Ty Hardison's Page

The National Restaurant Association opposes the current swipe fee settlement saying "The current payments system is so convoluted, the average restaurateur has no idea exactly what they are paying and why they are paying large amounts to accept credit and debit cards, which are necessary in today's marketplace." 

While the NRA and card companies fight it out with lobbyist and attorneys, one thing the average restaurateur can do right now is calculate and compare their cost to accept…

According to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Forecast, 57% of adult consumers are more likely to choose restaurants that offer a loyalty rewards program.

Now restaurants can easily turn their customer's existing credit and debit cards into your loyalty card, gift card or coupon.  

A new service from vPromos will help you engage new customers with offers and nurture your loyal customers with rewards. vPromo helps you harness the power of social media,…

Information is more readily available today than at any time in the past. Yet making smart decisions based on that information is not always easy. One problem is separating the useful information from the hype.

For example, what are the average monthly credit card merchant fees in the restaurant industry?  Are your merchant card processing fees above average or below average?

At myrealrate.com you will find valuable information on the cost of accepting card payments using free…

A significant number of Acquirer Pass Through fees and Interchange modifications have been announced that will impact restaurants.

Visa will initiate a new pass through Fixed Acquirer Network Fee (FANF) on a merchant Taxpayer ID basis (TIN) beginning April 1, 2012. The rate assessed to each Taxpayer ID will be determined based on channel and MCC with quarterly collection by Visa beginning in July 2012 for the previous calendar quarter.

For merchants primarily operating as Fast…

Have you noticed the media blitz over what’s being referred to as ‘Durbin Dollars’, the savings from lower Fed regulated debit Interchange rates?   Of course the best way for merchants to realize the benefits of this legislation is to have an Interchange pass through pricing plan. 

Your card processor is not required to pass the reduced rates for the Fed regulated debit transactions (and the associated savings) on to your business.  Therefore it is very important that merchants have a…