What is a merchant surcharge program?

A merchant surcharge program allows businesses to pass credit card processing fees (up to 3%) directly to customers who pay with credit cards. This is fully legal in 47+ states and can save merchants $20,000–$60,000 per year in processing fees.

What is a cash discount program?

A cash discount program offers customers a discount for paying with cash or debit, while customers who pay with credit cards pay the posted price which includes a service fee. This effectively eliminates credit card processing costs for the merchant.

How does Centurion compare to Square, Stripe, and Clover?

Centurion Payment Services consistently beats Square (2.6%+10¢), Stripe (2.9%+30¢), Clover (2.3-2.6%), and Heartland on effective rates. With our interchange-plus or surcharge programs, most merchants save 20-40% over their current processor.

Do you work with high-risk merchants?

Yes. Centurion specializes in high-risk merchant accounts including CBD, firearms, nutraceuticals, vape, adult content, travel, gaming, and more. We have dedicated high-risk banking relationships and fast approval times.

How quickly can I get set up with Centurion?

Most merchants go live within 48 hours of approval. We handle the entire setup process including equipment programming, gateway integration, and staff training.

What credit card processing rates does Centurion offer?

Centurion offers interchange-plus pricing, flat-rate pricing, and zero-fee/surcharge programs. Rates are customized based on your industry, volume, and processing history. We guarantee to beat your current rate or we'll pay you $500.

Is the merchant surcharge program legal?

Yes. Credit card surcharging is legal in 47+ US states. It is currently prohibited only in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Centurion ensures full compliance with state laws and Visa/Mastercard regulations.

What types of businesses do you work with?

Centurion works with all business types: restaurants, retail stores, medical practices, law firms, auto dealers, salons, hotels, e-commerce, contractors, healthcare, dental offices, veterinarians, gyms, nightclubs, dispensaries, and more.

What is Centurion Payment Services?

Centurion Payment Services helps you organize, track, and share your work in 1 unified workspace. Built for teams and solo users who want clarity and speed.

Can I keep my current POS and still switch processors?

Often, yes. Many POS systems support multiple processors, and Centurion can reprogram or integrate with most major hardware. If yours is locked, we'll place free replacement equipment.

Is 'free POS' equipment really free?

From Centurion, yes — qualified merchants receive free terminal placement with no lease. Beware of competitors whose 'free' hardware is funded by inflated processing rates or 48-month non-cancellable leases.

Do you support tap-to-pay and Apple Pay in Phoenix?

Yes — all equipment we place supports EMV chip, NFC contactless (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and swipe, plus surcharge and cash-discount programming.

What POS is best for restaurants?

It depends on your service style. We work with leading restaurant POS platforms and can pair them with dramatically lower processing than the bundled rates they advertise.

Phoenix - POS Systems

A practical guide to POS systems for Phoenix merchants — what to look for, what to avoid, and how the right processor can give you a POS for free.

Your POS Is More Than a Cash Register

The right point-of-sale system handles payments, inventory, employee management, reporting, and customer data. The wrong one locks you into inflated processing rates for years. Businesses in Phoenix — home services, healthcare, restaurants, and retail in a rapidly growing metro — need different systems depending on how they sell.

The biggest mistake we see: choosing a POS first and accepting whatever processing rate comes bundled with it. Systems like Clover and Toast are excellent hardware, but the processing agreements attached to them are often 30–50% more expensive than necessary.

What to Look For

Prioritize: processor independence (or at least transparent interchange-plus pricing), EMV and NFC/tap-to-pay support, offline mode, cloud reporting you can check from anywhere, and simple staff training. For restaurants, look for table management and tip adjustment; for retail, inventory sync and barcode support; for services, invoicing and card-on-file.

Avoid: long-term leases on hardware (a $300 terminal should never cost $99/month for 48 months), proprietary lock-in, and "free POS" offers that bury the cost in a 3.5%+ effective rate.

Stop overpaying on processing fees.

Free rate analysis for Phoenix businesses — response within 1 hour.

Get Free Quote

Free Equipment for Phoenix Merchants

Centurion places free terminals and POS equipment with qualified merchants — including smart terminals with built-in surcharge and cash-discount support. Combined with our lowest-rate guarantee, Phoenix businesses get modern hardware and lower processing costs, with no lease and no long-term contract.

We'll also buy out your existing contract in many cases, so an expensive mistake with a previous provider doesn't keep costing you.

Get a Recommendation, Not a Sales Pitch

Tell us how your business sells — counter service, table service, mobile, online, or invoicing — and we'll recommend the right setup with exact pricing. Call (561) 221-2273 or use the form below; a local specialist serving the Southwest will respond within one business hour.