Independent economic intelligence for professional practices

You’re steering by the surface. We’ll show you what’s beneath.

“Know the Depth.”

Sondara takes the soundings — measuring what actually lies beneath the economics of your practice, from what you pay to how you compare — so you decide with confidence instead of hope. Starting with a free reading of what it costs you to get paid.

No switching required. No obligation. Just your own numbers, measured and made clear.
Your effective rate
3.41%
Field median
2.58%
Your practice
3.41%
Field median
2.58%
Top quartile
2.07%
Recoverable / yr $14,200
A sounding · Sondara Index · Dental (representative)
Taking soundings for professional practices, including
DentalVeterinaryChiropracticOptometryCPA & AccountingLegalTherapyConsultingEngineering
The problem

You know revenue and expenses. You don’t know what’s underneath.

Hidden costs. Vendor and payment economics. How you truly compare. The real consequence of a decision. Most owners steer right over all of it — because no one ever takes the soundings. We do, and then we help you set a course on what you can finally see.

How we work

The sounding comes before the decision.

Sound

Measure what’s actually beneath the surface — your real numbers, checked.

Chart

See your position against practices like yours.

Advise

Independent judgment on the safe course, with the soundings shown.

Steward

We keep sounding over time, so the course stays true.

The Sounding

Start with a sounding of what you pay to get paid.

Send us a recent statement. Within days, we’ll show you — in your own numbers, with our soundings shown — your true effective rate, how it compares to well-run practices in your field, and exactly what’s recoverable.

  • Your true effective rate, measured from your real statement.
  • Every fee read line by line — standard, negotiable, or unnecessary.
  • A benchmark against your field, from the Sondara Index.
  • A clear, conservative figure for what’s recoverable annually.
Take a Sounding

No charge. No obligation. And if it makes sense to move, we handle it for you. Most readings returned in 3–5 business days.

The Soundings Report — SummaryConfidential
Interchange & assessments Standard$3,180
Processor markup Negotiable$9,840
PCI & statement fees Unnecessary$1,260
Batch & misc. fees Unnecessary$640
Recoverable annually$14,200
The Sondara Index

A chart of the field — and where you sit on it.

Every sounding we take deepens a proprietary benchmark of the economics of professional practices, by vertical. It’s how we know, with evidence, what the best-run practices in your field actually pay — and it sharpens with every reading.

Explore the Intelligence
Cost of payments as % of revenue — by field
Dental
2.9%
Veterinary
2.6%
Legal
2.2%
CPA
2.0%
Therapy
3.1%
Representative figures · the Sondara Index · published methodology
Representative soundings

We don’t ask you to take our word for it. We show you the reading.

A sample of what recent Soundings surfaced — in practices’ own statements.

Dental group · 3 locations
$14,200/yr
Inflated processor markup plus unnecessary PCI and statement fees.
Veterinary clinic
$11,400/yr
Non-qualified downgrades and a padded effective rate versus peers.
CPA firm
$8,600/yr
Duplicate gateway fees and an above-market markup on client payments.
Law firm · litigation
$9,900/yr
Surcharge mishandling and misclassified card types on trust deposits.

Representative results from real merchant statements. Figures vary by practice. Your sounding shows your number.

$11,800
Median recoverable found per sounding
9+
Professional fields benchmarked
0
Pressure tactics, countdowns, or fine print
“Now I understand what is actually going on — and I can decide with confidence.”
— Managing partner, multi-location dental group
For referral partners

Refer a sounding your clients will thank you for.

When you send a client to Sondara, they get an independent reading of what they’re really paying and how they compare — no obligation, nothing to buy. You get the credit for sending someone who measures, not someone who sells.

Become a Partner
From the Research Center

Soundings on the economics of professional practice.

Sounding · Dental

What the best-run dental practices pay to get paid

The true cost of payments in dental — and where the median practice loses ground.

Guide

How to read your merchant statement in 10 minutes

A plain-language walkthrough of effective rate, markup, and the fees worth questioning.

Framework

When switching processors actually pays — and when it doesn’t

An independent test for whether a change is worth it, before anyone tries to sell you one.

Start with one statement

See what’s beneath the surface of your economics.

It takes one statement and a few minutes. The reading is ours to take and yours to keep.

Take a Sounding