How Dough Works

Switching processors shouldn't take two months and a lawyer.

From the first phone call to your first deposit through Dough — 2 to 3 days, max. No 90-day onboarding. No lawyers, no contracts to comb through. Just a coffee, a quick math check on your last statement, and we move you over.

From "tell me about Dough" to processing in five steps.

No hidden phases, no "we'll get back to you next quarter." Here's exactly how it goes from your first message to your first batch deposit.

01
Day 0 · 2 minutes

Tell us about your business

Fill out the quick form on the site. Six fields: business name, your name, cell, email, monthly card volume, and your city. We need to know a little about you before we can run the numbers.

Takes 2 minutes
02
Day 0–1 · We call you

Send us your last statement

One of us — probably Zachary or someone on the team — gets back to you within one business day. We'll ask for your most recent processing statement (one PDF, takes you 30 seconds to download from your current processor's portal).

That statement is the source of truth. We'll show you the line items most processors hide: discount fees, non-qualified surcharges, "PCI compliance" fees, monthly minimums. Then we calculate exactly what Dough would have charged on the same volume.

Real human, real numbers
03
Day 1–2 · You decide

Pick your pricing model and Boost path

Based on your statement, we'll recommend whichever pricing model puts the most money back in your pocket — surcharge, interchange-plus, or flat rate. You decide. We explain the trade-offs.

We'll also lock in your Boost tier (Starter, Pro, or Premium) based on your monthly volume, and you'll pick whichever perk matters most: free website, monthly social content, custom GPT, or Google review card.

No pressure, no surprises
04
Day 2 · We handle it

Application and underwriting

You sign a digital application. We submit it to our processor. Underwriting reviews your business — most merchants get approved same-day. Some industries take a bit longer if there's extra documentation needed, but that's the exception, not the rule.

Approval rate is high but not guaranteed. If something on your file needs work, we'll tell you exactly what and help you sort it.

Underwriting: same day to 48 hrs
05
Day 2–3 · You're live

Terminal in your hand. First deposit hits.

Your terminal ships next-day or we drop it off if you're local. It's pre-configured before it arrives — plug it in, run a test transaction, you're processing. First deposit hits your bank account next business day after your first batch.

Boost onboarding kicks off the same week. Website builds start, social content goes live, custom GPT gets configured. Whatever you picked, we deliver.

Live in 2-3 days from start

Four things to have ready.

Nothing weird, nothing invasive. Standard stuff every processor in Canada needs to set up your account.

Your last 1-3 processing statements

One PDF or scan from your current processor. The most recent one is enough — earlier ones help if you want a deeper savings analysis.

Business documents

Articles of incorporation or master business license. Plus a void cheque or pre-authorized debit form for the bank account where deposits land.

Owner ID

Driver's license or passport for the business owner (or principal owner if there are multiple). Standard KYC requirement, every processor needs it.

10 minutes of your time

That's actually it. No 50-page application, no in-person meetings (unless you want one). Most of the back-and-forth happens by email and text.

Switching the old way vs. switching the Dough way.

Most processors make switching painful on purpose. We made it the opposite of that.

The Old Way

Most processors

  • 50-page application that asks for your firstborn
  • Sales rep ghosts you for 3 weeks during underwriting
  • Terminal arrives unconfigured — call support to set it up
  • "Onboarding" takes 4-8 weeks before you're processing
  • Pricing model gets picked for you (whichever pays them more)
  • Statements that hide the real cost in 14 line items
  • Your "account manager" is a ticket queue in another country
The Dough Way

How we do it

  • Six-field form. Most of the rest is a phone call
  • You hear back within one business day, every time
  • Terminal arrives pre-configured. Plug in, process, done
  • 2-3 days from first call to first transaction. Period
  • You pick the model. We show you the math on all three
  • Plain-English statements. No buckets, no hidden fees
  • Real human you can text, call, or grab a coffee with

Once you're switched, here's what's actually different.

Dough doesn't disappear after onboarding. The real value of switching shows up in the weeks and months after.

Lower fees, every batch

Whichever pricing model you picked, your monthly processing cost drops. For surcharge merchants, it can drop to zero. For IC+ and flat rate merchants, savings are usually 15-40% over what you were paying.

Boost perks delivered

Your free website goes live. Social posts start hitting your feeds. Your custom GPT gets handed over with a walkthrough. Real, ongoing value — not a one-time gift card and a goodbye.

Real support, real humans

Got a question about a transaction? Need a new terminal? Want to add a second location? Text or call. Same person who set you up answers. No tickets, no Tier 1 / Tier 2 escalations.

Questions about switching.

No. Your old processor keeps working until your new Dough terminal arrives and you're ready to flip the switch. Most merchants do a clean handoff — finish out a batch on the old terminal in the morning, plug in the new one in the afternoon, run a test sale, and you're live. No closed sign needed.
Some do, most don't on month-to-month merchant agreements. If you're stuck in a multi-year contract with an ETF, we'll review it with you. In some cases the savings on Dough cover the ETF in the first 1-3 months. Either way, we'll be straight with you about the math.
Boost tiers are based on monthly card volume — Starter (under $10K/mo), Pro ($10K-$50K/mo), or Premium ($50K+/mo). If you're close to a tier threshold, we'll work with you. As your business grows, your tier grows with it. The free Google review card is included at every tier as a baseline. See full Boost details →
In some cases, yes — if your terminal is unlocked and compatible with our processor. More often, we replace it with a Clover Flex, Clover Mini, Newland N910, or full Clover Station Duo depending on what fits your business. Most merchants qualify for a free terminal as part of Boost. See terminal options →
No setup fees, no application fees, no "boarding" fees. The only paid item at the lowest tier is hosting on a Boost Starter website ($50/mo) — and even that's free at Pro and Premium tiers. If you don't take a website, you don't pay anything to start.
Most merchants get approved. If something on your file needs work — high-risk vertical, low credit, recent bankruptcies — we'll tell you exactly what's flagged and what we'd need to push it through. Some applications get conditionally approved with a reserve or a holdback. We don't guarantee approval, but we'll always tell you straight where you stand.

Ready to switch? Let's run the math.

Send us your last statement, we'll show you exactly what you'd save on Dough — and which Boost perks you'd qualify for. No obligation, no pushy follow-ups. Just numbers.