Merchant services cover everything between a customer's card and your bank account: the merchant account, the processor, the terminal or online gateway, and the deposit of settled sales. Pricing combines interchange, card network fees and the processor's markup.
They connect to funding in 2 ways. Card deposits are a clean record of sales, so funders read processing statements closely. And some merchant cash advances collect through the processor by split funding, which can tie you to that processor until the advance is paid.
Review your processing statement at least once a year. Look for the effective rate, which is total fees divided by card volume, along with monthly and annual fees and any early termination fee before you switch.