Taking cards at your new Houston business, sorted out before opening day

Whether you are opening a restaurant, a shop, a salon, or a service business in Houston, here is what to plan for, what to have ready for a merchant account, and what to ask any processor before you sign.

Talk to TouchSuite

What to get right

Match the setup to how your business runs

Each kind of business needs something different from its POS. Restaurants need tip adjustment, split checks, and a way to keep tables turning without waiting on the card reader. Retail shops need inventory tracking, barcode scanning, and a clean way to handle returns and exchanges. Salons and spas need appointment booking, deposits for no-shows, and tips assigned to the right stylist. Service businesses that work on site need mobile payments, invoicing, and the ability to take a card over the phone or by link. Write down how you will actually take payments on a busy day before you choose equipment.

Understand exactly what you pay

Ask for pricing you can read line by line. With interchange-plus pricing, you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin, so you can see what is the network's cost and what is the processor's. If you would rather not carry processing cost at all, a cash discount program is available. Whatever you choose, make sure you can explain every line on your statement.

Connect payments to the rest of your tools

If you sell online as well as in your Houston location, or you track customers and books in other software, your payments should feed into them rather than create double entry. With a TouchSuite merchant account, our ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee.

Keep your options open

A new business changes quickly in its first year. Volume grows, hours shift, and you may add a second location or a delivery channel. Look for terms that let you adjust. TouchSuite accounts are month-to-month, cancel anytime, no fees.

How it works

  1. Get your business paperwork in order. Before you apply for a merchant account, have your business entity formed, your EIN from the IRS, a business bank account in the business's name, and a government-issued photo ID for each owner. Licenses, sales tax registration, and any permits depend on your business type and location, so check with the state of Texas and the City of Houston or your county office for what applies to you.
  2. Talk through your setup and apply. Tell us what you sell, how customers will pay, and roughly what volume you expect. We will help you plan terminals, POS software, and any online or mobile payments. If you already process somewhere, send us your most recent processing statement and we will show you, line by line, what you are paying and beat it, or tell you honestly that we cannot. Qualifying merchants receive free terminals and POS hardware, no upfront cost.
  3. Approval and setup. Once your application is reviewed and approved, your equipment and software are configured for your menu, inventory, services, or appointment calendar. Most merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours of approval. Plan to apply a few weeks before your opening date so there is room for paperwork questions.
  4. Test before you open. Run test transactions, practice tips, refunds, and voids with your staff, and confirm deposits are landing in your business bank account. A soft opening is a good time to find small issues before your first full day.

Questions to ask a processor

What should I have ready before applying for a merchant account?

Your legal business name and entity type, your EIN, a business bank account with routing and account numbers, a photo ID for each owner, your business address, and a description of what you sell and how. If you have processed cards before, a recent statement helps.

How is pricing calculated, and will I see every charge?

Ask any processor this directly and ask to see a sample statement. With TouchSuite, interchange-plus pricing means you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin, and you can see both on your statement. A cash discount program is also available if you want to eliminate processing cost.

Am I locked into a contract?

This is one of the most important questions to ask before signing anything. TouchSuite accounts are month-to-month, cancel anytime, no fees. Read any agreement fully, including what happens if you close or switch.

How long until I can take payments?

It depends on how complete your application is. Most TouchSuite merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours of approval. Leave yourself a buffer before opening day in case the application needs additional documents.

Will the POS work with my online store, booking, or accounting software?

Ask for specifics about the tools you already use or plan to use. With a TouchSuite merchant account, our ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee.

Does the system handle the details of my type of business?

Ask to see how it handles your real situations: tip adjustments and split checks for a restaurant, inventory and returns for retail, deposits and stylist tips for a salon, invoices and mobile payments for services. If a feature you need is missing, you want to know before you open, not after.

Get your Houston business ready to take cards

Tell us what you are opening and how you plan to take payments, and we will help you plan the right setup. If you already process cards, send your most recent statement and we will show you what you are paying, line by line.

An email or a phone number is enough.

TouchSuite · 800-793-3250 · Month-to-month, cancel anytime, no fees.