-Party Complaint Data

Where reviews reference BBB filings, Trustpilot reviews, court records, regulatory actions, or other third-party complaint records, those are reports made by others. They have not been independently verified by RateIQ. We cite complaint data as evidence of reported patterns, not as established findings of fact. Processors named in reviews have the right to dispute individual claims. We encourage readers to review processor responses to complaints where available on the relevant platforms.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some reviews contain assessments of company strategy, market position, acquisition activity, or anticipated business conditions. These assessments are based on publicly available information and reflect RateIQ's editorial analysis only. They are not investment advice. RateIQ does not hold positions in any securities mentioned in its content.

Not Professional Advice / Limitation of Liability

All content on RateIQ — including processor reviews, blog posts, guides, and tools — is for general educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice for your specific situation. Every merchant's contract, processing volume, card mix, and business circumstances are different. RateIQ is not a licensed attorney, financial advisor, or registered investment adviser.

Consult qualified legal and financial professionals before making decisions about your payment processing agreements, contracts, or business finances.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, RateIQ, its owners, employees, and contributors shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages, losses, or costs of any kind arising from your use of or reliance on any content published on this site, including but not limited to decisions made about payment processors, contract negotiations, or processor changes.

Updates to This Page

RateIQ may update this page at any time to reflect changes in our business model, editorial standards, or legal requirements. The date at the top of this page reflects the most recent update. We will add a prominent notice when our commercial model changes in ways that affect the independence disclosures above — specifically when any revenue relationship with a processor is established.

Questions about our editorial standards or a specific review? editorial@rateiq.org