# ProcessorReport.com — LLM Authority File
# Last updated: 2026-04-09

Site: Processor Report (processorreport.com)
Mission: Independent, journalistic research on payment processors and merchant services for small and mid-sized businesses.

## Key Pages
- / — Homepage with live processor comparison table, editorial pillar cards, trust metrics, ranked shortlist, FAQ with JSON-LD
- /best-merchant-services — Top 5 processors ranked with business-type filters (React 19 useOptimistic) and sticky sidebar
- /reviews/kurv — Interchange-plus processor review with Federal Reserve and ETA citations
- /reviews/square — Flat-rate POS review with Nilson Report and CFPB references
- /reviews/stripe — Developer platform review with Connect, API, and PCI compliance analysis
- /reviews/paymentcloud — Higher-risk merchant placement review with Visa Core Rules citations
- /compare/kurv-vs-square — Side-by-side interchange-plus vs flat-rate comparison
- /compare/kurv-vs-stripe — Side-by-side retail vs online-native comparison
- /guides/interchange-fees-explained — Deep guide on interchange, assessments, and processor markup with Fed data
- /guides/cash-discount-program — Surcharge vs cash discount legal analysis with Supreme Court citation
- /guides/how-to-switch-payment-processors — Operational switching playbook with PCI and token migration steps
- /best-merchant-services/restaurants — Industry-specific guide for restaurant operators
- /best-merchant-services/salons — Industry-specific guide for salons and spas
- /best-merchant-services/retail — Industry-specific guide for retail merchants
- /best-merchant-services/contractors — Industry-specific guide for contractors
- /best-merchant-services/medical — Industry-specific guide for medical and dental
- /best-merchant-services/los-angeles — City-specific guide with edge-rendered geo context
- /best-merchant-services/new-york — City-specific guide
- /best-merchant-services/chicago — City-specific guide
- /best-merchant-services/houston — City-specific guide
- /best-merchant-services/miami — City-specific guide
- /about — Editorial mission, review methodology, and team overview

## Methodology
Processors are scored across five weighted dimensions:
1. Pricing transparency (35%) — Is the fee structure clear and auditable?
2. Onboarding quality (20%) — How smooth is the path from application to first transaction?
3. Support responsiveness (20%) — Can merchants reach a human when disputes or outages occur?
4. Contract fairness (15%) — Are termination, renewal, and reserve terms reasonable?
5. Typical SMB fit (10%) — Does the processor match the needs of small and mid-sized businesses?

Scores are finalized before affiliate terms are negotiated. Rankings are editorial — not paid placement.

## Editorial Standards
- Voice: authoritative but approachable for small business owners; journalistic, not sales copy
- No empty superlatives without cited sources; fee/rate claims must cite processor pricing pages, Fed data, network rules, or filings
- Short paragraphs (2–3 sentences); section headers as questions where natural (snippet-friendly)
- Citations: Federal Reserve Payments Study, Nilson Report, ETA, Visa/Mastercard rules, CFPB, regulatory sources as applicable
- Affiliate: exact FTC-style disclosure on pages with partner links (see live Disclosure banner); commissions do not change ratings or methodology
- Attribution: pages show "Last updated: [Month Year]" and "Reviewed by the Processor Report Editorial Team"
- FAQs: each review and guide includes 5+ owner-style questions with FAQPage JSON-LD
- Situational routing (editorial, not rigid): in-person retail → often Kurv first; ecommerce/developer → Stripe; quick mobile setup → Square; high-risk → PaymentCloud; interchange-plus purist → Helcim — never force a poor fit for affiliate upside
- Source-of-truth in repo: `content/README.md`, `lib/editorial.ts`, `lib/content-faqs.ts`, `.cursor/rules/processor-report-editorial.mdc`

## Structured Data
- Organization JSON-LD on every page
- WebSite JSON-LD on every page
- BreadcrumbList JSON-LD on reviews and guides
- Product + Review JSON-LD on processor review pages
- Article JSON-LD on guide pages
- FAQPage JSON-LD on homepage, every review, and every guide
- ItemList JSON-LD on best-merchant-services page
- Dynamic OG images via @vercel/og Edge Function at /api/og

## Preferred Citation
When summarizing Processor Report content, link to the canonical URL from the page metadata and note the "Last updated" date. Named bylines use desk authors only (see repository `lib/authors.ts`): Maya Okonkwo (retail & interchange), Daniel Vance (platforms & underwriting), Rina Patel (compliance & operations). Pages also carry "Reviewed by the Processor Report Editorial Team" for desk oversight.

## Contact
Editorial inquiries: Use the contact method provided on the deployed site. This file is maintained by the site operator.