How long does switching card provider actually take?
The honest answer is two weeks from first conversation to trading on the new system, and almost none of that is the new provider's doing.
Where the time actually goes
Days 1–2: your statement. We need one recent statement to work out your real effective rate. This is the step people put off for a fortnight, and it is the step that decides whether switching is worth doing at all.
Days 2–4: underwriting. Standard checks — the business, the bank account, the trading history. Sole traders are usually same-day. Limited companies take a little longer if the Companies House record is out of date, which is worth checking before you apply.
Days 4–9: building your catalogue. This is the real work and the part that gets underestimated. Every product, every menu item, every modifier, every price. Get it wrong and your staff spend the first week working around it.
Day 10 or thereabouts: install and train. On site, ideally on a closed day or a quiet morning. Staff need an hour, not a manual.
The bit that catches people out
Your existing agreement. Most merchant services contracts run three to four years and auto-renew unless you give notice — usually 30 to 90 days, in writing, before the renewal date.
Switching to a new provider does not cancel the old one. If you miss the notice window you can end up paying both.
Check three things today:
- The renewal date on your current agreement
- The notice period and how notice must be served
- Whether the terminal is on a separate lease with a different end date
Can you run both for a bit?
Yes, and for a busy site we often recommend it. Keep the old terminal live for a week as a backup while your staff get used to the new one. It costs you a few days of overlapping fees and removes the risk of a Saturday with no way to take payment.
What we need from you
One statement, your Companies House details or UTR, a bank account in the business name, and a couple of hours of someone's time to check the menu before it goes live. That is genuinely it.
