Food & Beverage
20 businesses
RestaurantsTable service, tabs, tips and a card present rate that has to survive a Friday night rush.
Fine diningHigher tickets, deposits on reservations, and a checkout that never interrupts the room.
Fast casualCounter ordering, kiosks and delivery apps that all have to land in the same day-end total.
Quick serviceSeconds per transaction, drive-through timing, and a terminal that cannot be the slow part.
PizzeriasPhone orders, online orders and drivers, reconciled against one set of numbers at close.
Sushi restaurantsOmakase deposits, bar tabs and takeout, on hardware that fits a small, exacting counter.
Coffee shopsSmall tickets where every cent of interchange matters, plus tips, loyalty and a morning line.
CafesAll-day service that switches from counter to table without switching systems.
BakeriesRetail cases, custom-order deposits and wholesale invoices, all under one merchant account.
Food trucksCellular payments that keep working when the signal does not, and same-day access to funds.
Bars & nightclubsPre-authorised tabs, bar-back speed and chargeback defence on a room full of open cards.
BreweriesTaproom, merchandise and distribution invoices, on one ledger instead of three.
Juice barsSubscriptions, prepaid packs and small tickets, priced so the fees do not eat the margin.
Ice cream shopsA seasonal business whose statement should not read the same in January as in July.
DelisWeighed items, house accounts and catering orders on the same terminal as the lunch line.
CateringDeposits months ahead, balances on the day, and invoices that chase themselves.
Ghost kitchensSeveral brands, several delivery platforms, one settlement you can actually reconcile.
Gas stationsFuel at the pump and the store inside it, with EMV liability handled at both.
Convenience storesThin margins on high volume, age-restricted items, and a shift change that has to balance.
Liquor storesAge verification at the register, high-ticket bottles, and a category some processors avoid.
Retail
10 businesses
Grocery storesScale-weighed goods, EBT, and an interchange bill that rewards getting the setup right.
Clothing boutiquesSizes and colours as real inventory, returns without argument, and a shop that sells online too.
Furniture storesLarge tickets, deposits, delivery dates and financing that does not send the customer elsewhere.
Electronics storesSerial-numbered stock, extended warranties, and the fraud attention high-value goods attract.
Jewelry storesVery high tickets, layaway, appraisals, and chargeback rules written for exactly this risk.
Pet storesRepeat food orders, grooming appointments and livestock, on one counter and one account.
FloristsPhone and web orders for delivery on a date, with card-not-present rates that are not punitive.
Hardware storesContractor house accounts, thousands of SKUs, and quotes that turn into invoices.
Sporting goodsSeasonal swings, rentals and team orders, on inventory that has to be right in two places.
BookstoresSmall margins per title, special orders, events, and a cafe in the corner more often than not.
Health & Beauty
9 businesses
Hair salonsBooking, deposits against no-shows, stylist commission and retail product on one screen.
BarbershopsChair rent, walk-ins, tips split correctly, and a queue that moves faster than the terminal.
Nail salonsService menus, technician payouts and packages, without a spreadsheet at the end of the week.
Day spasMemberships, gift cards and prepaid series, tracked as a liability rather than as revenue.
Tattoo studiosConsultation deposits, artist splits, and a category banks are quick to call high risk.
Gyms & fitness studiosRecurring membership billing, failed-card recovery, and cancellations handled without a fight.
Dental practicesPatient balances after insurance, payment plans, and card data kept out of the chart.
Medical practicesCopays at the front desk, statements after the claim, and a vendor that understands both.
Veterinary clinicsEstimates, deposits on surgery, wellness plans, and an invoice a client can pay from the car.
Automotive
4 businesses
Auto repair shopsEstimates approved by text, parts and labour on one ticket, and payment before pickup.
Auto parts storesTrade accounts, core charges and returns, on a counter that serves shops and walk-ins alike.
Car washesUnattended lanes, monthly plans, and a decline rate that quietly costs a subscription.
Tire shopsFour-figure tickets, road-hazard warranties, and fitment work booked against a bay.
Professional Services
8 businesses
Law firmsTrust and operating accounts that must never mix, and fees debited from the right one.
Accounting firmsA season that is four months long, engagement retainers, and clients who pay by ACH or card.
Insurance agenciesPremium collection, recurring policies, and commission tracked per producer.
Real estate agenciesApplication fees, earnest money and commission splits, each with its own paper trail.
Property managementRent on the first, late fees after it, and owner statements that reconcile to the cent.
Staffing agenciesInvoice clients weekly, pay contractors faster, and carry the float in between.
Marketing agenciesRetainers, pass-through ad spend, and a card on file that does not expire mid-campaign.
IT servicesManaged-service contracts, hardware resale and project milestones, billed on one schedule.
Hospitality & Leisure
5 businesses
HotelsAuthorisations at check-in, incidentals at check-out, and folios that survive a long stay.
MotelsWalk-in nights, a small front desk, and equipment that does not need an IT department.
Bed & breakfastsDirect bookings worth keeping off the platforms, deposits, and cancellation terms that hold.
Event venuesContracts signed a year out, staged deposits, and a balance due before the doors open.
Golf coursesTee times, memberships, the pro shop and the turn — four registers, one account.
Trades & Home Services
6 businesses
PlumbingPayment taken at the kitchen sink, not thirty days later from an office that never called.
HVACFive-figure installs with financing offered on the spot, plus maintenance plans that renew.
Electrical contractorsProgress billing against a permit schedule, and a deposit before the material is bought.
RoofingInsurance proceeds, homeowner balances and a deductible, arriving in three different ways.
LandscapingRecurring monthly routes, seasonal one-offs, and a card on file for both.
General contractorsDraw schedules, subcontractor payouts and change orders, tracked per job rather than per month.
Transport & Logistics
3 businesses
Moving companiesA binding estimate, a deposit to hold the date, and the balance taken at the truck.
TruckingBroker settlements on net-30 terms while fuel is due today — the gap is the whole business.
Taxi & rideshare fleetsIn-vehicle payments, driver payouts and a dispute process that does not strand a driver.
Nonprofit & Community
3 businesses
NonprofitsRecurring giving, restricted funds kept separate, and receipts a donor can file at tax time.
ChurchesWeekly giving by text, kiosk and envelope, counted once and reported to the board.
Childcare & preschoolsTuition on autopay, sibling discounts, late-pickup fees, and a parent portal that explains them.
Not on the list
The list is where we started, not where we stop.
Sixty-eight pages is sixty-eight businesses we have set up often enough to write down. If yours is not here, the conversation is the same one: tell us how money arrives today, and we will tell you what we would change and what we would leave alone.