Prysm Merchant Manual

Everything from creating your account to taking your first payment — step by step, in plain language. Keep this page bookmarked; it's the whole system in ten minutes.

01What Prysm is

Prysm is your payment system. Take card and USDC payments from a browser on any phone, tablet, or computer — no required hardware, no monthly fee, no contract. Money settles to your bank account in about 2 business days.

02What you need before you start

  • Your business details (legal name, phone, address)
  • Your EIN — or SSN for sole proprietors — for identity verification
  • Your business bank account + routing number (where your money goes)
  • Any phone, tablet, or computer with a browser

03Create your account (5 minutes)

  1. Go to prysmsolutions.io → Get Started.
  2. Fill the form: name, email, business name, phone, monthly card volume, current processor. Accept the terms.
  3. You'll be sent to our secure verification portal — enter your business and bank details there. This is bank-level identity verification; everyone who processes payments does it once.
  4. Your account activates automatically when verification completes — usually minutes.

Important:your API key is shown once during signup. Save it somewhere safe (a password manager). If you lose it, contact support and we'll rotate it.

04Your dashboard — what each screen is

Sign in at prysmsolutions.io/sign-in.

  • Overview — your balance (after fees, refunds & payouts) and recent transactions at a glance.
  • All Transactions — every sale, searchable by customer email, description, or ID. Statuses: Succeeded, Refund pending, Refunded, Partially refunded.
  • Payouts — transfers from Prysm to your bank.
  • Disputes — if a customer disputes a charge it shows here. Respond fast; we'll help.
  • Merchant Settings — business name, payout account status, and your API key.
  • Menu & items — set your sales tax rate and build your item list; turns the charge screen into a tap-to-add register.
  • Account & security — change your password, sign out.
  • Chat — the bubble in your dashboard reaches us directly.

05Take a payment — four ways

A. Browser terminal (most common — no hardware)

Dashboard → + New Charge. Enter the amount, key in the customer's card, optionally add a description and their email (they get a receipt), hit Charge. A tablet at your counter with this page open is a register.

B. Payment link (remote customers & invoices)

Same page → Payment Link. Pick card or USDC, enter the amount, generate — you get a URL to text or email. They pay from anywhere; you see it instantly. Links expire in 24 hours.

C. Card reader (tap & chip at the counter)

Order a Prysm smart reader (~$249, no contract). During setup it shows a registration code — enter it once in Dashboard → + New Charge → Card Reader. After that: type an amount, hit send, the customer taps or inserts on the reader.

D. Your own card machine (recording outside sales)

Already run a separate machine? Log those sales under "Use Your Own Card Machine" so your dashboard shows your whole day in one place. This records the sale — the money still moves through your other machine.

06Refunds

Use the dashboard chat or email support@prysmsolutions.io with the transaction ID (from All Transactions). Full and partial refunds both supported — you'll see the status change in your transactions list. Integrated software can also refund via the API.

07Getting paid

Payouts go to the bank account you verified at signup, daily, arriving in ~2 business days. Watch them in the Payouts tab. Your Overview balance is net — after fees, refunds, and payouts.

08Card surcharge program (optional — talk to us first)

Your customers cover the card fee on creditcards, so you pay a flat 2% on credit instead of the standard rate. Debit cards are never surcharged (that's the law) and run at the standard rate.

What comes with it (we walk you through everything):

  • 30-day advance notice to the card networks before starting — we handle the filing with you
  • Signage at your entry, at the register, and on your online checkout
  • Customers always see the surcharge on screen before they pay; receipts itemize it automatically
  • Only available where surcharging is permitted — the dashboard auto-limits the rate to your state's cap

Don't enable it until we've done the notice + signage checklist with you — message us first.

09Pricing — what you pay

  • Cards: 3.15% + $0.40 per transaction — all-in, nothing else deducted
  • Founding merchants: 3.0% + $0.40 for the first 3 months
  • USDC stablecoin: 1.5% flat
  • Surcharge program (credit): flat 2% — see step 08
  • No monthly fee, no setup fee, no contract, cancel anytime

10Troubleshooting

  • Card declined — the customer's bank said no; try another card. Declines never cost you anything.
  • Payment link expired — links live 24 hours; generate a fresh one.
  • Forgot password — Account & security → change password; locked out → email support.
  • Lost API key — contact support; we rotate it and the old one stops working.
  • Verification stuck — finish every field in the portal; more than an hour, contact us.

11Help

Fastest: the chat bubble in your dashboard. Or support@prysmsolutions.io. Developers: see the API quick-start.