The Dough Blog

Plain-English payments, written for owners.

No corporate jargon. No filler. Real talk on credit card processing in Canada — surcharging, dual pricing, how to actually read your statement, and why your processor is probably charging you too much.

Latest post

Fresh off the press.

What's coming next
Agencies
Why marketing agencies get frozen by Stripe

The pattern behind 90-day account holds, the verticals most at risk, and the agency-friendly stack that prevents it.

Trades
Why HVAC companies should be surcharging right now

The math at $5K+ ticket sizes. Why the surcharge model isn't just for restaurants anymore.

Auto repair
The real cost of processing fees for an auto shop

What 3% of a $3,000 transmission job actually adds up to over a year — and the two pricing models that fix it.

In the queue

The rest of the drafting table

More posts going live every week. Bookmark this page and check back — or send us your statement and skip the wait.

Agencies

Why Marketing Agencies Get Frozen by Stripe (and What to Do Instead)

The pattern behind 90-day account holds, the verticals most at risk, and the agency-friendly stack that prevents it.

Trades

Why HVAC Companies Should Be Surcharging Right Now

The math at $5K+ ticket sizes. Why the surcharge model isn't just for restaurants anymore.

Auto repair

The Real Cost of Processing Fees for an Auto Shop

What 3% of a $3,000 transmission job actually adds up to over a year — and the two pricing models that fix it.

Risk

Chargebacks 101: How to Win Disputes as a Canadian Merchant

The documentation that wins. The documentation that loses. And why some processors quietly side with the cardholder.

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