A PRACTICAL PRE-COMPARISON CHECKLIST
A better comparison starts with the evidence already in your business.
Use this checklist before you evaluate any payment change. It helps you gather the documents, workflow facts, pricing questions, equipment details and responsibility questions that a headline quote can leave out.
Standalone and printable · Useful with any provider comparison
CHECK BEFORE YOU COMPARE
Six evidence groups to work through.
Check an item only when you have the document, answer or responsible owner—not when a proposal merely says the topic is covered.
Evidence to gather
- A recent processing statement for a representative period
- Current agreements, amendments and provider notices
- Equipment list with model, location and ownership or lease status
- Deposit records and the bank accounts used for funding
- Recent dispute, refund or exception examples
Workflow questions
- How does a payment begin and reach your records?
- How are refunds, voids and disputes handled?
- Where do recurring payments or invoices originate?
- Which systems exchange payment, order or customer data?
- Who reconciles settlements and exceptions?
Pricing comparison
- Which charges are interchange, network, processor or periodic fees?
- Which assumptions define any quoted comparison?
- Are equipment, gateway, compliance and annual costs included?
- Do volume, ticket size, card mix or channel limits matter?
- What agreement terms can change the practical cost?
Hardware and integration
- Which devices and configurations are used today?
- Which functions depend on a gateway or software connection?
- What has been tested for the exact proposed configuration?
- Who supplies, configures, replaces and supports each component?
- What can remain in place if no change is needed?
Migration risk
- What happens to tokens, recurring schedules and saved credentials?
- How are open orders, invoices, balances and refunds handled?
- What data can be exported, imported and reconciled?
- What is the cutover and rollback plan?
- How will reporting remain continuous across the change?
Support and responsibility
- Who owns implementation and who approves each stage?
- Who handles payment, device, software and funding issues?
- What support hours and escalation routes are confirmed?
- Which compliance tasks remain with the merchant?
- Where will decisions, tests and open questions be documented?
Need a paper copy? Use your browser's print command. The checklist is formatted to print without the site navigation.
Continue to migration planning ↗A CHECKMARK IS NOT PROOF BY ITSELF
Keep the document, test result or named owner behind each answer.
The checklist helps you organize a comparison. It does not confirm eligibility, compatibility, savings, approval or a provider's ability to deliver a proposed configuration.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Six answers about the review checklist.
Can I use this checklist without hiring DATAONE?
Yes. It is a standalone merchant checklist for evaluating any payment change, whether or not DATAONE performs a formal review.
Do I need every item before I start comparing options?
No. Start with what you have, but mark missing items as open questions instead of assuming they are resolved.
Why does the checklist include workflow and support?
Because processing cost is only one part of a payment setup. Refunds, reconciliation, integrations, migration and responsibility can change whether an option works in practice.
Does a completed checklist prove a proposal will work?
No. Exact product, agreement, hardware, integration, configuration and implementation details still require verification.
What should I do when a provider cannot answer an item?
Record the unanswered question, who owns it and what evidence would resolve it. Do not treat silence or a general promise as confirmation.
How do I begin a DATAONE review?
Use the payment inquiry form to start, or call 1-800-818-0420 or email info@dataonems.com. Documents are still handled separately.
START WITH THE EVIDENCE YOU HAVE