So you are ready to start accepting credit cards as a form of payment for your business or you are just looking to get a rate evaluation to make sure you are being competitively priced from your current provider. No matter the reason that you are looking for a merchant services provider you will be faced with a number of challenges.
Choosing the right merchant service provider can make all the difference in the world to your business. There are literally hundreds of companies advertising everything from super low rates to "the best" customer service. How do you know which one will be best for you? Here are some important points to consider.
1. Pricing and/or Rates
Pricing makes the top of the list of things to consider when working with a new merchant services provider for obvious reasons. It can be extremely difficult to assess whether or not you are competitively priced because pricing can change dramatically for merchants depending on business type, card present vs card not present, E-Commerce vs Retail, Etc. The only way to be sure that you are getting good pricing is to ask multiple providers and then pick the one that is offering the best rates.
2. Service
Another vital issue is customer service and support. If you have a problem running a credit card and a customer is standing right in front of you will you be able to get somebody on the phone in a timely manner to assist? What if you have an issue late at night? Does the provider offer 24/7 support? Is the support outsourced or in house? Customer service in many cases is the number one reason a customer will choose a provider that is even more expensive than their competition. If customer service is very important to you, make sure you get every detail.
Choosing the right merchant service provider can make all the difference in the world to your business. There are literally hundreds of companies advertising everything from super low rates to "the best" customer service. How do you know which one will be best for you? Here are some important points to consider.
1. Pricing and/or Rates
Pricing makes the top of the list of things to consider when working with a new merchant services provider for obvious reasons. It can be extremely difficult to assess whether or not you are competitively priced because pricing can change dramatically for merchants depending on business type, card present vs card not present, E-Commerce vs Retail, Etc. The only way to be sure that you are getting good pricing is to ask multiple providers and then pick the one that is offering the best rates.
2. Service
Another vital issue is customer service and support. If you have a problem running a credit card and a customer is standing right in front of you will you be able to get somebody on the phone in a timely manner to assist? What if you have an issue late at night? Does the provider offer 24/7 support? Is the support outsourced or in house? Customer service in many cases is the number one reason a customer will choose a provider that is even more expensive than their competition. If customer service is very important to you, make sure you get every detail.