Mick Collins

03/31/2026

"Your call is very important to us. A representative will be with you shortly."

If my call is so important… why am I on hold? 🤔

(Paraphrased from the late, great George Carlin for the inspiration.)

Here's the thing — your time is valuable, and so is your peace of mind. What if instead of hold music and automated apologies, you had a single point of contact? Someone you could text, call, or message on social media — whatever works best for you.

That's exactly what I offer my customers. You tell me the issue, I go handle it, and you get back to running your business and doing what you love.

And here's what makes it even better — not only will I actually answer my phone, but a portion of every transaction we process goes to charity.

Your business deserves better than hold music. Reach out — my contact info is in my profile — and let's talk. Pay it Forward Processing Every Swipe Benefits Charity

03/13/2026

The business side of sports has always interested me. Contracts are part of that, and very much in the news these days around the NFL. A contract between a team and a professional player makes sense. Both parties can negotiate safeguards and benefits. For example, opt outs and player options are very popular in Major League Baseball these days. Players can negotiate 'no trade' clauses that provide them leverage if things go south. Teams can utilize incentive clauses to avoid paying for underachieving performances on the field. On and on it goes.

In over 13 years, I have never seen an instance where a merchant services contract benefits the business owner. These contracts are one sided. What's the advantage to the Business owner? That the processor will process the payments, provide support? That should be a given.

No, the merchant doesn't benefit, they're literally locked in. There is almost always an early termination fee (ETF), a penalty for ending the contract early. That fee is usually prohibitive to a small business to pay in order to get out of a bad business relationship. The larger question is WHY SHOULD THEY?

Automatic renewals are very common as well, putting the onus on the business owner to cancel before that kicks in. Lastly, there are often hurdles put into place to cancel, even at the end of the initial contract, usually a written notice must be provided 30 days prior. Often, an email isn't enough, I helped one merchant close an account, we sent 3 signed forms by certified snail mail, separately to the processor.

One merchant I worked with had to wait out a contract, because there was no way she could pay the early termination fee. Her processor was literally recouping all of their lost revenue through the ETF. That processor required a 60 day and 30 day notice to cancel. Talk about jumping through hoops! The worst part was, she didn't know the fee to cancel or the requirement of the notices until she called, and yes there was an autorenewal in that contract.

For the record, Pay it Forward Processing has never had contracts or termination fees. Please consider me a resource, whether you know your situation with your current processor or not, if you don't let me help.

03/04/2026

Tiers or tears?
When I started in this industry, we still had imprinting machines (knucklebusters), the original wireless processing option. To say I've seen a lot over 13 years is an understatement. Something I've seen over the years is a tiered pricing structure. In this structure there are 3 tiers of transactions: a qualified rate (low %), a mid-qualified rate (a little higher), and a non-qualified rate (typically very high). Sales reps would say things like, "We'll lock you in a qualified rate of 1.89%." However, they couldn't truly guarantee that because they must pass through the costs set by the card brands and issuing banks (the interchange). Consequently, mid-qualified and non-qualified rates became the destination for those transactions, charging a higher rate and often adding a surcharge for downgrading a transaction. What isn't widely known is that there are no industry standard definitions for qualified, mid-qualified, and non-qualified; every processor has its own standards. The bottom line is that this pricing structure is designed to pile on fees, lacks transparency, and is definitely not fair to business owners who need payment processing. Happy to chat if you see those terms on your statements, or even if you don't. Business owners deserve fair treatment and access to great personal support.

03/02/2025

Even after losing their home to a wildfire in 2007, their commitment to helping small businesses never wavered. Their journey is a testament to resilience, integrity, and the power of giving back.

Learn more about their mission at www.pfprocessing.com
Call us at 858-771-0076.

02/12/2024

Payment processing doesn't have to hurt your business, message me and we'll see if we can fit your business, save you money and how you can Pay it Forward!

11/16/2023

I've got your ticket! Win this Yeti Cooler and pictured beer, wine and spirits! There are only 300 tickets available and going fast. Tickets are $40, winner drawn at Gaithersburg-Germantown Chamber of Commerce Gala on Dec 14th, winner need not be present. Message me how many you want and I'll hook you up!

02/21/2023

Thank you to our generous Martinis & A Movie Sponsor - Stucki Jewelers Inc.
Join us on Wednesday, March 22nd at the historic Del Oro Theatre in downtown Grass Valley for Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.
From 6:30pm to 7:15pm guests enjoy socializing and an open martini bar or our Back Porch Market specialty mocktail.
At 7:15pm martini service ends and guests are provided with a complimentary goodie bag filled with a variety of delicious snacks to enjoy while watching the movie.
Tickets are $35 each or $40 the day of the event.
The ticket price for SNMH Employees and Auxiliary Members is only $30!
To learn more or purchase tickets head to our website.
https://supportsierranevada.org/martinisandamovie

02/21/2023

Our personalized estate planning services protect you & your heirs from the expense and publicity of the probate process, and from creditors & predators.

02/21/2023

Monday's tip for maintaining your home plumbing.

02/21/2023