subject: Looking For A Credit Card Processor? - Here's Your Buyer's Checklist! [print this page] Looking For A Credit Card Processor? - Here's Your Buyer's Checklist!
Whether your business is big or small, online or offline, a decent solution for organizing your merchant services should be at the top of your priority list. We live in a society of plastic, debit and credit cards, and the occasional checkbook. As a business owner, it's your duty (not to mention in your best interests) to accommodate as wide of a variety of payment options from your customers as possible. However, as with any business decision, you're going to have about a million companies offering you their services, so I've taken it upon myself to help you trim down your options a bid.
As any businessman's mind would, yours is probably jumping to numbers. Fair enough, numbers talk. The first thing you're going to look at is the processing fee rates that a processing service is going to charge you. These can vary greatly depending on the company you look at and what other features they offer but a competitive offer is going to be somewhere close to 1% for swiped rates, and slightly higher for keyed rates. Make sure when choosing a company that there aren't stipulations of contingencies that could affect the rates you receive down the road.
Next, you should make sure that all of the needs of your particular company were met. For example, business type restrictions. Always consult with someone from the firm to answer any specific questions or concerns you might have before you start the application process. For example, make sure that your business type and location are accepted. Rarely is it an issue, but sometimes states can have their own jurisdiction over credit card and processing policy. Also, ensure that the company is able to process all of the credit card distributors you might encounter, even the rarer ones (who wants to tell a customer that their perfectly functional credit card won't run in your machine).
The single most important factor in choosing a merchant processing service: Customer support. No amount of killer feature packages nor introductory rates that rock your socks off can compare to a company that truly wants it's clients to succeed and flourish. Make sure that there are multiple ways to get a hold of the company (phone, email, live chat, etc.) and that they come off as someone willing to make adjustments and true effort to fit your needs.
One such company that exemplifies these criteria (including an exquisite dedication to customer service and satisfaction) is Leaders Merchant Services. With a reputation dating back 40+ years, these are the go-to guys for anyone looking for not only a reliable processing service, but also for a company willing to walk them through setup and offer things like lifetime warranties on their machines.
Find everything you need to know about a merchant processing company at http://www.leadersmerchant-services-reviews.com/
