The biggest reason merchants stay with a processor they are unhappy with is the assumption that switching is going to be painful. It almost never is. Here is what actually happens, step by step, with realistic timelines.
Step 1 - The statement review (no obligation)
Before any application, the broker (or processor) should look at your current statement. A good review takes 24-48 hours and produces a one-page summary of what you currently pay, what you would pay on the new program, and the delta. If the review says the savings are not enough to be worth the switch, a fair broker will say so on the first page.
This is the only step that costs you anything - and the only thing it costs is the few minutes to send the statement. No commitment, no contract, nothing changes at your existing processor.
Step 2 - The application
If the math works and you want to proceed, you fill out a merchant application. With AdvoCharge this is a real-time online form, not a stack of PDFs. Required information is the same at every processor:
- Legal business name, DBA, address, tax ID
- Ownership information for anyone with 25% or more ownership
- Bank account where funds will be deposited (voided check or bank letter)
- A recent processing statement (helps with categorization)
- Estimated monthly volume and average ticket size
That is the whole application. For most merchants it takes 15-20 minutes.
Step 3 - Underwriting
The processor's underwriting team reviews the application. They are checking three things: that the business is real (matches public records), that the ownership is who you say it is (basic identity verification), and that the business type is one they support. Almost all standard merchants are approved.
Underwriting typically takes 24 to 48 hours. Some industries (anything considered higher-risk by the card brands) take longer because they get a more thorough review. AdvoCharge tells you upfront if your industry will need extra review time.
Step 4 - Hardware decision
Sometimes merchants can keep their existing terminals - they get reprogrammed to point to the new processor, which usually takes about 15 minutes and can often be done remotely. If your terminals are very old or proprietary to your current processor, you may need new ones. AdvoCharge provides equipment at cost rather than markup or lease, so this is typically a one-time charge in the low hundreds, not an ongoing fee.
For eCommerce, the change usually means updating the API credentials in your existing payment gateway (Authorize.Net, NMI, Spreedly, etc.). The gateway and the shopping cart do not change. For most stores this is a 15-minute change.
Step 5 - Going live
Once underwriting is approved and hardware is ready, you have a "live date" - the day the new account starts processing. From that date forward, every transaction goes through the new processor and lands in your bank account the next business day (with our 10pm EST cutoff).
The old processor account stays open for a brief window to handle any chargebacks or refunds tied to transactions that already ran through it. After that window (typically 30-60 days), you can formally close the old account by calling them. Some merchants forget this step and just stop processing on the old account; that works too, though you may keep getting small statement fees until you formally close it.
Things people worry about that turn out not to matter
- "Do I have to tell my customers?" No. The change is invisible to them. Same terminal, same checkout, same receipt format unless you change the merchant name on the receipt yourself.
- "Will my reporting break?" The new processor has its own online portal with daily and monthly reporting. Most are better than what the old one offered.
- "What about my recurring billing customers?" If you have tokenized cards on file, most processors can migrate the tokens during the switch so customers do not need to re-enter card data. This is the one piece worth confirming upfront before signing - especially for businesses running heavy recurring schedules like senior care and assisted living.
- "What if there is a problem after the switch?" You have 24/7 in-house support. For AdvoCharge clients, that is real humans on the phone, not a queue. The first 30 days we are particularly attentive to make sure batches settle correctly.
Realistic end-to-end timeline
From "send us your statement" to "running on the new account":
- Day 0: Send the statement.
- Day 1-2: Statement review returned.
- Day 3: Complete the online application (15-20 minutes).
- Day 4-5: Underwriting approves.
- Day 6-7: Terminal reprogramming or hardware arrival.
- Day 7-10: Live date - first transaction on the new account.
For most merchants the entire process is one to two weeks of mostly waiting and a few minutes of real work. Send us your statement to get started, or send any questions you have first - we are happy to walk through your specific situation before anything is on paper.