Professional Services Payment Processing
Law, accounting, consulting, and agencies often bill by invoice, phone, or card-on-file. CMS compares Flat Rate, Surcharge, and Cash Discount around how your clients actually pay.
What usually changes what you pay
In professional services, ticket size, how customers pay, and debit versus credit mix can move your real cost more than a advertised “flat” plan admits. Use the points below as a checklist when you compare options.
- Invoice and keyed payments
- Recurring or card-on-file
- Average invoice size
- Business cards from clients
Good to know
These notes are written for business owners. They explain what CMS looks at before recommending Flat Rate, Surcharge, or Cash Discount for this industry.
- Typing a card or taking it over the phone usually costs more than an in-person swipe—your offer should say that plainly.
- Recurring billing needs clear disclosure, not a buried “simple” rate.
- Surcharge (where allowed) can offset eligible credit on larger invoices; debit stays out.
- CMS keeps equipment and software choices for after you apply. These pages are about pricing fit.
Flat Rate · Surcharge · Cash Discount
A retail swipe rate rarely fits professional billing. CMS builds a comparable offer—Flat Rate, Surcharge, or Cash Discount—around invoices and recurring payments, with modest savings you can explain to a partner.
- CMS Flat Rate
- CMS Surcharge Program
- CMS Cash Discount Program
CMS compares estimated monthly cost—including percentage, per-transaction, and required monthly fees—never percentage alone.
Pricing only. CMS does not recommend a terminal, POS, gateway, or partner platform on this page.
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