Free merchant statement review — questions from Carolinas owners

Trailblaze is independent payment-processing cost review, negotiation, and monitoring. We are not a processor. Ryan Bates has about 15 years in payments and works from Fort Mill. The first review is free. The usual next step is send a statement, not a sales call.

Short answers below. Longer versions live on how it works, how to save on processing, and pricing and monitoring.

  • No. Trailblaze does not sell merchant accounts, POS, software, or equipment. We review the statement you already have, help you talk to the processor you already have when it is worth it, and monitor if you want a watchdog. We do not take kickbacks.

  • No. A processor switch is not required. If a conversation with your current provider is not worth it, we say so. Switching is a last resort, not the product.

  • No. Terminals, menus, staff workflow, and payout bank stay put. If you run Toast, Clover, or Square, keep them. We review the bill, not the hardware.

  • One recent monthly processing statement. PDF, photo, or export. One statement per merchant account (MID). Three months is nice if you already have them. It is not required to start.

  • You get a plain-English read: effective rate, junk vs. what is probably not negotiable, and a yes or no on whether a processor conversation is worth it. We will not blast you with sales calls. Ryan follows up on the review. Phone is optional on the form.

  • We tell you that. Confirmation is useful. There is no required monitoring pitch and no switch pitch. We do not guarantee savings. Interchange and most network fees are not negotiable. Markup often is.

  • The first statement review is free. That is the diagnosis. Monthly monitoring is $49 per MID, cancel anytime, if you want ongoing line-item review, alerts, and help pushing back.

  • No. Trailblaze is based in Fort Mill, SC. We regularly work with Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Indian Land, Charlotte, and the rest of the Carolinas. Statements from farther away are fine if you want the same work. The process does not change with the zip code.

  • Yes. Sending a statement does not cancel anything or change the account. A contract does not freeze markup and junk. We will not tell you to break a lease to save.

Send a statement