How To Select the Best Merchant Services In USA
You’ve got a full array of ecommerce payment solutions to explore when looking for merchant services in the USA. You might hear some people talk about how they offer the latest technology, or how they offer the best rates for credit card processing.
But there are many other factors to review when looking for the best merchant services in the USA. You must be cautious when finding something you will appreciate using, especially if you’re going to process a substantial number of transactions each month. You can consider these points when finding the most valuable ecommerce payment solutions you can trust.
What Hardware Works?
A merchant services provider will offer different hardware pieces you can utilize for your work:
- Point-of-sale or POS devices can be useful for your needs. These include full-size terminals that can read customer data.
- Portable POS devices and card readers are also available. These can link to dedicated software programs.
- Some companies will produce attachments that work on any smartphone or tablet you utilize. These include attachments that can read cards in moments.
- A merchant services provider may also reconfigure any existing hardware you have to meet its system. Not all devices can handle new systems, so check with a potential service provider to see what works here.
How Will You Acquire the Hardware?
Look at how a company will ask you to handle its hardware. Some places will let you acquire the hardware by purchasing it outright. Others will lease the equipment to you, but you might have limits on what you can do with those items. Every company has unique terms for how you can manage the equipment and what you might spend on these items. You might not be allowed to alter certain items for your needs depending on the terms of a lease or other agreement.
What Does the Software Feature?
The software an ecommerce payment solutions team will provide will entail unique features of value. A program can record payments and produce convenient displays that can help employees process transactions, review inventory values, and other factors. You can also customize some designs to produce customer-facing displays that list what the prices are for items while giving customers extra options for using their programs.
Some software programs can work on Windows, iOS, or Android platforms. These can be accentuated with additional apps and plug-ins that fit whatever unique needs you have for handling the content.
You can also find software that links to accounting programs like QuickBooks. These accounting plug-ins let you move your transactions to your QuickBooks account or other accounting system in real-time. You can get accurate reports on how much your business brings in through one of these links.
Are There Contracts?
Some merchant services teams might have you enter a contract. The contract could last for a few years, and you’d have to pay an additional fee to get out of it early. Sticking with a provider that offers monthly deals without any long-term contracts is always best, although you can check your unique needs to see what fits.
What Are the Rates?
A credit card processing company will charge a specific rate for each transaction you complete. The rate will often be a percentage of whatever you processed and then a few cents on top of that value.
You’ll find many options for rates when looking for merchant services in USA:
- Interchange-Plus: An interchange-plus rate entails an interchange paid to an issuing bank and the credit card company. The interchange will be a percentage of the transaction value. The “plus” refers to the markup a processor will charge, which is typically a few cents. The interchange-plus rate will vary surrounding the payment type, your business industry, and the card one uses for a payment.
- Flat-Rate: Flat-rate pricing involves each transaction being charged the same percentage rate. The rate is easy to predict, but it can also be higher than what you’d get from an interchange-plus rate.
- Tiered: A transaction will fall in one of three tiers in this rate structure. A card might enter a high-charge tier if it offers rewards or other benefits. Most card transactions fall in the high-charge tier levels, often making tiered rates higher than the other two choices. But some merchant services providers might claim their tiered rates are lower, using the “as low as” marker for some.
You can choose a rate schedule surrounding the unique needs you hold. You might benefit from one plan if you tend to collect one specific card type over others, or if you manage small-value transactions over others.
What Are the Fees?
Every merchant services provider in the USA will charge fees regardless of how many transactions you process. These fees include many points:
- PCI compliance fees
- Monthly or annual access fees
- Setup or application fees
- Chargeback penalties; this is when a processor has to reverse a charge due to inaccurate data or potential fraud issues
- Early termination fees; this is for when you get out of a contract early
A team should provide a transparent look at all these fees to help you see what you could spend. Any company that isn’t straightforward about these charges may not be trustworthy.
How Does the Customer Service Department Work?
The customer service team at an ecommerce payment solutions company should be available to assist you with whatever needs you have in your workplace. A team can be open twenty-four hours a day if possible to resolve any concerns you have. Credit card processing issues can develop at any time, so having someone on hand who can help you at any moment with all your needs will make a difference in your work.
Remember when finding merchant services in the USA that you’ve got many options to explore. Be certain you find teams you can trust without worrying about what you’ll enter into when hiring someone of value. Choosing the wrong team might cost you money, plus you might stay in a deal that lasts longer than you wish.