Credit card processing companies, made to compete.
Searching for a credit card processing company usually means picking one and hoping the rate is fair. There is a better move. We are Northwest Payment Brokers — a local broker, not a processor — and we make credit card processing companies bid for your business, then stay on as your support. Same cards, same deposits, a rate that was actually negotiated.
Why “which processing company” is the wrong first question
Most owners shop for a credit card processing company the way they shop for anything else: get a couple of quotes, pick one, sign. The trouble is that payment processing is a commodity wearing a costume. Underneath, every processing provider runs the same card networks and settles the same deposits. What actually varies is the margin stacked on top and whether anyone negotiated it. Our guide to credit card processing rates shows exactly where that margin hides.
So the better first question is not “which company?” It is “who is negotiating this for me?” A merchant broker takes your volume to several credit card processing companies and makes them bid. The winner gets your account on the terms we set. You get the same processing, at a rate that had someone on your side of the table.
How we shop processing providers for you
First, the free analysis. You send one recent statement and we turn it into plain English, including the fees built not to be read. Second, the bid — real credit card payment processing companies compete on your actual numbers, not a teaser rate. Third, the recommendation: one clear winner, with the reasoning shown, plus the fee program that fits, whether that is dual pricing, surcharging or interchange-plus. Fourth, the setup — equipment placed and programmed free, installed locally. Fifth, and the part most providers skip: we stay. Statement reviews, rate policing and support are the relationship, not the sale.
What to look for in a credit card processing company
Whether you use a broker or not, the same five things separate a fair processing provider from an expensive one. Pricing model: interchange-plus is transparent; tiered and “flat” bundles hide the markup. Contract terms: watch for multi-year lock-ins, early-termination fees and leased equipment. Full cost, not the headline rate: monthly fees, PCI fees, batch fees and statement fees add up fast. Support: a local human beats a 1-800 queue when funds are held or a terminal dies on a Saturday. Fee programs: a good provider will set up dual pricing or surcharging correctly and compliantly, not bolt a convenience fee onto bad rates.
If you would rather not vet all of that yourself, that is what we do for a living. Here is how to switch credit card processors without downtime, and how it works when you start with us.
A local processing company relationship, in Federal Way
We are based in Federal Way and we install and support in person across the Seattle and Tacoma metro. When a national payment processing company puts you on hold, we walk into your shop. That is the difference a broker with local roots makes: the leverage of many processing providers, with a team you can actually reach.
Fair questions
What does a credit card processing company do?
A payment processing company moves a card sale from your terminal to the card networks and settles the deposit into your bank. Every processor does the same core job. What differs is the margin they add on top and the service behind it. That margin is exactly what a broker negotiates down.
Who is the best credit card processing company for a small business?
There is no single best one — the right processor depends on your volume, your industry, how you take cards, and whether you run a fee program like dual pricing. That is the point of using a broker: we match you to the provider that fits instead of selling you the one company we work for. Most small businesses in our area land on a negotiated interchange-plus or dual pricing setup.
How much do payment processing companies charge?
Listed rates run anywhere from about 2.5% to well over 4% all-in once the add-on fees are counted. On negotiated interchange-plus, the processor's markup is a thin, fixed margin over the wholesale cost the card networks set. We show you the difference on your own statement, free.
Is Northwest Payment Brokers a credit card processing company?
No, and that is the whole idea. We are a broker. We do not sell one company's rates — we make credit card processing companies compete, then stay attached to your account as the local team that answers the phone. We only earn while you stay happy, so we have one job: keep your pricing and service honest.
Can you switch me from my current processing provider?
Usually yes, and it is straightforward. We read your current statement, bid it out, and if we cannot beat it we will tell you to stay. When we do move you, we handle the setup and place the equipment free. See how switching credit card processors works.
Send one statement. Plain-English answer in 24 hours.