by Matt Rej
Briostack is a business management software for pest control and lawn care companies. It supports everything from appointment scheduling, field service routing, CRM, bidding, and more.
But one standout capability of the software is its ability to integrate with third-party tools, like accounting software, phone systems, and of course, payment processing.
This guide will focus specifically on the payments options, ideal for:
- Anyone business evaluating Briostack for the first time.
- Current Briostack users set up with integrated processing.
- Briostack users deciding if they should switch to an integrated setup.
- Pest control and lawn care businesses wondering if they’re getting a good rate on credit card payments.
Regardless of where you stand, I’ll explain what you need to know so you get the best possible deal (without having to change your setup).
Payment Processors That Integrate With Briostack
Out of the box, Briostack integrates with two main processors:
- CardConnect
- Clover Connect
These are effectively the exact same solution, just with different branding.
CardConnect is a super ISO and wholly-owned subsidiary of Fiserv. Clover Connect is an integrated payment division of Fiserv that’s built for ISVs who want to support Clover hardware and software.
For businesses using Briostack, there’s virtually no difference here. I’m only mentioning both because each is mentioned separately on Briostack’s website in different contexts.
I’m not sure if this is intentional by Briostack, attempting to make it seem like they support more integration partners than they actually do. Or if they just didn’t update things appropriately as Fiserv continued to tweak branding from their offerings.
Either way, both of these rely on Fiserv as the backend processor and both offer Clover POS systems.
How This Setup Impacts Your Credit Card Processing Rates
It’s worth noting that integrated credit card processing is always going to be a bit more expensive than standalone setups. The processor needs to support and maintain additional technology to connect with the software vendor, and they charge accordingly for it.
Having limited processors to choose from can also work against you. Since all paths with Briostack lead back to Fiserv, there’s little incentive for them to offer competitive rates.
This means they can set your rates higher from day one and raise rates over time with minimal pushback.
Fortunately, Fiserv is actually one of the better processors on the market today, which is rare for a company of its size.
While they’re not perfect by any stretch, we rarely see them use price-gouging tactics and their rates are pretty reasonable. They offer competitive interchange-plus pricing, minimal junk fees, and don’t raise prices too often.
So this isn’t the worst position to be in. While you never want to be stuck with just one provider to choose from on an integrated setup, Fiserv isn’t that bad.
What if You Want to Keep Your Existing Processor?
Most pest control and lawn care companies don’t turn to Briostack the day their business launches. You’ve likely been operating for a while, which means there’s a good chance you already have a credit card processor.
If that processor is Fiserv or any of its subsidiaries, then you’re all set. The integration will be seamless. Otherwise, you have three alternative options to consider:
Option 1: Non-Integrated Setup
Integrated processing from Briostack is 100% optional. The software can still be a big help to your business without syncing to your processor.
So if you’re using another provider, you can just keep them separate from how you’re using Briostack. This is the best option for most businesses, especially if you’re still under contract.
Canceling your agreement can come with hefty termination penalties, and switching is more expensive than you probably realize.
I’d actually use this as an opportunity to negotiate a better deal with your current provider. Explain that you considered leaving because you want an integrated setup, but you’re willing to keep them if they can cut your rates. It’s good leverage and a totally legitimate ask.
Option 2: Briostack Public API
One unique standout of Briostack is its public API.
This means that you can use it to connect the software with third-party business tools, which can include payment processing.
It won’t quite be the same as the pre-built integration offered via Fiserv. But it can still serve the same purpose by eliminating the need to manually reconcile payments or match payments to specific customers.
Talk to your processor about this or consult with a developer.
Just be aware that this can potentially be an added cost depending on how many API calls you need. The free tier only supports 350 requests per month, which could be fine depending on how it’s set up. Otherwise, you’ll need to pay an additional monthly fee for more API requests.
Option 3: Potential Workaround With EverPro/EverCommerce (Briostack’s Parent Company)
Briostack was acquired by EverCommerce back in 2021. EverPro is a division of EverCommerce that focuses on software for service companies in various industries. In addition to pest control and landscaping, they also offer software for home improvement, security systems, specialty contractors, field service repair, and more.
Many of the solutions within EverPro offer the same core features, but they’re just tweaked slightly to meet the needs of the specific industry.
For example, Joist, RoofSnap, and Service Fusion are all industry-specific software tools from EverPro that integrate with Stripe. These are just three names in a portfolio of roughly 25 brands.
It’s worth having this discussion with Briostack. They may be able to set you up on something customized that keeps your current processor if that provider is available elsewhere in their portfolio.
To be clear, this option is not a sure thing. But I’ve seen this approach used successfully elsewhere with other software vendors.
How to Get Lower Rates If You’re Already Using Integrated Processing With Briostack
For those of you who are already set up with integrated credit card processing in Briostack, you might have landed here because your rates are higher than you signed up for or higher than you expected.
Here’s what you can do:
- First, understand that Briostack isn’t setting your rates.
- You need to go directly to your backend processor (CardConnect, Clover Connect, Fiserv) to negotiate.
- Audit your statements to identify any one-off fees that don’t seem tied to any particular transaction.
- Compare your statements over time to see if any rates increased, when they increased, and by how much.
- Figure out which fees are processor markups vs. fees from the card networks.
Your processor fees are 100% negotiable. So once you separate those from the interchange and assessments set by the card networks, that’s what you can focus on when you head into your negotiations.
If Fiserv is marking up your transactions by 50 basis points, try to get them to cut it in half, and maybe they’ll meet you somewhere in the middle around 30-35 bps.
Fractions of a percentage may not sound like much, but they can add up to thousands in savings every month if your business is doing any real volume.
If you need help with this, contact our team here at MCC for a free audit. We’ll identify savings and negotiate on your behalf directly with your current processor, so you can get lower rates without changing anything.
Looking Ahead
As previously mentioned, lots of other software under the Briostack umbrella has other payment processing options. Many of these are branded setups that use Stripe on the backend (Ex: Service Fusion = FusionPay powered by Stripe).
I’ve seen this playbook used dozens of times in different industries over the years.
A large parent company (in this case, EverCommerce) continues to acquire different tools (like Briostack). And they eventually leverage the branded payment option as another revenue stream.
While this hasn’t happened with Briostack just yet, the fact that the same parent company has used the PayFac model with Stripe on the backend for other solutions in its portfolio is definitely telling.
On the plus side, this could mean you’ll have more options to choose from down the road. But the drawback is that these setups aren’t always competitive because the software vendor acts as a middleman between your business and the backend processor.
So don’t just blindly accept these terms if you get pitched on something like this in the future. Especially if they try to transition you away from interchange-plus to a flat-rate model. That’s no good.