When you sell bikes or basketballs, it’s simple to track your inventory. You have a certain number of units. You sell one. You have one fewer of those units. With bakeries, things can get a little more complicated, and fast. Luckily the best mobile POS systems are offering better cloud-based solutions that work great for bakeries and their unique inventory headaches.
It’s been estimated that nearly half of businesses don’t really track their inventory, or use a manual method for keeping track of things. It can be assumed that there are some people who do well in their manual inventory tracking; it can also be assumed that a big chunk of those that are using pad-and-pencil methods are being human, and are therefore making little errors. And it can also be assumed that everyone who uses manual methods are taking longer than those who are benefitting from an integrated software-based approach.
Bakeries have the unique inventory issue of needing to track units sold (i.e. number of red velvet cupcakes sold) as well as needing to track ingredients. Both inventories inform your daily operations, because you have to know when to reorder from your supplier, and you have to know how frequently to bake this or that item, and how many batches to make for each go. What’s more, throughout the process, you lose inventory—such as what happens when a tray of cookies gets overbaked and can’t be sold. Inventory management systems have the customizability to track this.
All this means that if you own a bakery, you will be especially punishing yourself with tedious labor by doing manual inventory. There’s a better way. There are also many options out there, including eHopper, which works well with Poynt, which has our vote for the best mobile POS system. By leveraging automations, and also integrating those automations into the normal payment processes, saving you time.
How much time, you might be tempted to ask?? One bit of research estimated just that, and noted that 39% reported that they saved 5 hours or more per week—even more surprisingly, 16% reported that they saved as much as a whole day in the week, just by making the switch. That’s hours and hours that can be re-invested into growing the business.
Inventory management, as we see, can be the breakthrough that gives your bakery—or other business—the staying power it needs. But it all comes down to having the best mobile POS system you can find so that you are set up to run with these integrated payment tools. Moolah opens you up to this possibility by keeping you grounded with superior payment processing, and also offering you great tech options, like the Poynt POS. Start there, and you’ll have everything you need to get the bread to your neighborhood and beyond.
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A credit card surcharge is an additional fee added to a transaction when a patient chooses to pay with a credit card. The surcharge is intended to help offset the cost of credit card processing and applies only to eligible credit card transactions.
No. Debit card transactions may not be surcharged under any circumstances, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction or entered manually.
Yes. Credit card surcharges may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and are capped at a maximum of 3% of the total transaction amount, in accordance with card-network rules and applicable law.
Yes. Card networks require clear and transparent disclosure of any credit card surcharge. Practices must notify patients through appropriate signage at the practice entrance, point of sale, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, the surcharge must also be clearly disclosed on the practice’s website.
Yes. Some U.S. states and territories prohibit or restrict credit card surcharging. Practices are responsible for understanding and complying with their state’s specific requirements before implementing a surcharge.
No. While Moolah provides tools and general guidance to support credit card surcharging, compliance with all applicable laws and card-network rules is the responsibility of the merchant. Moolah does not provide legal advice and assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance.
Most major credit card networks permit surcharging when done in accordance with their rules, but additional requirements or restrictions may apply. Practices should ensure they have completed all required network notifications and disclosures prior to enabling surcharging.
Failure to comply with surcharging rules may result in card-network fines, required refunds, or other enforcement actions. Practices should ensure they fully understand all applicable requirements before applying a surcharge.
Flex does not currently offer built-in support for credit card surcharging. If a practice chooses to enroll in a surcharge plan, payments would need to be processed through Moolah’s payment platform, which is designed to support surcharging and integrates directly with Open Dental.
If you are considering introducing a credit card surcharge for your patients, it is important to understand that there are specific rules and regulations that must be followed when enrolling in and operating under a surcharge plan.
This article provides a general overview of common surcharging requirements. This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is the responsibility of each merchant to review, understand, and comply with all applicable laws, card-network rules, and regulatory requirements, including notification timeframes, signage requirements, surcharge percentage limits, and jurisdictions where surcharging is prohibited.
If you are unsure about the laws or regulations applicable to your practice, you should consult with qualified legal counsel. Moolah assumes no liability for a merchant’s compliance or non-compliance with credit card surcharging rules or regulations.
Transparent Communication
Card networks, including Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, require merchants to clearly and transparently disclose when a credit card surcharge is applied.
Practices must clearly notify patients of a credit card surcharge through appropriate signage placed at the practice entrance, at the point of sale or terminal, and anywhere payments are accepted. If payments are accepted online, surcharge disclosures must also be clearly visible on the practice’s website. All disclosures must inform patients that the surcharge applies only to credit card transactions.
Surcharge Limits
Credit card surcharges must comply with both card-network rules and applicable law. The surcharge amount may not exceed the merchant’s actual cost of accepting credit cards and may not exceed 3% of the total transaction amount.
Card-network rules cap credit card surcharges at 3%, meaning that if a merchant’s processing costs exceed this amount, the excess portion cannot be passed on to the patient.
Network and State Restrictions
The major credit card networks, such as Visa and Mastercard, impose specific requirements related to surcharge limits, advance notification, and disclosure.
In addition, several U.S. states and territories regulate or prohibit credit card surcharging. At the time of writing, credit card surcharging is prohibited in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. Other states, including Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, and New York, impose restrictions on surcharge amounts or require specific disclosures.
If your practice operates in a state that restricts or prohibits credit card surcharging, you must fully understand and comply with those requirements before implementing a surcharge.
Debit card transactions may never be surcharged, even if the debit card is processed as a credit transaction.
Applicability
Credit card surcharges may be applied only to credit card transactions. Other payment types, including debit cards and alternative payment methods, are not eligible for surcharging.
Regulatory Compliance
Merchants are responsible for maintaining ongoing compliance with all applicable card-network and legal requirements. This includes meeting advance notification obligations, using compliant signage and disclosures, adhering to surcharge percentage limits, and respecting jurisdiction-specific restrictions.
By following these guidelines, dental practices can implement credit card surcharging in a way that aligns with card-network rules and promotes transparency with patients. Clear and upfront communication helps maintain patient trust and supports a positive payment experience.