Payments
How to plan a change of card payment provider
Notice periods, equipment agreements and till connections can affect a switch. Use this guide to plan the changeover and confirm the new service before ending the old one.
Written by Jessica Gardner, In-house Editor, Reeve Consult · 2 min read
Updated
What needs to happen before you end your old card payment service?
Confirm notice and exit obligations, arrange the new account and equipment, and check the supported till connection. Follow payments, refunds and settlement through the new service during an agreed overlap. Then end the old arrangements and return equipment as required. The timing depends on approval, supplier work and contracts; a switch cannot be promised to have no downtime in every case.
- A separate terminal lease may continue after the processing account closes.
- Historical reports should be exported before access ends.
- Saved cards or recurring payments need a separate migration plan if you use them.
The risk in a payment-provider switch often sits between the contracts and the working setup. Ending the old account before the new connection is ready can interrupt trade; leaving a separate rental untouched can keep costs running.
What do you need to know before committing?
Read the processing and equipment agreements together. Identify notice, renewal, return and exit terms. Request an account-specific settlement of the obligations rather than estimate from an advertised contract length.
Ask the new provider for complete pricing against your actual payment activity. A cheaper transaction rate can be outweighed by equipment, software or exit costs over the period you expect to use the arrangement.
How do you establish that the setup will work?
Name the exact till product and version, the terminal and the actions staff need. Confirm the connection with the appropriate suppliers. If staff need payments and refunds to return to the till automatically, ask about both actions.
Check network coverage and power at the places the devices will be used. A portable terminal's specifications do not establish the connection at an outdoor table or event pitch.
Use your own payment activity to compare transaction charges, terminal costs, contract terms and payout schedules.
What belongs in the handover plan?
Application approval, equipment delivery, configuration, staff instruction and settlement checks need owners and dates. Arrange an overlap and fallback appropriate to the business rather than assume a universal timetable.
Follow a payment through to the bank, with the corresponding till record and fees. Check how a refund is handled and how support is contacted if the two systems disagree. A successful tap is only one step in that process.
Which records need saving?
Export historical reports before access ends. Keep the old agreements, cancellation confirmation and equipment-return evidence with the new proposal. Ask what access remains for outstanding refunds or disputes.
If you use recurring payments or saved cards, ask the suppliers for a migration plan. Those arrangements may be separate from the in-person terminal, and their portability should not be assumed.
When should the old service end?
Coordinate the contractual notice with the new service's readiness and agreed checks. Get confirmation of the end date and any return obligations. The right point depends on those arrangements, not a promise of “no downtime” in a general article.
Reeve Consult can review a statement and discuss a written DOJO proposal. Our seven-step switching guide provides a sequence to use when planning the work with your suppliers.
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers
Will recurring payments move with a replacement terminal?
What should be saved before old access ends?
Next step
Which part of your payment setup would you like to improve?
Tell us where customers pay, which till you use and which charges you want explained. We can discuss the options and arrange a statement review.
Request a payment reviewJessica Gardner is the in-house editor at Reeve Consult. She writes and edits every guide, blog post, and resource published on the site, making sure the writing is plain-English, the facts check out, and the advice is genuinely useful for the UK independent business owners we work with. Jessica spent eight years in editorial roles across UK trade and business publications before joining Reeve Consult.