Described herein are apparatus and methods for collecting and manipulating transaction data. For example, presented herein is an apparatus including: a first I/O port; a second I/O port of a same type as the first I/O port, wherein the second I/O port is connected to the first I/O port such that data passed into the first I/O port is allowed to pass through the apparatus to the second I/O port unimpeded in at least a first operating mode; a processor; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: collect information passed from a first computing device connected to the first I/O port to a second computing device connected to the second I/O port, identify, from the information, transaction data; and provide, to a third computing device, the transaction data.