Hidden Merchant Account Rates and Fees
When searching for credit card processing and merchant account services you'll see all kinds of offers out there that may not show you all the true REAL costs. It can get really confusing when looking around and comparing all the different rates, fees, and charges, merchant account companies offer you. The merchant service industry has taken some notes from the cell phone and cable industries by offering teaser rates or "starter" fees that jump way up after you have signed up for that 3-5 year contract. They will also throw in expensive add-on services that you didn't sign up for or tell you they are "optional" but required for your account type. We've reviewed and set up thousands upon thousands of merchants over the years and we've found that the discount rate (%) can be a small part of the bigger price point and most banks and processors make their profit on the add on fees listed below.
Service |
Industry Average |
What We Charge |
Over Your Limit Fee |
1%-5% |
Free |
Under Limit Fee is A Surcharge If You Don't Process What You Say You Will |
1%-5% |
Free |
Funding Fee |
1% Daily |
Free |
Periodic Rate Review |
$50.00 Each Time |
Free |
Terminal Programming |
$50.00 |
Free |
Merchant Account Set Up |
$50-$195 |
Free |
Recurring Billing |
$20.00-$50.00 Monthly |
Free |
Shopping Cart |
$50.00 a month |
Free |
Secure Payment Forms |
$30.00 a Month |
Free |
Tokenization |
$1.00 Per Customer |
Free |
Chargeback Monitoring |
$10.00 a Month Per |
Free |
Batch Processing |
$20.00 a Month |
Free |
3DES Encryption |
$20.00 a Month |
Free |
Proxy Blocking |
$20.00 a Month |
Free |
IP Blocking |
$0.10¢ Each Time |
Free |
Online Virtual Terminal |
$30.00 a Month |
Free |
CVV2 / CVV Verification |
$0.30¢ Each |
Free |
Advance fraud Screening |
$30.00 a Month |
Free |
Payment Gateway Set Up |
$95.00-$295.00 |
Free |
Country Blocking |
$20.00 a Month |
Free |
Sub Accounts / Additional Users |
$10.00 a Month |
Free |
Buy It Now Buttons |
$10.00 a Month |
Free |
Domain Blocaking |
$10.00-$50.00 a Month |
Free |
Brute Force Attack Prevention |
$10.00-$30.00 a Month |
Free |
Online Check Processing Set Up |
$50.00 |
Free |
Online Check Processing Monthly |
$10.00 a Month |
Free |
Hardware Fee |
$10.00 a Month |
Free |
As you can see with all the fees in the above list can be daunting. Have you ever wondered how some of these other merchant account companies can advertise a rate of only .05%? Here's how they do it. They'll set you up at a rate of XX% which looks like a really low and great rate on the surface. The problem is the rate they advertise or quote is way below the costs the credit card brands actually charge and they have to have some other way to get the money from you. Here are some of the tricks to watch out for when shopping around:
- Over Limit Fee: They will set you up at .05% for the first $XX.XX amount you process then when you go over this they charge you the 5% over limit fee on the rest of your transactions.
- Under Limit Fee: One of the largest Banks in the U.S.A. is famous for this one. The sales rep will put $XXXXX.XX on your application and tell you, you need some room to grow. The problem is the Bank gives you 90 days to hit this monthly volume and when you don't they start charging their "Under Limit" fee of 5%.
- Annual PCI Compliance Fee: PCI has garnered much attention the past few years and is required for all merchants. Here's the problem though: For most merchants all that is required is a secure credit card terminal or payment gateway that is PCI compliant. What several banks and processors are doing is requiring a 20 page report to be done by you and if you don't complete the report they surcharge you $20 to $40 per month and another $250 per year. The form is actually FREE to fill out and there is no need to pay surcharges unless your terminal or payment gateway is old and outdated and not secure.
- Interchange Plus: Interchange Plus pricing can be good if it's set up correctly, but it's usually padded with additional fees. Interchange Plus works like this: A processor offers you .50% over the interchange rates Visa, MasterCard and Discover charge them. This allows them to advertise a rate of only .50% but the true cost is really closer to 3%. For Example: There is a phone company advertising a $14.95 per month five year high speed internet access service on TV right now. The problem is the $14.95 is their cost and when you add in all the taxes and fees the true cost is close to $40 per month. It's 100% legal but not the whole picture! And surely not ethical.
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