NMI Payments: Gateway and Virtual Terminal
NMI payments run through a payment gateway, the service that sends card payments from a website, a virtual terminal or a POS to your processor. If NMI shows up on your statement, you likely pay a gateway fee on top of processing. Here is what NMI does, who it fits, and what to check.
Filed under Payment gateway. Every system we see is on the processors index.
Who NMI fits
- NMI paymentsTerm
- NMI gatewayTerm
- NMI virtual terminalTerm
- 1Phone orders and catering deposits
- 2Private events billed by invoice
- 3Online ordering and ecommerce
- 4Any business that keys in card numbers
NMI gateway key features
- Virtual terminal
- Take payments in a web browser: sales, authorizations, captures, voids, refunds and credits.
- Cards and checks
- The virtual terminal takes credit cards and electronic checks.
- Card-present devices
- The virtual terminal can connect to payment devices for in-person payments.
- User permissions
- Each user can be limited to certain transaction types, such as sales but not refunds.
NMI at a restaurant or bar
Most restaurants and bars meet a gateway through phone orders, catering deposits and event invoices. Those are keyed-in, card-not-present payments, and they usually cost more than a tapped card.
A gateway sends payments to a processor, which is a separate account. That is why NMI fees and processing fees can show up as different lines.
What to check on a NMI statement
We check every one of these during a merchant statement analysis.
- A monthly gateway fee
- A per-transaction gateway fee, on top of processing
- How much of your volume is keyed in rather than tapped or dipped
- Whether you are paying for a gateway you no longer use
Send it. We check every line.
Get my free statement reviewKeep reading
- Clover Restaurant POS: Hardware, Fit and Fees to CheckFiserv's POS, sold by many providers. Station, Mini, Flex and more.
- Square vs Clover POS for Restaurants and BarsBlock's POS, sold direct with published pricing. Compared with Clover.
- Genius POS, Formerly Heartland GeniusGlobal Payments' POS platform, still known to many as Heartland Genius.
- Restaurant and bar POS system comparisonEvery system we see, compared on one page.
- Cash discount vs surchargeWhat to check before you pass card fees on.
- Get a free merchant statement reviewSend one recent statement. We read every line.
NMI questions
1Is NMI a payment processor?
NMI is a payment gateway. It sends transactions to a processor, which is a separate account. That is why NMI fees and processing fees can show up as different lines.
2What can the NMI virtual terminal do?
It takes card payments in a web browser, including sales, authorizations, captures, voids and refunds. It can also take electronic checks and connect to card readers.
3Does a restaurant need a payment gateway?
Many in-person terminals do not. A gateway matters if you take phone orders, invoices, catering deposits or online payments.
4Am I paying for a gateway I do not use?
It happens. If a gateway fee is on your statement but you only take in-person payments, ask what it covers. We flag it during the review.
Send us your NMI statement. We will read every line.
Upload or email your statement through our contact page. Free review, plain English, no obligation.
Form LL-02Statement review
- What you send
- One recent statement
- What we read
- Every line
- What it costs
- Nothing
- What you owe
- No obligation