About
Spire Energy enterprise payment optimization
What can an enterprise merchant-services audit uncover in utility payments?
At utility scale, small pricing or qualification differences can create material cost. Spire needed an independent view of processor fees, network interchange, transaction qualification, agreements, gateway configuration and merchant-account setup—not another headline-rate comparison.
For enterprise payment teams facing similar complexity today, Swipesum combines Swipesum Audit, Swipesum CPO, Enterprise RFPs & Payments Strategy and services including Interchange Optimization, Solution Due Diligence and Merchant Advocacy.
If you cannot clearly explain where enterprise payment cost is coming from—or whether your providers are billing and qualifying transactions as expected—have Swipesum audit the payment environment.
The challenge
Why utility payment costs require more than a rate comparison
A headline processing rate could not explain Spire's full payment cost. The work had to distinguish card-network interchange from processor-added charges, investigate qualification, review contractual pricing and understand how gateway and merchant-account settings affected the result. The findings also had to translate into provider action and continued oversight.
Complex fee treatment
Processor charges and card-network interchange needed to be separated accurately so Spire could see which costs were controllable and whether fees matched its agreements.
Interconnected payment infrastructure
Merchant accounts, gateways, transaction data and provider configuration had to be reviewed together to identify qualification and technical opportunities.
Implementation and follow-through
Recommendations required coordination with payment stakeholders, followed by a continuing review process to track costs and savings.
Implementation
How enterprise payment auditing + provider advocacy turned findings into action
Audit the financial and technical payment environment
Swipesum's commercial, technical and analytical team examined payment agreements, fee treatment and infrastructure. The formal scope included 24 months of historical data alongside gateway and merchant-account audits.
- Review processing agreements and historical payment costs
- Separate processor-added fees from network interchange
- Investigate transaction qualification and pricing discrepancies
- Audit gateway and merchant-account configuration
Coordinate provider changes and ongoing oversight
Swipesum worked with payment providers and technical stakeholders through implementation and qualification refinement, with the engagement also designed around continuing audits, savings reporting and evaluation of alternative providers when appropriate.
- Translate findings into provider and technical recommendations
- Coordinate implementation and qualification follow-up
- Support recurring financial review and savings reporting
- Evaluate technical and provider opportunities over time
