Compare Credit Card Merchant Accounts - Find the Best Deal on a Merchant Account

Compare Credit Card Merchant Accounts - As with most products and services, it is worth your time to shop around for several offers before committing to one merchant account provider.

Start-up costs and monthly fees usually vary widely among providers, so try to apply with at least three or four vendors before deciding on a service. Remember that merchant account applications are typically free, so you have nothing to lose.

If you find an affordable service but are not ready to make a long-term commitment to the provider, ask if the vendor will give you a 30-day trial period. During this initial period, you can cancel your account at any time without penalty.

Finally, keep in mind that price is not everything--features and customer service count for something too. Look for merchant account providers that offer round-the-clock support, free POS terminals, and other perks to their customers.

Compare Credit Card Merchant Accounts - American Merchants Brace for Higher Visa Debit Card Processing Fees

Compare Credit Card Merchant Accounts - Credit card merchant accounts are now costlier across the board due to Visa's recent increase of debit card transaction fees.

In a move that has left most businesses baffled, Visa raised debit-card processing fees for United States retailers while lowering the same fees for European retailers. Visa announced a cap on European debit card fees at 0.2 percent for the coming four years.

By contrast, American retailers now have to pay 20 cents every time they swipe a Visa debit card in addition to a 0.95% transaction fee. Many merchants were dissatisfied with interchange fees before the increase; now matters have gotten worse.

Typically, the consequence of higher interchange fees is higher prices. Merchants can't make a profit while losing money on debit-card transactions, so they pass the expenses on to customers.

Compare Credit Card Merchant Accounts - Red Flags to Avoid When Shopping for a Merch Account

When you compare credit card merchant accounts, it's important to stay vigilant and look for certain red flags that usually indicate an unscrupulous provider. Read on to learn what red flags to avoid when choosing a vendor.

Most providers will require you to sign a contract before setting up your account. You shouldn't necessarily shy away from a contract, but you should be wary of excessively long terms.

Remember that you haven't had any experience with this vendor yet, and you don't want to narrow your options with a contract that forces you to stay with the company for a year or longer.

Additionally, don't bother with merchant account providers that want a great deal of money up front. Up-front costs should be affordable, and some providers will even create your account without charging any start-up fees.

Compare Credit Card Merchant Accounts - Costs to Evaluate on Your Merchant Account

Compare Credit Card Merchant Accounts - Of course, cost is going to be your biggest concern in choosing a merchant account, so read on to learn how to evaluate the various expenses associated with an account.

The first expenses you might face are application fees, which are few and far between in the industry these days. Quality vendors will typically offer a free application to online customers.

Next, you might have to pay set-up fees, which may also be waived depending on your vendor. The set-up fees cover the vendor's expenses for creating and networking your account.

Finally, the recurring fees you will face involve swipe fees and per-transaction fees. Usually, one of these fees is a flat fee that occurs every time you run a credit card, and the other is a percentage of the total transaction.

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