Skip to content

Chicago-based. Business-focused.

Chicago payment processing.
On your terms.

Empower Business Services helps Chicago merchants compare credit card processing, choose the right POS and CRM, and navigate low- or high-risk accounts.

Built for businesses processing $100,000+ per month — in store, online, and across Chicagoland.

Independent brokerFree statement reviewLocal on-site visits

Broad processor access

One consultant. A wider field of solutions.

Clover
Fiserv
Stripe
Square
PayPal
Adyen
Worldpay
Authorize.net
Braintree
Chase
Elavon
Global Payments
TSYS
NMI
Nuvei
Shift4
Helcim
Stax
North
Paysafe

Platform availability depends on underwriting and business eligibility. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Custom setup

Programs configured around your menu, inventory, and sales channels.

Hands-on onboarding

We install, configure, and train your team so day one runs smoothly.

24/7 support

Real people on the line whenever a terminal or batch needs attention.

Independent & transparent

We work for you, not a processor — pricing you can actually read.

Our services

Payment processing & POS services in Chicago.

Compare processing costs, evaluate POS and CRM tools, and find a merchant account that fits your sales channels and risk profile.

Payment processing matching

We analyze your volume, risk profile, and sales channels to pair you with the processor that maximizes approval rates and minimizes fees.

Discuss payment processing matching

Surcharge & cash-discount programs

Evaluate surcharge and cash-discount options, including card-network requirements, debit-card exclusions, and customer experience.

Discuss surcharge & cash-discount programs

High-risk merchant accounts

Specialized placement for industries other providers decline. We work with low and high-risk businesses doing $100K+ per month.

Discuss high-risk merchant accounts

POS, kiosks & equipment

From Clover terminals to custom food-truck kiosks, we source, configure, and support the hardware that fits your workflow.

Discuss pos, kiosks & equipment

Restaurant & retail solutions

Smart inventory tracking, fast checkout, and hospitality-grade tools built for the pace of your floor.

Discuss restaurant & retail solutions

Ongoing support & partnership

White-glove onboarding, fast approvals, and a dedicated partner who stays with you long after you go live.

Discuss ongoing support & partnership

The broker model

We sit on your side of the table.

Empower Business Services is a broker and consultancy — not a processor. Processors compete for your account through us, which means our recommendation is driven by your economics, not by a single provider's quota. We stay independent, and we stay accountable to you.

Your businessEBSProcessor network

One brief, every network

You tell us the business once. We shop it across our acquiring banks, gateways, and processor partners instead of you filling out ten applications.

Interchange-level analysis

We read your statement down to the interchange line, separate pass-through cost from markup, and model what each offer really costs at your volume.

Underwriting advocacy

For high-risk and hard-to-place merchants we package the file, defend it in underwriting, and negotiate reserves and rolling holds on your behalf.

Leverage that lasts

Rates drift. We re-bid your account as you scale so the deal you signed keeps pace with the volume you're doing today.

POS + CRM

Payments, point of sale, and customer data in one stack.

We only place merchants with processors whose POS ships with a real CRM behind it — so the system that takes the payment also grows the relationship.

A point of sale matched to how you actually sell.

Counter-service, full-service, mobile, kiosk, or online checkout — we spec the hardware and software combination that fits your throughput, then load your menu, catalog, modifiers, and tax rules before it ships.

Talk through your setup
  • Smart terminals, handhelds, and self-serve kiosks
  • Menu, catalog, and modifier build-out included
  • Offline mode so a dropped connection never stops a sale
  • Tip, tab, and split-payment workflows configured
Shop owner taking a card payment on a counter terminal

Built for the floor

Your counter should never slow you down.

We configure terminals, kiosks, and online checkouts around the way your team actually works — then we stay on call so a busy Friday never turns into a lost sale.

  • Same-week installs
  • Menu & inventory loaded
  • On-site training
  • 24/7 live help

How it works

From statement review to store setup.

We handle the heavy lifting — analysis, placement, setup, and training — so your payments just work from day one.

  1. 01

    Statement review

    Send us a recent processing statement. We break down every fee line and show you exactly where the money leaks.

  2. 02

    Tailored match

    We compare offers across our processing partners and recommend the setup that fits your risk profile and volume.

  3. 03

    Setup & training

    Hardware configured to your menu or inventory, installed and demonstrated so your team is confident from day one.

  4. 04

    Ongoing partnership

    Rate reviews, equipment swaps, and around-the-clock support — we stay in your corner as you grow.

Why us

Powerful platforms, human partnership.

We are not a processor — we are your advocate. Our independence means we compare solutions across the industry and recommend the one that actually fits your risk, volume, and customer experience. Exceptional service is the standard, from first conversation to long after you go live.

  • Independent comparison of payment processing options
  • Fast, high-touch onboarding and white-glove support
  • Transparent pricing with no hidden setup fees
  • Solutions for both low-risk and hard-to-place industries
  • A dedicated partner who answers the phone after you go live

Chicago

Local office. On-site consultations.

Independent

Processor and POS comparison

$100K+

Monthly-volume merchant focus

Low + high risk

Placement tailored to your business

Local coverage

Payment processing and POS support across Chicago

Our office is at 750 N State St in River North. We meet merchants on site across the city and suburbs — bring a recent statement and we'll show you what you're actually paying.

The merchant journal

Better-informed decisions. Better payments.

All Chicago merchant guides

FAQ

Questions merchants ask us first.

Straight answers, no processor sales script.

We act as your buying agent. We audit your current processing costs, take your business to multiple acquirers and processors, negotiate the pricing and terms, then manage the setup and ongoing account. You get one point of contact instead of a dozen sales reps.

The statement review and recommendation are free. We are compensated by the processing partner once you decide to move forward, and we show you the full cost structure of the program before you sign anything.

Yes. Subscription billing, nutraceuticals, firearms, CBD, travel, and other hard-to-place verticals are a core part of what we do. We package the underwriting file and negotiate reserve terms so the account stays stable.

Not always. If your current hardware can be reprogrammed to a better-priced processor, we do that. If the hardware is the bottleneck, we spec a replacement, load your catalog, and train your staff before switchover.

The POS platforms we place capture customer identity at checkout and write it into a built-in CRM. That powers loyalty, targeted campaigns, and repeat-visit automation without you exporting spreadsheets between systems.

Most low-risk accounts are approved in about 48 hours and live within a week. High-risk placements typically run one to three weeks depending on underwriting requirements.

Let’s meet at your business

Your next payment decision starts with a conversation.

A free on-site review of your statement, terminals, and business needs. Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

Contact

Get your free payment analysis.

Tell us about your business and we'll show you exactly where you can save on processing — no obligation, no pressure.

Chicago office

750 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654

On-site visits

Chicagoland merchants, same week