A percentage on a large invoice
On a four figure repair order, a fraction of a percent is real money on a single job. Volume is not what makes the rate matter here.
Auto repair
Credit card processing for auto repair shops.
High tickets mean the percentage matters more per job than it does almost anywhere else. And a completed repair is one of the easier things for a customer to dispute after the fact.
No obligation. I follow up personally.
What matters in a repair shop
Two things decide your real cost.
Ticket size and dispute exposure move the cost more than anything else in this category.
Money taken before parts are ordered
Taking a deposit over the phone is a keyed transaction, which costs more and carries more risk than a card presented in the shop.
Chargebacks on finished work
A customer who is unhappy with a repair can dispute the charge. Your documentation, not your rate, decides how that ends.
The first is how the card reaches you. A card dipped or tapped at your counter costs less than the same card read over the phone, because a keyed transaction carries higher risk. Shops that take deposits by phone before ordering parts are running a meaningful share of their volume through the more expensive channel, and that alone can explain a gap between the rate you were quoted and what you actually pay.
There are ways to reduce it. A payment link sent by text and completed by the customer is treated differently from a number read out loud and typed into a terminal, and it produces a record that helps you later.
That record matters, which is the second thing. Auto repair carries genuine chargeback exposure because the work is finished and the customer has already driven away before they decide they are unhappy. Every dispute costs you a fee whether you win or lose it. What protects you is documentation: a signed authorization for the work, the customer's signature on the final invoice, and photographs of the vehicle before and after. Providers differ in how much help they give you assembling a response, and it is worth asking before you sign.
Repair shops across Austin and Central Texas
Central Texas keeps growing, and a lot of the drivers pulling into your bay are new to the area with no history with your shop. A first-time customer with a large invoice is exactly the customer most likely to question the bill later, which makes the signed authorization and the before and after photos more valuable here, not less.
Commuters are the other pattern. When the customer has already dropped the car and gone to work, the deposit gets taken over the phone. A payment link texted to them does the same job for less and leaves you a better record. If a lot of your deposits come in that way, it is the first thing worth changing.
Free fee check
Price the tickets you actually run.
Find the total fees on last month's processing statement and enter it here. Luis will look at it personally and tell you, within 24 to 48 hours, whether it is fair.
- No statement upload. Two numbers are enough to start.
- A personal answer from Luis within 24 to 48 hours.
- If what you pay today is already fair, he will tell you that.
Before you compare quotes, gather these
The comparison is only honest if both sides are measured the same way.
- Last month's total fees and total card sales
- Your average repair order
- The share of payments taken over the phone rather than in the shop
- Your chargeback count over the last year and the fee charged per dispute
- Whether deposits are taken before parts are ordered
Related reading
Common questions
Questions from owners like you.
Why does taking a card over the phone cost more?
A keyed transaction has no card physically present, so it carries higher risk and higher interchange. Sending a payment link the customer completes themselves is usually a better option than reading the number into a terminal.
How do I protect a large repair against a chargeback?
Documentation. A signed authorization for the work, the customer's signature on the final invoice, and photographs of the vehicle before and after. Nothing prevents a dispute being filed, but that evidence is what decides it.
Do I get the fee back if I win a chargeback?
The chargeback fee is usually charged per dispute regardless of the outcome. Ask what the fee is and whether it is refunded on a win, because this varies by provider.
Can I take a deposit before ordering parts?
Yes, and it is common practice. Take it as a card payment rather than an authorization hold where you can, and confirm how long an authorization stays valid if you use one, because holds expire.
Talk to Luis
Bring your dispute count too.
Call or text Luis. Your fees and your chargebacks together tell the real story about your account.