The Best (And Worst) Companies To Get a Clover Credit Card Machine From
Clover is everywhere these days. All the hip new stores seem to have this modular, Apple-esque point of sale system. So what makes Clover such a powerhouse that everyone wants, anyway?
Clover has a lot of benefits from a business owner’s standpoint, whether you’re a retailer or a restauranteur. This all-in-one system is super easy to use and set up and looks sleek and modern on your countertop to boot. You can accept virtually any payment type, send email receipts, tie in a loyalty program, and customize your system for just about any industry using apps from the Clover Market. Clover gives you several different hardware options, including the Clover Station, Clover Mini, or Clover Flex, and you can even take on-the-go payments on your mobile device with Clover Go.
So where can you get a Clover system? That’s where it gets a little tricky. Numerous vendors sell Clover point of sale systems, but you want to choose your Clover reseller very carefully: Clover is almost always sold with a merchant services contract, meaning the entity from which you buy your Clover hardware will also determine your credit card processing rates and monthly service fees and provide system support should anything go wrong.
Another essential thing to know is that Clover POS is locked into First Data (now Fiserv) for payment processing. So any merchant services company that offers Clover has to use Fiserv as its back-end processor. That leads to a lot of confusion and different experiences. In this article, I’ll walk you through the best options for purchasing a Clover POS and the accompanying merchant account — and also let you know which companies to avoid at all costs.
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Summary | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|
 | Lowest Clover transaction fees for SMB | |
 | Most ethical Clover reseller | |
 | Best for high-volume businesses | |
 | Best for very low-volume businesses |
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
Get To Know The Different Clover Register Devices
There are several different Clover systems to choose from. Depending on space and your type of business, you might decide to purchase one or multiple Clover devices, as they are all compatible with each other and can be used on the same account. Any good Clover provider should offer all of the following devices:
Clover Station
- 14″ swivel-neck POS screen with built-in magstripe swiper and EMV reader
- Includes cash drawer and receipt printer
- Option to buy a standard receipt printer or a receipt printer w/4.3″customer-facing display and NFC
- Camera and barcode scanner built-in
- Fingerprint employee login
- Compatible with an external barcode scanner, kitchen printer, scale, and other accessories
- Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity
- Accept swipe, chip, and tap (NFC) payments (NFC payments only with customer-facing NFC printer)
- Connects to other Clover hardware (Flex or Mini)
Clover Station is a complete POS station and an impressive piece of machinery, as it can do just about anything you want it to. The latest version was released in 2018 (the older version has an 11.6″ screen and no fingerprint sensor) and includes a new customer-facing receipt printer option. Clover Station is the largest and most powerful POS in Clover’s lineup and includes all the hardware most small businesses will need, such as a cash drawer, receipt printer, and scanner. The Station can accommodate external accessories as well.
With the right setup, you can use Clover Station to accept just about any type of payment, from credit cards and gift cards to contactless/tap (NFC) payments via the receipt printer, which also has a customer-facing display. You can also connect your station to a Clover Mini for an additional customer-facing display — note that you will need to connect a Clover Mini, Flex, or an FD40 PIN pad to accept PIN debit payments or EBT payments. If you buy Clover with the standard receipt printer instead of the NFC-capable receipt printer, you’ll also need a Mini or a Flex to accept NFC payments, such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and contactless credit cards.
As for the software, you can expand on Clover’s core set of capabilities with apps from the Clover Market — this is true of all the Clover POS products. The Station also comes pre-loaded with employee management, discounting, rewards, and reporting, in addition to its core POS capabilities.
The price to purchase a Clover Station can vary depending on the reseller, but it’s usually sold at $1,349 with the basic receipt printer or $1,499 with the customer-facing printer (and NFC).
Clover Mini
- 7″ touch screen with swivel base
- Built-in card reader, receipt printer, camera, and barcode scanner
- Accept swipe, chip, tap, EBT, and debit payments
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and LTE connectivity (Optional LTE plan costs extra)*
- Cash drawer sold separately
- Compatible with an external barcode scanner, kitchen printer, scale, and other accessories
- Can run on battery unplugged
*LTE only on 2nd generation; 1st generation has 3G
Clover Mini is a lightweight, portable POS that is deceptively powerful. In effect, it can do everything the Clover Station can do but with a much smaller footprint (though the footprint automatically becomes a bit larger if you want to integrate it with a cash drawer, which most businesses would). As mentioned, Clover Mini can also be used with a Clover Station as a customer-facing screen and can accept PIN debit, EBT, and NFC payments. So in a sense, the Mini is even more robust than the Station because it can process any payment type, without any additional equipment. It does not come with a cash drawer, however, so you’ll have to purchase that separately.
Clover Mini is portable, meaning you can use it unplugged and even without Wi-Fi if you opt to purchase an LTE plan. Generally, it is more of a hardwired solution, though. While some businesses with mobile POS needs may decide to use Clover Mini over the Clover Station for the Mini’s portability, other businesses choose the system primarily as a sleek-looking countertop POS. It’s also inexpensive enough that you might consider purchasing one (or more) along with a larger Clover Station.
As with the Clover Station, Clover Mini comes bundled with all the essential POS features, which can be expanded upon with industry-specific apps (for restaurants, bike rental companies, etc.) using apps purchased from Clover’s app market. Note that access to inventory features and the app market may depend on your merchant services plan.
Clover Mini has kind of a wide price range, generally from $499 to $749, depending on the seller. The lower-priced models might not be the latest generation with LTE/4G connectivity, so make sure you check first if that’s important to you. I’ve also seen the option to add a customer-facing Clover Mini to a Clover Station setup for just $350.
Clover Flex
- 5″ touchscreen display
- Accept swipe, chip, tap, EBT, and debit payments
- Works on Wi-Fi, LTE, and even offline*
- Embedded printer, barcode scanner, and camera
- Compatible with accessories such as a kitchen printer and label-maker
- Battery life can last the length of an entire business day
*LTE only on 2nd generation; 1st generation has 3G
Clover Flex is a modern handheld POS terminal that can be used on its own or in conjunction with a Clover Station or Mini. Designed to bridge the gap between POS and mobile POS, the Flex is not quite as robust as the Mini. However, it can still perform all the essential POS operations and is unmatched in flexibility. The Flex can accept any type of payment out of the box and can also be a useful tool for scanning inventory. Despite its small form factor, this handheld “smart terminal” is compatible with most of the apps in the Clover App Market.
The Clover Flex typically retails at $499 to $599.
Check out our unboxing video below for a better look at Clover’s newest POS device.
Clover Go
- Bluetooth-connected mobile POS device for iOS and Android
- Accept swipe, chip, and tap payments
- Syncs with your other Clover devices
Clover Go is a mobile credit card and contactless payment reader that you can use with your iPhone or Android smartphone. It’s similar, in both appearance and function, to Square’s chip and tap reader. Clover Go doesn’t support a receipt printer or cash drawer connectivity, but the pocket-sized device can be a useful way to accept electronic payments on the go. The Go has no screen, but you can use it with the Clover Go Mobile Point of Sale App and Clover Web Dashboard.
Although you can purchase Clover Go on its own and use it as a Square alternative, Clover Go really only makes sense as a mobile POS if you’re already using Clover. If you’re looking for a standalone mobile credit card reader, there are better options that offer more features for a lower fee — including the OG of mobile payments itself, Square. However, if you already use another Clover POS and also need a way to accept mobile payments, it can be handy to have a Go in addition to your regular Clover setup.
The Clover Go reader can cost between $29 and $89, depending on where you buy it. Sometimes you can get it for free with a service contract. The Apple Store, which also sells Square, currently sells Clover Go for $39.95 (note: this version of Go cannot accept Samsung Pay) and advertises a flat-rate processing rate of 2.75% per transaction. You do still have to apply for an account through the Clover website, though.
The Best Companies To Buy Clover POS & Register Products From
Fair rates, transparency, no long-term contracts, and the option to buy the hardware outright are all things we like to see in a Clover reseller (or any POS/merchant services company for that matter). Below are some of our favorite Clover resellers that have all or most of these qualities.
1. Payment Depot
Payment Depot
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|---|
- Sells Clover hardware outright
- No long-term contract or ETF
- Transparent rates and terms
- 0% interchange-plus pricing
- Next-day deposits
- $49 monthly service fee
Payment Depot is one of the few reputable Clover/First Data resellers, combining honest sales practices and low processing fees. Payment Depot offers a transparent membership pricing structure, whereby a flat monthly fee covers just about everything — depending on your membership level, you pay only a small markup over interchange. There are no hidden fees, no ETF, and you can pay month-to-month or yearly. You also get next-day deposits, which is pretty much the only advantage Bank of America, another popular Clover reseller, has over some Clover vendors.
Another thing we appreciate about Payment Depot is its 24/7 in-house customer service.
But perhaps most importantly, Payment Depot has the lowest transaction fees I’ve seen for low-volume businesses processing between $10K-$25K/month. I don’t think there is another Clover reseller offering 0% interchange-plus pricing for Clover to businesses this small.
For the equipment itself, you can expect to pay $1,499 for the Clover Station, $599 for Clover Mini, or $449 for Clover Flex. Payment Depot has a few different monthly pricing plans. With the Basic membership package, which has a monthly processing limit of $25K, you’ll pay a flat fee of $49/month, plus $0.15 + interchange on each transaction. On the next level of membership, which has a $75K/month processing limit, you’ll pay $79/month and just $0.10 over interchange. Not too shabby!
Payment Depot is not suitable for high-risk businesses or very low-volume businesses processing less than $10K/month. If you have a newer business that isn’t processing $10K yet, you should note that Payment Depot also has another (non-Clover) product called SwipeSimple that provides excellent mobile processing services for low-volume merchants with a small monthly fee and flat-rate processing.
Get Started with Payment Depot
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2. Dharma
Dharma Merchant Services
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- Sells Clover hardware outright
- Interchange-plus pricing: 0.15% + $0.07 + interchange
- No long-term contract or ETF
- Transparent rates and terms
- $39/month for Clover Station
- Next-day deposits
Dharma Merchant Services is among the finest and most ethical First Data/Clover resellers we know of. Dharma is very upfront about all its fees. It exclusively uses the interchange-plus pricing model (i.e., the best pricing model), charging excellent in-person processing rates of 0.15% + $0.07/transaction over interchange and even lower rates for higher-volume businesses processing upwards of $100K/month. Dharma offers next-day deposits, month-to-month contracts, and no early termination fee. Dharma also has great customer service agents who do not work on commission, and the company even donates a percentage of its profits to charity every year.
As for service fees, Dharma offers several monthly service plans directly from Clover, including a limited free plan, “Payments Plus,” for basic Clover Mini and Flex users who don’t need to track inventory or use very many third-party apps. More advanced Mini or Flex users will pay $9.95 or $29.95/month, depending on their needs. Clover Station users pay $39/month through Dharma — a $10 markup over Clover’s “Register” service plan, which more than makes up for what you’ll save in card processing fees — or $69/month if you want to add a Clover Flex to your Station setup for line-busting. Note that all the Mini and Flex service plans are billed directly through Clover, and the Clover Station plan gets billed through Dharma.
Dharma charges $1,349 for the Clover Station hardware, $499 or $599 for Clover Mini (depending on whether you want the LTE-enabled model) and $499 for Clover Flex. You can also buy an LTE service plan for the Flex for an additional $15/month. Dharma also offers a wealth of information about terms and fees for Clover POS systems on its website. Dharma does offer Clover leases, but it’s very clear about the terms, and you are under no obligation to lease your equipment if you don’t want to.
Note that you can’t run a high-risk business or process less than $10K/month in sales if you want to sign up with Dharma.
Get Started with Dharma Merchant Services
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3. National Processing
National Processing
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- Free Clover Go with all accounts
- Interchange-plus pricing
- No long-term contract or ETF
- Transparent rates and terms
- Plans starting at $10/month (+ Clover fees)
National Processing is a great service for businesses that want low rates from a reliable company. Interchange-plus pricing combined with low-cost monthly plans means you’ll save money using your Clover with National Processing, particularly for Clover Go users and higher-volume businesses. If a problem should arise, you can rely on National Processing’s 24/7 domestic support, regardless of your account level.
As you can see on its pricing page, National Processing’s processing fees start at 0.15% + $0.07 over interchange for small to medium restaurants and can be as low as 0% + $0.05 over interchange for larger plans. All plans come with a free Clover Go, and high-volume businesses also get a free Clover Mini or Flex with a free terminal upgrade every two years. Even if you have a lower-volume business that only processes $10K/month, National Processing promises to beat the rates of any other processor (and if it can’t, you’ll get a $500 Visa gift card). We are normally a bit wary of those promises, but we’ve seen that National Processing is the real deal.
As for monthly pricing, National Processing plans start at $10/month, which is charged on top of Clover’s monthly software fees, similar to Dharma. For example, Clover’s recommended plan for businesses processing $50K+/month is $29/month. A business that’s on this Clover plan (Register) might expect to pay $39/month to use Clover with National Processing. You’ll get lower transaction fees with National Processing than you would if you bought a plan straight from Clover, though (more on Clover’s plans and fees in a bit).
National Processing states that there is no cancelation fee on any of its monthly plans. If you receive free equipment, then the cancelation fee applies only to the cost of the equipment. National Processing does not disclose the cost to purchase Clover equipment, but you should be able to buy your equipment outright rather than leasing.
Get Started with National Processing
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4. Clover.com
Clover Station POS
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- Sells Clover equipment outright or with interest-free financing
- Month-to-month billing
- Flat-rate credit card processing
- $29/month for Clover Station
Ironically, Clover has not always been a recommended place to buy Clover equipment and the accompanying merchant services contract. However, it has made some pretty impressive strides at improving its product: 0% interest financing on hardware that you can buy outright, clear pricing disclosures, and flat-rate processing, to name a few. In light of this, I feel like Clover merits a mention, particularly for lower-volume businesses that want a powerful POS for a lower price since the previously mentioned vendors are better for higher-volume businesses.
Clover does not offer interchange-plus pricing, but it has a flat-rate pricing model that may appeal to lower-volume merchants looking for a payment processing system that compares to what Square offers. Clover’s plans and rates are below. Other merchant services providers commonly resell these Clover service plans, though pricing may differ:
- Register Lite (For Go, Flex, Or Mini Only): $14/month and 2.7% + $0.10 processing — best for very small businesses processing less than $50K/year
- Register: $29/month and 2.3% + $0.10 — best for businesses processing more than $50K/year
- Dining (Comes Preloaded With Clover Dining): $69/month and 2.3% + $0.10 — best for full-service restaurants
The $14/month that Clover charges for Register Lite is higher than what some other resellers, including Dharma and BofA, sell it for ($9.95/month), but depending on the reseller, you may (or may not) get lower processing fees going through Clover. However, keep in mind that $14/month for a POS app is, well, a steal when many POS subscriptions start at $60/month and can go up to $100 or more.
Clover.com is also a good option if you can’t afford to buy a Clover Mini, Flex, or Station outright, but you don’t want to get stuck in a years-long lease. With Clover’s interest-free equipment financing, you can pay off your POS in just a few monthly payments.
Get Started with Clover Station POS
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Dishonorable Mentions: The Worst Companies To Buy Clover POS & Register Products From
What makes some credit card terminal companies bad to buy from? It’s generally not the POS equipment or even the payment processing itself, but the terms of service and fees that come with your merchant services contract. Here are some common problems we see in subpar POS resellers, including many Clover vendors:
- Terrible merchant agreements (for example, multi-year service plans with ETFs)
- Hardware leases
- Poor customer service — though Fiserv/Clover handles technical support for all Clover products
- Excessively high fees
- Lack of transparency about terms and prices
Historically, Clover terminals were leased on three-to-four year noncancelable agreements that ended up costing as much as three times the value of the hardware. In addition to being more expensive, leases also keep you locked into processing with that company, even if you are not happy with their services. While most Clover resellers have moved away from this leasing model, there are still a lot of terrible companies out there that will try to pressure you into a lease. If you’re considering a lease, make sure you read our post on why you should never lease your credit card machine.
In any case, the following are some Clover resellers that are best to avoid. Not all of them are completely terrible, but there are better options available.
Leaders Merchant Services
Leaders Merchant Services is a classic Clover POS/First Data reseller. Unfortunately, it’s known for deceptive advertising and sales tactics. You can expect a three-year contract with an ETF and lots of hidden fees with this company.
The only good thing about Leaders Merchant Services is that it caters to high-risk businesses, so it could be an option if you are in a high-risk industry and want to use Clover. Just make sure you have a crystal-clear understanding of the fees and terms of your contract before signing a merchant services agreement with this company.
Note that Leaders Merchant Services is owned by iPayment, which also owns another Clover reseller called Flagship Merchant Services. (Flagship is not great but not as bad as Leaders Merchant Services.)
First Data/Fiserv
You have the option to get your Clover with a traditional First Data/Fiserv merchant services account, but we wouldn’t recommend it. I know it’s a little confusing since all Clover resellers ultimately use a First Data merchant account for payment processing. But again, it all comes down to the terms of your merchant services contract — and First Data does not have the best.
Yes, First Data is a huge name in payment processing, and it’s always nice to buy your POS system from the same company that makes it; that way, there’s no middleman marking up the price.
However, while First Data may be a decent choice for large businesses, small businesses probably won’t find the best rates here. Rates vary from business to business, but First Data could set you up with any number of billing options, including tiered, interchange-plus, flat rate, or enhanced billback (you really don’t want that last one). First Data does not disclose any rates or pricing for Clover on its website.
If you do decide to get your Clover directly through First Data, just make sure you don’t agree to a lease. First Data leases are handled through its subsidiary, First Data Global Leasing — one of the worst equipment leasing companies in the industry. You’d be better off going through Clover.com directly because you will get clearly disclosed rates — and again, the option for 0% financing instead of a lease.
Bank Of America Merchant Services
Bank of America Merchant Services is a popular Clover reseller that partners with First Data to provide its merchant services. BofA has decent customer service and offers the considerable advantage of next-day deposits (though only if you have a BofA bank account). Its rates and terms are not the worst we’ve seen, but they are not particularly competitive, either; most businesses can find lower processing fees for Clover elsewhere.
In recent years, BofA has at least moved to a flat-rate, month-to-month pricing model for Clover; it now discloses 2.7% flat-rate pricing for processing with Clover. While this is an okay rate for low-volume businesses, it’s not as even as low as you could get from Clover directly on the Register plan. BofA offers the same monthly software service plans as Clover, and there doesn’t seem to be an additional markup. While BofA charges a little less than Clover does for the Register Lite plan, again, if you’re on the fully-featured Register plan, you’ll save money by going directly through Clover.
BofA does give you the option of purchasing Clover equipment outright (though its rates seem a little inflated), and it also offers leases on Clover equipment through First Data’s aforementioned terrible leasing company.
Again, BofA is a decent merchant services provider for Clover and one of the largest Clover resellers. But unless the perk of next-day deposits outweighs the service costs and commitment, you may want to search elsewhere for your Clover POS system.
Sam’s Club Merchant Services
In addition to flat-screens and 24-packs of Pringles, Sam’s Club also sells Clover, using First Data’s merchant services. Indeed, it’s one of the larger Clover resellers out there. That may seem strange, and it kind of is. Aside from its brand name, Sam’s Club doesn’t provide any additional value to First Data’s merchant services offering. Its products and fees are the same as First Data’s, and you can’t get next-day deposits the way you can with BofA. So, while it might be a great store at which to buy toilet paper, it’s probably not the best place to get a merchant services contract.
Wells Fargo Merchant Services
Wells Fargo Merchant Services is another major Clover POS system reseller/First Data merchant account reseller, but it’s no better than Sam’s Club or BofA, and, in fact, it’s probably worse than both of those companies. Some things you can expect with WFMS include hefty processing fees, an early termination fee (if you break your four-year merchant services contract), and outrageously expensive terminal leases. Please never lease a POS system; it’s always better to just scrounge up the thousand-some bucks to buy it outright, even if you need to borrow the money.
WFMS does not disclose its rates for Clover online or elsewhere.
Merchant One
Merchant One is yet another Clover reseller and a Registered ISO of Wells Fargo. There’s not a whole lot to say because it doesn’t disclose rates or fees on its website, but from what we can determine, it charges a lot of hidden fees and uses tiered pricing by default. Merchant One also pushes noncancelable Clover leases through First Data Global Leasing and requires a three-year contract with a monthly minimum. Merchant One has a friendly-seeming website, but when you get down to it, its terms for Clover are neither transparent nor fairly priced.
Which Clover Credit Card Processing Company Is Right For You?
Hundreds of different banks and merchant services providers sell Clover. But the institution you buy it from matters a lot; remember, you’re also buying an accompanying merchant services contract from that vendor. Be sure to read the fine print when purchasing Clover and the associated merchant account contract that comes with it.
Here are some final pieces of advice I have when it comes to buying Clover:
- Try to buy Clover from Payment Depot, National Processing, or Dharma Merchant Services if you can
- Very low-volume businesses processing less than $10K/month should consider buying from Clover directly
- As a standalone mobile processor, consider using Square or SwipeSimple instead of Clover Go
- Don’t lease your terminal
- Don’t buy your Clover on eBay
- Be advised that Clover hardware is almost always sold with a merchant services contract
- Be advised that you must use First Data payment processing with Clover (though your First Data merchant account can come from one of many resellers)
If you’re unsure about a Clover reseller, you can research merchant account providers in our merchant account reviews section, or contact us for some personalized help in choosing a merchant account provider and Clover reseller. And finally, if you’re open to using a POS system other than Clover, you might want to take a look at some Clover alternatives that could work better for you.
A Last Look At Our Top Picks
- Payment Depot
Summary - Lowest Clover transaction fees for SMB - Dharma Merchant Services
Summary - Most ethical Clover reseller - National Processing
Summary - Best for high-volume businesses - Clover Station POS
Summary - Best for very low-volume businesses
Shannon Vissers
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Great article. Well written and informative. It was posted in April of 2017. We are looking at opening a store in the spring of 2019. Are you aware of anything in the landscape of these companies that has changed for better or worse?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Thanks Toby! I don’t think anything much has changed. We still recommend buying Clover through Payment Depot, Dharma Merchant Services, or National Processing, as those First Data resellers have the best rates and terms. Definitely avoid leasing your Clover or buying from BofA, Sam’s Club, etc. I believe the chart at the end of the article with entry-level quotes for each vendor is updated automatically, so those rates should be current.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Very Helpful and knowledgeable article , Thank you!
Recently reeling from researching/closing accounts with ipayments/Flagship
Merchant Services/Blackstone (did you hear about the complaints with fees for Public service RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS?! shady! ) I literally had to create a spreadsheet to keep up with who I was talking to and who they were representing, and who I needed to talk to about different fees. Seriously, there needs to be a class action suite on that company.
What a sham!
Anyway your article is helpful for me to know where to ask questions.
I’m currently looking at Stone Bridge processing Combined with Clover app to invoice and link through QuickBooks. I am being promised 1% + .10 per trx on credit cards. Clover is $30/month. If its all true would be waaaaay better than the mess above, and QuickBooks which is my current processor.
FYI-I DID comb through terms & conditions on information they resell, or “Share”. Stone Ridge and Clover both look pretty good on the “personally identifiable information” arena. Specifically they claimed (and I verified to the best of my ability in the terms) they will not share my, or my customers phone number, address, or e-mail address, which is a big deal for me.
I would appreciate any feedback on Stone Ridge Payments if available.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Jeanene! So glad to hear you’re finding helpful info on our blog! We love hearing this kind of feedback from our readers! Unfortunately, we haven’t yet reviewed Stone Ridge Payments, so we can’t give an assessment one way or the other. If you have any other questions, please let us know and we will do our best to answer them. Good luck to you!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.