Merchant Services & Payment Processing

Payment Processing That Treats Your Business Fairly

Steinbach Credit Union merchant services deliver card processing, POS systems, and online payment gateways with interchange-plus pricing — no hidden fees, no long-term contracts, and next-day funding to your SCU business checking account.

The payment processing industry is filled with confusing rate structures, automatic renewals, early termination penalties, and equipment leases that cost far more than the hardware is worth. Many businesses pay inflated processing fees simply because comparing statements across providers is deliberately difficult. Steinbach Credit Union merchant services operate on interchange-plus pricing, the most transparent model available. The interchange fee set by Visa and Mastercard passes through at the wholesale cost, and SCU adds a disclosed markup. Members see exactly what they pay and can verify it against published interchange rates.

Because Steinbach Credit Union is a member-owned cooperative, the merchant services program is not built to extract maximum revenue from each business relationship. The pricing reflects the credit union's operating costs plus a reasonable margin that cycles back into better rates for all members. There are no early termination fees, no automatic contract renewals that lock businesses into unfavorable terms, and no requirement to lease equipment that the business could purchase for less.

In-Store Card Processing

SCU merchant services support all major payment methods: chip and PIN, contactless tap, mobile wallet payments including Apple Pay and Google Pay, and traditional magnetic stripe as a fallback. Countertop terminals process transactions in under three seconds for contactless payments. Receipt options include printed, email, and text message delivery. The terminal supports tipping prompts for service businesses, with customizable preset percentages.

Transaction data flows directly into the business checking account history within the SCU online banking portal. Daily batch summaries show gross sales, refunds, chargebacks, and net deposits. Businesses can download transaction reports in CSV format for accounting reconciliation. The terminal software updates automatically to maintain PCI compliance and add new payment features as card networks release them.

Point-of-Sale Systems

For businesses that need more than a payment terminal, SCU offers full point-of-sale systems that combine payment processing with inventory management, customer records, employee time tracking, and sales reporting. The touchscreen interface handles product lookups, price adjustments, discounts, and split payments. Inventory tracking updates in real time as sales occur, with low-stock alerts configurable per item.

Employee management features include clock-in and clock-out with PIN or card authentication, role-based permissions that limit what each staff member can do at the terminal, and sales performance reporting by employee. Customer-facing displays show itemized purchases and promotional messages during checkout. The POS system connects to receipt printers, barcode scanners, cash drawers, and kitchen display systems for restaurant operations.

Online Payment Gateway

Steinbach Credit Union merchant services include an online payment gateway for businesses that sell through a website or accept payments through a customer portal. The gateway integrates with major e-commerce platforms including Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce. For businesses with custom websites, a REST API provides the same functionality with developer documentation and sandbox testing access.

All online transactions are tokenized — the customer's card number is replaced with a unique token that cannot be used outside the merchant's account. This eliminates the risk of storing actual card numbers on the business's server and simplifies PCI compliance. The hosted payment page option lets businesses accept online payments without handling card data at all; customers enter payment details on a PCI-compliant SCU-hosted page, and the business receives a payment confirmation with no card data exposure. Recurring billing supports subscription services, membership dues, and installment payment plans with automated retry logic for failed payments.

Mobile Payments and Virtual Terminal

Businesses that operate at farmers markets, trade shows, client locations, or delivery routes can accept payments through a mobile card reader that connects to a smartphone or tablet. The reader processes chip, contactless, and mobile wallet payments with the same interchange-plus rate structure as in-store terminals. Transaction receipts can be sent by email or text message, eliminating the need for a portable printer.

The virtual terminal allows businesses to process card-not-present transactions for phone orders, mail orders, and invoice payments. Staff enter the customer's card details through a secure browser interface, and the transaction processes through the same gateway as in-store and online payments. Virtual terminal access is controlled by user permissions so that only authorized employees can process card-not-present transactions, which carry higher interchange rates and fraud risk than card-present transactions.

Gift Card and Loyalty Programs

SCU merchant services support reloadable gift card programs that integrate with the business's POS system. Customers can purchase and reload gift cards in-store, and the balance is tracked through the merchant services platform. Gift card transactions process through the same terminal as regular payments, and unused balances remain on the platform indefinitely. Businesses can brand gift cards with their logo and choose from physical cards, digital e-gift cards, or both.

A basic loyalty program tracks customer visits or spending and applies rewards such as discounts or free items when thresholds are met. For consumer protection guidance on payment processing, see ConsumerFinance.gov. The loyalty feature is built into the POS system and does not require a separate app or card for customers to carry. Points or visit counts are linked to the payment card used, so the customer accrues rewards automatically without presenting a separate loyalty card at checkout.