Opening a business in Dallas? Get payments sorted before opening day.

Whether it is a restaurant, a shop, a salon, or a service business, here is what to plan for in card processing and point of sale, what to have ready for your 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 actually runs

Restaurants need tip adjustment, split checks, and fast table turns, often with pay-at-the-table or handheld terminals. 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 that can be assigned to the right stylist. Service businesses that work on site in and around Dallas need mobile payments, invoicing, and the ability to take a card over the phone or online. Decide which of these matter to you before you pick hardware or software.

Know what you are paying, line by line

Processing pricing can be hard to read. With interchange-plus pricing, you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin, so you can see where each charge comes from. If you are taking over an existing business or moving from another processor, 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. If you would rather eliminate processing cost, a cash discount program is available; ask how it would work for your type of business.

Connect payments to the rest of your tools

Your POS should talk to your accounting, customer records, and online store so you are not re-entering sales by hand. With a TouchSuite merchant account, our ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee. If you plan to sell online or take orders for pickup, build that into your plan from the start rather than adding it later.

Keep your options open

A new business changes quickly in its first year. TouchSuite accounts are month-to-month, cancel anytime, with no fees. Qualifying merchants receive free terminals and POS hardware with no upfront cost, which helps when you are already paying for a build-out, inventory, and permits.

How it works

  1. Get your business basics in place. Before you apply for a merchant account, form your business entity, get your EIN from the IRS, and open a business bank account in the business's name. Have a government-issued ID for each owner ready. Local requirements such as a certificate of occupancy, health permits for food businesses, or licensing for salon work depend on your business type and location, so check with the City of Dallas and Dallas County offices, and with the Texas Comptroller about sales tax, before you open.
  2. Talk through your setup with us. Tell us what you are opening, how you expect customers to pay, and whether you need tips, appointments, inventory, online ordering, or mobile payments. If you already process cards, send your latest statement. We will recommend terminals and POS software that fit the business rather than a one-size package.
  3. Apply and get approved. You submit the merchant account application with your entity details, EIN, bank account information, and owner ID. Approval times vary with the business and how complete the paperwork is, so apply a few weeks before your planned opening if you can rather than the week of.
  4. Install, test, and start taking payments. Most merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours of approval. Use that window to set up your menu, products, or services in the POS, train staff, and run a few test transactions so the first real customer goes smoothly.

Questions to ask a processor

How is my pricing structured, and can I see the actual card network costs?

Ask any processor this directly. TouchSuite uses interchange-plus pricing, meaning you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin, so you can see what part of each charge goes to the networks and what part goes to the processor.

Am I locked into a contract, and what happens if I want to leave?

Read the agreement before signing and ask about term length and any cancellation charges. TouchSuite accounts are month-to-month, and you can cancel anytime with no fees.

What equipment do I need, and do I have to pay for it upfront?

It depends on the business. A counter shop may need one terminal and a scanner, a restaurant may need several stations plus handhelds, and a mobile service business may only need a portable reader. Qualifying TouchSuite merchants receive free terminals and POS hardware with no upfront cost.

Will the POS work with my accounting software and online store?

Ask which systems a processor connects to and whether integrations carry an extra monthly charge. With a TouchSuite merchant account, ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee.

How long before I can take cards?

Leave time for the application and approval, especially if your entity or bank account is brand new. Once approved, most TouchSuite merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours.

I am buying an existing Dallas business. Should I keep the current processor?

Not without looking at the numbers. Send us the most recent processing statement and we will show you, line by line, what the business is paying and beat it, or tell you honestly that we cannot.

Planning to open in Dallas? Let us help you set up payments.

Tell us what kind of business you are opening and how you want to take payments. We will walk you through the equipment, the application, and the timeline, and if you already process cards, send your latest statement for a line-by-line review.

An email or a phone number is enough.

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