ZEBRA3

07/16/2026

When AI frees you to think, will you, when?

Mankind took all the collective knowledge of the world and made it quickly accessible on the internet using a smartphone. But still, what is the most money and traffic area on the internet? P**n. Now we have AI freeing our time and evolving and expanding our knowledge but so far, the most effective and utilized arena is fraud, crime, and p**n....

Mankind took all the collective knowledge of the world and made it quickly accessible on the internet using a smartphone. But still, what is the most money and traffic area on the internet? P**n. N…

07/15/2026

Insight Selling Changes How B2B Buyers Think

The traditional playbook for B2B sales no longer works. According to Gartner’s 2024 survey of 632 B2B buyers, 61% prefer a rep-free buying experience, and 73% actively avoid vendors who send irrelevant outreach. By the time buyers contact sales, they’ve already completed 57% to 80% of their purchase journey independently. This shift has rendered the classic “diagnose and prescribe” sales model obsolete....

The traditional playbook for B2B sales no longer works. According to Gartner’s 2024 survey of 632 B2B buyers, 61% prefer a rep-free buying experience, and 73% actively avoid vendors who send irrele…

07/14/2026

Pick your battles, guidelines

Pick your battles, guidelinesWashington won Independence by evading most fights and keeping the Continental Army in tact.Similar plans had all been executed by Alexander, Julius Caesar, and later Napoleon.How do you know when to do what?Sun Tsu had some guidelines:Overpowering alone is not sufficient.Only engage in battles you need to winMore important to out think than overwhelm your opponent…...

Pick your battles, guidelinesWashington won Independence by evading most fights and keeping the Continental Army in tact.Similar plans had all been executed by Alexander, Julius Caesar, and later N…

07/13/2026

Is That Necessary? Communication Restoration. Show Respect -Really?

Ever asked to fill out a form for something you just asked for?Ever have to wait while someone asks a supervisor?Ever hear "It will have to be approved"? You are experiencing an age old form of politics--Justification. This "Justification" is put in place when:someone is afraid to empower subordinates,someone feels they must show or prove they add value (usually because they do not)...

Ever asked to fill out a form for something you just asked for?Ever have to wait while someone asks a supervisor?Ever hear “It will have to be approved”? You are experiencing an age old…

07/13/2026

Is Tech making shopping/ buying experiences better?

Shopping Today’s retail world has lost its credibility and usability. You can go to stores and they’ll be out of stock. Websites are not updated to reflect closed stores or new store hours. Amazon, this week could not ship a 4 lb. bag of sugar. It takes another 2-3 weeks to get it delivered. Walmart overcharges for delivery and takes 20 days to process refunds....

Shopping Today’s retail world has lost its credibility and usability. You can go to stores and they’ll be out of stock. Websites are not updated to reflect closed stores or new store hours. Amazon,…

07/04/2026

06/27/2026

Zebra3 Consulting matches best plan to your business customer base and accesses lowest processors. Credit card processing savings is usually $2,000/ month per one hundred thousand in sales monthly ($24,000/year).

Average credit card processing fees typically range from 1.5% to 3.5% per transaction. These costs generally include a percentage of the transaction amount plus a flat fee (often $0.05 to $0.30). Fees vary based on card type, industry, and whether the card is swiped (lower rate) or keyed-in (higher rate).

Let's examine your statements reviewing fees and elements below to see if you have opportunities to convert costs to profits.

Average Fees by Category & Provider
• Retail (Card-Present): 1.5% – 2.5%.
• E-commerce (Card-Not-Present): 2.2% – 3.2%.
• Restaurants: 1.6% – 2.8%.
• Visa/Mastercard/Discover: Generally 1.15% to 3.15% + per-transaction fees.
• American Express: Typically higher, often 1.5% to 3.5%. [3, 4, 7]

Key Components of Processing Fees
1. Interchange Fee: The largest portion, paid to the card-issuing bank (usually 1.5% to 3.3%).
2. Assessment Fee: Paid to the card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc.).
3. Processor Fee: Markup charged by the payment processor for their services.

Common Pricing Models
• Flat Rate: Consistent percentage (e.g., 2.9% + $0.30), common with providers like Square or Stripe.
• Interchange-Plus: Transparent pricing of interchange rates + a fixed processor markup (e.g., 1.7% to 1.9% + $0.22).
• Tiered: Bundles transactions into "qualified," "mid-qualified," and "non-qualified" rates.

For many businesses, a 2.65% + $0.10 average is a common benchmark.

Zebra3 Performance Consulting
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Zebra3 Investments & Performance Consulting | 47 followers on LinkedIn. Driving Results for Fortune 500 / Mid-Size/ Start-up Companies / Clients DRIVING SALES IMPLEMENTING INNOVATION DELIVERING PROFITS BUILDING and LEADING HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS EVOLVING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS Delivering Sales,....

06/17/2026

STEPS TO master rebuilding, launching, ramp-up programs

One of my most impactful mentors is Coach Lou Holtz. Met him at a summer camp at the University of Arkansas before my sophomore year in high school. Bought his book Holtz Quotes and spit them out frequently today, still. On the last day of camp, he called me up on stage before a thousand student athletes because of a letter I had written thanking him for the positive impact he'd had on me that week....

One of my most impactful mentors is Coach Lou Holtz. Met him at a summer camp at the University of Arkansas before my sophomore year in high school. Bought his book Holtz Quotes and spit them out f…

05/04/2026

Selling Value Beyond Price: What Sales Data Reveals About Revenue Growth

Selling Value Beyond Price: What Sales Data Reveals About Revenue Growth Across the past three years, proficiency in Selling Value did not remain flat. It rose in 2024 and then fell sharply in 2025. Average scores followed the same pattern. Yet revenue growth reveals a clearer lesson: improvement and where it occurs matter more than the starting point. Salespeople who began with lower Selling Value scores often produced the largest percentage revenue gains....

Selling Value Beyond Price: What Sales Data Reveals About Revenue Growth Across the past three years, proficiency in Selling Value did not remain flat. It rose in 2024 and then …