Credit card processing fees are one of the most overlooked operating expenses in small and mid-sized businesses. They rarely appear as a line item that gets scrutinized, yet they quietly reduce margins month after month.

For CPAs and accounting professionals, this represents a growing blind spot in client financials — and a significant opportunity to deliver proactive advisory value.

This complimentary guide examines how payment processing costs accumulate, why they are so difficult to interpret, and where businesses are most likely overpaying. Rather than focusing on fraud or wrongdoing, the report breaks down structural inefficiencies, opaque pricing models, and contract terms that routinely inflate fees without client awareness.

Inside the guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify common fee structures that quietly inflate processing costs

• Calculate a client’s true effective processing rate using financial data you already have

• Recognize contract terms and pricing changes that often go unnoticed

• Help clients evaluate whether fees align with industry benchmarks

• Introduce a repeatable review process that fits naturally into CAS offerings

The guide also outlines how AI-enabled analysis can surface cost patterns across client portfolios, allowing accounting firms to deliver measurable savings without disrupting existing systems, vendors, or workflows.

For firms expanding Client Advisory Services, payment cost analysis represents a low-friction, high-impact advisory opportunity — one that directly improves EBITDA while strengthening long-term client relationships.

Download the complimentary guide to learn how CPAs and accounting professionals can bring clarity, control, and margin protection to an often-overlooked expense.