Every question, answered straight.

Dough Payments is a Canadian merchant services company founded in 2022 and based in Hamilton, Ontario. We process credit and debit card payments for small and medium businesses across Canada, and we reinvest our margin back into our merchants' businesses through the Boost program — free websites, free social media content, custom AI tools, and Google review cards based on monthly volume.

Three things. First, the Boost program — no other Canadian processor reinvests its margin back into the merchant through free websites, social content, custom AI tools, and review cards. Second, three pricing models to choose from: surcharge ($0 in credit card processing fees), Interchange Plus, or flat rate. Third, real Canadian humans you can actually reach — no offshore tier-1 queues, no chatbots. Read more on the About page.

Three core models plus dual pricing. Surcharge: $0 in credit card processing fees, $0.04 per debit transaction — the customer pays the surcharge on credit cards. Interchange Plus (IC+): interchange + 0.20%, $0.04 per debit. Flat rate: 2.75% + $0.15 per transaction. Dual pricing / cash discount is available for trades, auto repair, restaurants, and other industries where it fits. We pick the model that fits your business — not the other way around. See the full pricing page.

Typical Dough customers save 30 to 60 percent on their monthly processing bill. On $50,000/month volume, that's usually $300 to $800 in monthly savings. The exact number depends on your current processor, your volume, and which pricing model fits your business. Send your last statement and we'll show you the math line by line.

Two to three days from start to live processing. Send your last statement, we quote you, you sign the application, we ship and program your terminal, and you're up and running. Your bank account doesn't change. Your bookkeeping doesn't change. The only thing changing is who's actually processing the cards. Full walkthrough on the How It Works page.

No. Switching processors does not mean switching banks. Your funds still deposit to your existing business account, wherever it is — TD, RBC, Scotia, BMO, CIBC, anywhere. Dough just becomes the processor underneath.

Send us your current agreement along with your statement. We'll do the math on what you're paying versus what you'd save with Dough — including any early termination fee. In most cases the savings in the first 6–12 months more than cover the cancellation cost. If it doesn't pencil out, we'll tell you straight.

Fill out the Get A Custom Quote form on any page of this site. We'll review your statement and reach out within 24 hours with a custom quote. No commitment. No high-pressure sales. If we don't save you money, we'll tell you. If we do, we'll show you exactly how much and which pricing model fits best.

You get to choose. Dough offers two contract structures: month-to-month with no early termination fees, OR a 4-year term if you want a free or subsidized terminal. The choice depends on how you want to pay for your hardware. We discuss this on the sales call.

For in-person: Clover Flex (the most popular handheld pick), Clover Station Duo (full countertop POS), Clover Mini (compact countertop), Clover Flex Pocket (pocket-sized mobile), Newland N910 (wireless handheld, Elavon-backed alternative to Clover Flex), and Ingenico Desk/5000 (wired countertop). For online: Authorize.Net (e-commerce, recurring billing, virtual terminal) and Converge (B2B invoicing and online surcharge-enabled processing). See the full terminals page.

Terminal pricing is determined on the sales call based on which terminal you need and which contract structure you choose. On no-contract (month-to-month) deals, merchants typically pay for the terminal upfront. On 4-year term deals, terminals can be free or subsidized for qualifying merchants. We'll quote you specifically once we know what you need.

For most major Canadian small-business software, yes. Clover terminals have a large app marketplace with native integrations to common POS, scheduling, and accounting tools. For marketing agencies, Dough integrates with HighLevel (GHL) and other agency stacks through Authorize.Net. We'll confirm specific integrations on the sales call before you commit.

Boost is what makes Dough different. We reinvest our margin back into your business through free perks tiered by monthly card volume. Boost Starter (under $10K/month): pick one — 1-page website, one month of social content, custom GPT, or Google review card. Boost Pro ($10K–$50K/month): free 5-page website with hosting, OR free monthly social plus custom GPT. Boost Premium ($50K+/month): free 7-page website, OR 12 social posts monthly plus custom GPT. Google review card is included free at every tier. Full details on the Boost page.

Marketing agencies and pure card-not-present B2B merchants. Boost is built around brick-and-mortar and service businesses that benefit from a website, social content, and review cards. Marketing agencies already do this work — they don't need it from us. CNP B2B merchants typically don't have a consumer-facing storefront where these perks deliver value. For those merchants, we deliver raw rate savings and rock-solid uptime instead.

No. Dough's underwriting happens upfront on a real call with a human — not algorithmically after the fact. That means once you're approved and live, there are no surprise risk-system freezes holding your funds for 90 to 180 days. This is one of the main reasons marketing agencies, coaches, and consultants switch from Stripe to Dough.

Yes — in every province except Quebec, where consumer protection law restricts surcharging. The surcharge is capped at 2.4% (or the merchant's actual cost of acceptance, whichever is lower) under Visa and Mastercard 2026 rules. Surcharging must be disclosed at the point of sale and in receipts. Merchants must give 30 days notice to their processor before activating a surcharge program. Debit cards cannot be surcharged under Canadian law. Dough handles all the signage and compliance setup for you.

Yes, but through dual pricing / cash discount rather than surcharging. Dual pricing is legal across Canada including Quebec. The mechanism: customers see a "cash price" and a "card price." Cash customers get a discount; card customers pay the standard price. Same financial effect as surcharging from the merchant's side — zero processing fees on you.

Yes. PCI compliance is required for every merchant accepting card payments in Canada, and Dough handles the setup as part of onboarding. There is a small PCI fee — every processor charges this; it's industry standard. Anyone telling you they don't charge PCI is hiding it somewhere else on the statement.

Standard merchant underwriting documentation: a voided cheque or business banking confirmation, your last 3 months of processing statements, business registration documents (e.g. articles of incorporation or master business licence), and a piece of government-issued photo ID. Underwriting typically completes in 1–2 business days.

Auto repair, trades (HVAC, plumbing, electrical, contractors), marketing agencies, retail and boutiques, professional services (lawyers, accountants, consultants), restaurants and cafés, salons and spas, health and wellness, dental and medical, veterinary clinics, home services, convenience stores, and card-not-present B2B. We do NOT serve US merchants, high-risk verticals (CBD, firearms, gambling, adult), or enterprise / Fortune 500. We don't do general e-commerce storefronts either — Dough is focused on real-world small and medium Canadian businesses.