Case Studies

Real before-and-after results from merchants who switched to Unison. Documented metrics — not marketing fluff.

Proven Results

How Merchants Win with Unison

Each case below includes industry context, compliance changes, and verified before/after metrics.

RestaurantsDallas, TX

Full-Service Restaurant

Business model: Dine-in full-service restaurant, $120K+/month card volume
Volume range: $120K–$140K/month
Previous processor issue: Flat-rate processor with bundled pricing and no dedicated support during peak service
Approval timeline: 48 hours
Gateway / POS: Clover Station Duo (in-person)
Compliance changes: Dual-pricing signage and compliant cash discount program configuration on Clover

Challenge

Paying over $3,200/month in processing fees with a flat-rate processor. No dedicated support when POS issues arose during peak hours. Effective rate near 2.9% on a high card-present mix.

Solution

Switched to Unison with a Clover Station Duo and compliant cash discount program. Interchange-plus backend with dual-pricing presentation. Processing fees dropped to $0/month on card volume after cash discount offset.

MetricBeforeAfter
Monthly Processing Fees$3,200$0
Annual Savings-$38,400
Support Response Time24-48 hoursUnder 15 minutes
POS SystemGeneric terminalClover Station Duo

“Switching to Unison's cash discount program saved us over $24,000 a year in processing fees. The transition was seamless.”

— Michael R., Restaurant Owner

Client name withheld due to banking/privacy restrictions; documentation reviewed by Unison and available internally.

Peptides & Research ChemicalsUnited States (Southeast)

Online Peptide Supplier

Business model: Research-supply ecommerce, DTC shipping, $45K+/month prior card volume
Volume range: $40K–$55K/month card volume restored
Previous processor issue: Declined by Stripe, Square, PayPal, and two ISO banks; two prior accounts frozen
Approval timeline: 3 business days from complete doc package
Gateway / POS: PayTrace + WooCommerce
Reserve terms: 10% rolling reserve disclosed at boarding; reviewed at 6 months
Chargebacks: No stable baseline → 0.4% after 90 days
Compliance changes: Research-use disclaimers added, refund/shipping policies published, health claims removed, billing descriptor aligned to domain

Challenge

Declined by 5 mainstream processors due to high-risk industry classification. Unable to accept credit cards for 3 months. Lost an estimated $45K/month in card revenue. Prior accounts frozen twice without clear remediation path.

Solution

Unison matched the business with a high-risk acquiring bank experienced in peptide underwriting. Pre-submission compliance review fixed policy gaps. PayTrace gateway integrated with WooCommerce. Ethoca alerts enabled before scale-up.

MetricBeforeAfter
Approval TimelineDeclined 5 timesApproved in 3 days
Monthly Revenue RecoveryLost $45K in card sales$45K+ restored
Chargeback RateN/A (no processing)0.4% (under threshold)
Processing StabilityAccount frozen twice12+ months stable

“After being rejected by 5 processors, Unison got us approved in 3 days. They actually understand our industry.”

— Dr. Sarah K., Research Supply Company

Client name withheld due to banking/privacy restrictions; documentation reviewed by Unison and available internally.

Salons & SpasAtlanta, GA

Nail Salon

Business model: Appointment-based nail salon, 2 locations
Volume range: $35K–$42K/month
Previous processor issue: Square flat-rate pricing; no phone coverage during peak hours
Approval timeline: 24 hours
Gateway / POS: Clover Mini

Challenge

Missing 40% of phone calls during busy hours. High no-show rate costing $2,000+/month in lost appointments. Staff spending too much time on phone scheduling instead of service.

Solution

Implemented Unison AI Front Desk for automated phone answering and appointment booking. Integrated with Clover Mini for interchange-plus payment processing.

MetricBeforeAfter
Missed Calls40% unanswered0% — AI handles 24/7
Appointment No-Shows22% rate11% rate
Monthly Revenue Impact-$2,000 lost+$3,500 recovered
Processing Rate2.6% + 10¢ (Square)1.7% avg (interchange-plus)

“The AI front desk handles 70% of our calls now. No-shows dropped by half since customers can easily reschedule.”

— Lisa M., Nail Salon Owner

Client name withheld due to banking/privacy restrictions; documentation reviewed by Unison and available internally.

Gambling & GamingUnited States (multi-state)

Licensed Online Casino Operator

Business model: Licensed iGaming operator, state-by-state MIDs
Volume range: $2M–$4M/month (seasonal peaks)
Previous processor issue: Processing hold during compliance review after promotional campaign
Approval timeline: 12 business days for re-underwriting package
Gateway / POS: Custom integration + PayTrace backup
Reserve terms: 12% rolling → 7% after 90 days clean processing
Chargebacks: 1.4% → 0.55% within 90 days
Compliance changes: MIDs restructured by state, geo-fencing aligned, bonus terms clarified, KYC flow documented

Challenge

Prior processor froze deposits during a compliance review. Chargeback ratio climbed to 1.4% after a deposit-match promotion. Needed stable card processing with documented KYC and faster withdrawals.

Solution

Unison restructured MIDs by state, implemented Ethoca/Verifi chargeback alerts, optimized billing descriptors, and aligned gateway geo-fencing with gaming board requirements. ACH added for large withdrawals to reduce card disputes.

MetricBeforeAfter
Chargeback Ratio1.4%0.55% within 90 days
Reserve Hold12% rolling7% rolling
Average Withdrawal Time72+ hoursUnder 36 hours
Account StatusProcessing holdStable 14+ months

“Unison treated us like a regulated gaming company, not a generic high-risk merchant. Descriptors and alerts fixed what volume alone never would.”

— James T., COO, Licensed iGaming Brand

Client name withheld due to banking/privacy restrictions; documentation reviewed by Unison and available internally.

Cannabis & CBDUnited States

Hemp-Derived CBD eCommerce Brand

Business model: DTC CBD ecommerce — topicals and edibles, subscription renewals
Volume range: $80K–$110K/month
Previous processor issue: Shopify Payments shutdown; two CBD processor declines for COA gaps
Approval timeline: 8 business days
Gateway / POS: PayTrace + WooCommerce
Reserve terms: 8% rolling for first 180 days
Chargebacks: Renewal disputes spiking → down 62% after dunning
Compliance changes: COAs linked on product pages, therapeutic language removed, subscription terms clarified, age gate added

Challenge

Declined by two CBD-focused processors due to mixed catalog (topicals + edibles) and COA gaps. Shopify Payments shut down the store; third-party gateway misconfigured for subscriptions.

Solution

Unison coordinated a pre-underwriting compliance pass: refreshed COAs, policy pages, and removed therapeutic language. PayTrace gateway with WooCommerce plugin, subscription dunning, and chargeback alerts enabled before first live transaction.

MetricBeforeAfter
Approval Timeline2 prior declines8 business days
Subscription ChargebacksSpiking on renewalsDown 62% after dunning
Effective Processing Rate5.4% blended4.1% interchange-plus
Account StabilityGateway mis-set11+ months no holds

“They caught wording on our site that would have gotten us shut down later. We sell CBD, not drama — Unison made that possible.”

— Alex P., Founder, CBD Wellness Brand

Client name withheld due to banking/privacy restrictions; documentation reviewed by Unison and available internally.

Author: Sol Asefi, Founder & CEO

Sol Asefi is the founder of Unison Payment Solutions with over a decade of experience in merchant services, high-risk underwriting, and payment technology.

Reviewed by: Natalie Cloez, Director of Merchant Services

Last updated: June 26, 2026

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