Short answer
A merchant services pipeline works best when it is organised by contract end dates and notice deadlines, not by how interested a merchant sounds today. Record the provider, end date, notice period and exit cost for every merchant, follow up before the notice window opens, and track how many merchants move through each stage.
Part of Selling and savings quotes. Start with the main guide: Merchant statement analysis in five minutes: a repeatable method
Key takeaways
- Timing decides most switches, so organise the pipeline around notice deadlines.
- Record the provider, contract end date, notice period, exit cost and the analysis you delivered for every merchant.
- Follow up at set moments: when the notice window approaches, not only when you remember.
- Track the stages, find the biggest drop and fix that first.
- A calendar of contract dates turns a no into a not yet, and a not yet into a future switch.
Most sales pipelines are built around interest. Someone is hot, warm or cold, and the salesperson works the hot ones. In merchant services that picture misses the thing that matters most. A merchant can be delighted with your analysis and still be unable to switch for eleven months, because of a contract. Another can seem lukewarm and be three weeks from the end of the notice window.
This guide describes a pipeline built around dates. It sets out the stages, the fields to record, the follow-up rhythm and the numbers to watch. It works in a spreadsheet, a CRM or a notebook, and it fits any market, since notice periods and exit fees exist everywhere.
Why do dates beat interest?
Card machine contracts have minimum terms, notice periods and auto-renewal. A merchant who misses the notice window can be bound for another term. That makes the calendar the strongest predictor of when a switch can happen. See contract length, auto-renewal and notice periods for how the dates work.
If you know the end date and the notice period, you know the last day a merchant can act. You can then plan your contact around it: early enough to build trust, late enough that the decision is live.
What are the pipeline stages?
A merchant services pipeline can be simple. Six stages cover most cases.
- IdentifiedYou know who they are and who their provider is.
- ContactedYou have spoken to them and asked for a statement and the contract end date.
- Statement receivedYou hold the documents you need and have recorded the dates.
- Analysis deliveredYou have sent an honest breakdown and, if worthwhile, a quote.
- Decision windowThe notice deadline is near, or the merchant is ready to move.
- Switched and confirmedLive on the new account, with the first statements checked.
Move a merchant on only when the stage is complete.
Merchants who are not ready stay in the pipeline, with a date to come back. Merchants who say no clearly leave it.
What should you record for every merchant?
A short record, kept the same way each time, is the heart of the system.
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Business name and contact | Who to speak to |
| Current provider and pricing model | How to read and compare |
| Monthly card turnover and transactions | Size of the opportunity |
| Effective rate and the saving you calculated | The case |
| Contract end date | When the term finishes |
| Notice period and the deadline date | The last day to act |
| Exit cost | Whether to wait |
| Terminal arrangement | Whether there is a separate agreement |
| What you sent and when | Your history |
| Next action and date | What happens next |
The two dates, the end date and the notice deadline, are the most valuable. Everything else supports them.
What follow-up rhythm works?
Follow-up fails because it depends on memory. Build a rhythm that does not.
- Within a day of receiving a statement: acknowledge it and say when you will reply.
- Within the time you promised: deliver the analysis.
- Two days after the analysis: a short check that it arrived and made sense.
- 90 and 30 days before the notice deadline: a short, useful note with a refreshed number.
- At the notice deadline: a clear call to action, if the saving still holds.
- After the switch: check the first statements and ask for an introduction.
Each touch should add something: a new figure, a change in the market or a reminder of the date. A message that says "just checking in" adds nothing.
An example of a dated pipeline
Imagine twenty merchants whose notice deadlines are spread across the next twelve months. A date-based view shows where to spend time.
An example of 20 merchants in a date-based pipeline. Illustrative.
The five merchants in the next three months need attention now: refresh the numbers, confirm exit costs and prepare switching paperwork. The others need a diary entry and a touch at 90 days. A pipeline organised by interest would not show this.
Which numbers should you track?
Track a few numbers regularly.
- Contacted to statement received. Tests your opening request. See how to ask a merchant for their statement.
- Statement received to analysis delivered. Tests your speed.
- Analysis delivered to quote accepted. Tests your comparison and trust.
- Quote accepted to live and confirmed. Tests the changeover.
- Merchants with a diaried notice deadline. Tests your future pipeline.
- Merchants who stay after twelve months. Tests quality, which drives residuals if you are paid that way. See ISOs, agents and residuals.
An illustrative funnel for 100 merchants contacted:
- Switched
- Diaried for later
- Not a fit or declined
- Switched 8 merchants · Diaried for later 37 merchants · Not a fit or declined 55 merchants
- Switched 14 merchants · Diaried for later 40 merchants · Not a fit or declined 46 merchants
Illustrative. Many merchants who are not ready now become future switches.
The point is not the exact numbers. It is that a pipeline built on dates converts "not now" into "later", and the twelve-month result is better than the six-month one. A salesperson who only counts immediate wins would see 8 and think the effort was wasted.
What weekly routine keeps the pipeline alive?
A pipeline only works if it is looked at. A short weekly routine is enough, and it should take about an hour.
- Open the calendar and list every notice deadline in the next 90 days. These are your priority merchants.
- Refresh the numbers for each. Has the merchant's turnover changed? Has your offer or the market changed?
- Send one useful touch to each, such as an updated saving, a reminder of the date or a change in the rules that affects them.
- Record the outcome of every contact, including a clear no.
- Add new merchants from the week's conversations, with their end dates.
- Review the stage counts. Where did merchants stop this week?
- Pick one improvement for the coming week, such as a better opening line or a faster analysis.
The routine matters more than the tool. A spreadsheet reviewed weekly beats a CRM nobody opens. Over a year the habit adds up to a calendar full of dated opportunities, and a reputation for turning up with the right number at the right time.
Tools
You can run this with a spreadsheet. A sheet with one row per merchant, the fields above and a filter on the notice deadline is enough to start. As numbers grow, a CRM with reminders helps. What matters is that the dates are recorded, visible and acted on. The checkmyrates calculator fits at the analysis stage: it turns the statement into a comparison and a quote, with the exit cost, so the output is ready for the decision window.
Which mistakes should you avoid?
- Not asking for the end date. It is the most useful question in the whole process.
- Chasing merchants who cannot switch yet. Diary them instead.
- Letting follow-ups depend on memory. Use reminders.
- Sending the same message each time. Add something new.
- Ignoring merchants after the switch. The follow-up builds referrals.
- Not recording why a merchant said no. The pattern shows you what to fix. See how to win a card machine switch.
Frequently asked questions
What is a merchant services sales pipeline?
A way of tracking merchants from first contact to a confirmed switch. In merchant services it works best when organised around contract end dates and notice deadlines.
Why track contract end dates?
Because a merchant can only leave cheaply at certain times. Knowing the end date and notice period tells you when to act and when to wait.
How often should I follow up?
At set moments: after sending an analysis, at 90 and 30 days before the notice deadline and at the deadline. Each contact should add something useful.
What should I do with merchants who are not ready?
Diary their notice deadline and come back before it. Offer a useful update at each touch.
What numbers matter most?
Contacted to statement received, analysis delivered to quote accepted, merchants with diaried dates and merchants who stay after twelve months.
Do I need a CRM?
Not at first. A spreadsheet with the right fields and reminders works. A CRM helps as the number of merchants grows.
Sources and further reading
Figures in this guide are examples to show the method. Fees, rules and rates change, so check your own statement, contract and current rules before you decide. This is general information, not financial or legal advice.