How to read a Fiserv, First Data or Clover statement

The three numbers FeeHound needs

Card sales: gross sales for the month on all cards on the statement, including debit and Debit/ATM (PIN debit). Leave out EBT.

Number of card sales: the count of sales, not refunds.

Total fees: every processing fee for the month. On these statements it is often one Month End Charge taken a few days after the month ends.

Where to look

The Summary by Card Type lists items and amounts for Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express and Debit/ATM. Use the amounts submitted, not the amounts deposited.

Third-Party Transactions are sales settled by someone else, most often Amex billed by American Express directly. If you see Amex there with no Amex fees, choose "Amex bills me directly".

On interchange-plus accounts the fee page has three kinds of lines: Interchange Charges (paid to card issuers), Service Charges (the processor's markup) and Fees (card network fees such as assessments, network access fees and the Visa fixed acquirer network fee, plus account fees).

Debit lines may say Regulated or Durbin. If they do, enter those sales as regulated debit for a tighter range.

Common mistakes

Net sales and deposits are not sales. Net sales have refunds taken off, and deposits have fees and chargebacks taken off.

A Clover software plan or an equipment lease often sits among the fees. Enter software and lease amounts in their own boxes: we compare a lease on its own line and show software without comparing it.

A PCI non-compliance fee usually stops once you complete your yearly PCI questionnaire. A PCI compliance or program fee is a regular account fee, not the same thing.