For landscapers
Payments for landscaping and lawn care, on your own merchant account.
Weekly mowing, seasonal contracts and installs are all invoiced from the software you already use. On built-in payments, every one of them pays the flat rate.
Where the fees go
Built-in payments typically charge 2.9–3.5% per card and 1% per bank payment.
Your own merchant account typically runs about 2.1–2.4% on cards all in, and a few dollars per bank payment (published rates and sources). For landscapers, that shows up here:
Recurring customers
Weekly and monthly billing means the flat rate is charged on every visit.
Installs and hardscape
Larger projects pay the same percentage as a mow.
Seasonal prepayments
Prepaid season contracts are charged in full at the built-in rate up front.
The math
One example: a $6,000 patio install.
Illustrative. The built-in rate is a common published one, 2.9% + 30¢ (sources). 2.25% is the middle of what a small business typically pays all in on its own merchant account (Merchant Cost Consulting). Your rate depends on your cards and your account.
| Paid by | Built-in | Own account |
|---|---|---|
| Card | $174.30 | about $135.00 |
| Bank payment | $60.00 | a few dollars |
About $39.30 less on this card payment. It isn't always cheaper: below about $43,000 a year in cards, account fees can eat the difference, and a mix heavy in Amex or business cards costs more anywhere. Estimate yours
How it works in your day
Same software, same invoices. A Pay button on each one.
SwitchKeep Pay runs in Chrome beside the software you already invoice from. It reads the open invoice, takes the payment on your own merchant account and records it on that invoice. Nothing else in your software changes.
Recurring service
Saved cards and recurring charges, each with the customer's consent on record.
Installs
Take a deposit, then the balance on the final invoice, by card or bank.
Following up
Unpaid pay links remind customers after 3, 7 and 14 days.
FAQ
Questions.
Can I charge customers automatically each month?
Yes. Set up a recurring charge or payment plan with the customer's consent, and see each next charge in the portal.
What about customers already on autopay?
They move one at a time, the next time they pay. Leave your software's payments connected until they have.
Do I have to change my software?
No. You keep your software, your customers and your invoices. SwitchKeep takes the payment and records it on the invoice.
What does SwitchKeep cost?
Nothing to use: the extension and the merchant portal are free, and you never get a bill from us. We're paid through a share of card processing.
See your own number.
Send a recent processing statement. We'll price the same month on your own merchant account, line by line.