Payment processing questions, answered plainly.

Expect helps businesses explore payment processing options and find the platform that fits how they operate. Here is the range we can talk through:

• In person: POS systems and countertop options.
• Online and mobile: online ordering and payments for customers who pay from a phone.
• Customer tools: gift and loyalty programs, branded mobile apps, and customer engagement and retention tools.
• Business growth: website development, cash advances, Score My Restaurant and Practice Management Bridge.
• Higher-risk processing, when your business needs it.

Availability depends on your business and the platform, and not every feature is available on every platform. The best way to start is a short description of your business.

It starts with a conversation about your business: what you sell, how customers pay you today, what software you use, and whether your business falls into a higher-risk category.

Different platforms are built for different kinds of businesses, so those details shape which ones are worth a look. Expect then helps identify a platform that best suits your needs, rather than fitting every business into the same setup.

How to choose a payment processor

• Merchant account: the account where money from your card sales is deposited before it reaches your bank.
• Payment processor: the company that moves the transaction between your customer’s card and your account.
• Payment gateway: the link that passes card details from a website or app to the processor. In a store, the card terminal does a similar job.

Some providers bundle all three and others sell them separately, so it’s worth asking exactly what you’re getting.

Payment processor vs. payment gateway vs. merchant account

New inquiries receive a response from the Expect team within 1–2 business days.

If it’s time-sensitive, email customer.service@expectps.com and say so in the subject line. You’ll see a confirmation page as soon as your request is sent.

Yes. Expect works with businesses nationwide, and you can start the same way from anywhere: through the request form or by email at customer.service@expectps.com.

Expect can talk through POS options including Genius, Clover, Orders2Me, NRS, Square and SkyTab. These are products of their respective companies, not Expect’s.

Features and hardware differ by platform and by business, and not every feature is available on every platform, so the best fit depends on how you run your day.

Promotional or no-upfront-cost POS options may be available for qualifying merchants.

POS system vs. standalone card terminal

Expect can talk through online and mobile payment options, along with tools that help customers come back:

• Online ordering
• Gift and loyalty programs
• Branded mobile apps
• Customer engagement and retention tools

Which of these are available depends on the platform and your business.

It depends on the software and on the payment platform. Some point-of-sale and business software works with only certain payment providers, while other tools work with several.

The best way to find out is to tell us what you use when you reach out. We’ll look at what makes sense before anything is decided.

Businesses can generally change processors. Before you move, it helps to:

• Check your current contract for early termination fees.
• Check for any equipment lease, since it can affect the timing.
• Keep a recent statement handy so you can compare what you pay now with what you’d be offered.

Costs usually come from a few pieces:

• Fees set by the card networks and banks.
• The processor’s own charges.
• Any monthly, per-transaction or equipment costs.

What a business pays can depend on how customers pay (in person or online, debit or credit), the size of a typical sale, how much the business processes, and the type of business.

Because those pieces vary, a single number isn’t meaningful until someone looks at your situation. That’s one reason to ask for pricing broken out in plain terms.

Payment processing rates vs. value

Yes. Expect can talk through payment options for healthcare practices and other appointment-based businesses, including Practice Management Bridge.

Practices often care about how easily patients can pay, including after the visit, and how payments fit the way the office already runs. Which features and software connections are available depends on the platform and your practice’s setup, so the best starting point is to tell us how your office handles payments today.

Patient payments: why collections stall

Banks and card networks treat some businesses as higher risk, based on things like the type of business, how it takes payments, or its processing history. A higher-risk account isn’t a judgment on the business; it’s an account set up with that risk in mind.

Expect can discuss higher-risk processing options for qualifying businesses. Whether a platform is a fit depends on the business and its processing needs, and nothing can be promised before we know more.

Existing merchants have access to 24/7 support when they need help with their payment setup.

That’s separate from new inquiries: if you’re not yet working with Expect, the Expect team responds to new requests within 1–2 business days.