Best Rates for a credit card Merchant Account?

Take a look at this:

Best Credit Card Processors 2017

and this ...

long and lengthy, but worth the read:

1. Do you offer 24/7 customer support (we want a service that provides 24/7 support)?

2. Do you offer live support (some merchant account providers offer round-the-clock email support. We want to know if a problem arises, can we speak to a real person – either via phone or live chat)?

3. How long have you been in business (we want a provider with a proven track record – stay away from newcomers, no matter how attractive their offerings may sound)?

4. Will I be able to process online and offline transactions (stick with a provider that will allow us to eventually take our business online)?

5. Are your payment systems PCI-compliant (not federally mandated, merchant account providers are not legally obligated to follow security standards set forth by credit card industry)?

6. What fraud protection services do you offer (how does each merchant account provider protect sensitive financial data)?

7. What is the average processing time for funds (predictable cash flow is essential to the success of our business)?

8. Is interchange-plus pricing an option (if the answer is no, look elsewhere. With interchange-plus pricing, we can see exactly what MasterCard or Visa charges (the interchange fee), plus what we’re paying the processor. If we’re locked into a tiered-payment system, however, fees are not as easily identifiable: We could be charged one of three different fee levels for each transaction, depending on the type of card (i.e., airline credit cards cost more per swipe than standard ones) and how it's processed (i.e., if the customer is present, it'll save us in fees). Processors can more easily overcharge us in this pricing structure, without us recognizing it)?

9. What are the accepted payment types (does payment processor accept all major credit and debit cards, including prepaid cards and gift cards or electronic benefit transfer)?

10. Do you accept new payment technologies (we may want a payment processor that accepts near-field communication (NFC) technology, so we can accept Google Wallet or Apple Pay)?

11. What is the contract length (since we’re just starting out, shorter contract lengths are better)?

12. Is there a cancellation or early termination fee (shouldn’t have to pay more than a $200 - $400 dollars)?

13. What other fees are there (avoid unwanted surprises, i.e. application and set-up fees, annual or monthly fees, monthly minimum fees, monthly gateway access fees, regulatory fees, compliance fees and statement fees. Be sure to ask about this upfront. Fees generally shouldn't total more than $200 per year for brick-and mortar-merchants -- and no more than $300 annually for ecommerce retailers because of additional service fees associated with the online shopping cart)?

14. Is your payment processing compatible with our system (Authorize.net)?

15. How long will it take to set up (find out how long the payment processor will take to set up our account and install the equipment)?

16. Do you have references (ask to speak with other satisfied clients, preferably those who business needs are similar to ours)?

17. Why should we work with you (it’s a buyer’s market – make each merchant account provider work hard to win our business)?


How to Find Credit Card Processors

• Some of the better-known companies include Leaders Merchant Services, Merchant Warehouse and Intuit.
• Look up accredited businesses in our area on the Better Business Bureau’s web site.
• For backup options (when internet goes down), we may want to consider mobile credit card reader over traditional processors. Examples of mobile card readers include PayPal Here, Spark Pay, Etsy, Register, PayAnywhere and Square. Be sure to compare costs, accepted payment types and level of customer support before making a decision.