New “User Review and Comment” Policy
In an effort to avoid the user review and complaint pollution that some of these other ratings sites face, I've decided to enforce a strict commenting policy. I think it's for the greater good of our community, both on the merchant's and merchant service provider's side.
You can read the policy in its entirety here.
You'll notice a new blurb on each blog post that looks like this:
There are already quite a few user reviews, complaints and comments on the site right now, but I'll be going through them in the next day or so to clean them up based on this new policy.
I came up with these cool little badges to help identify the authenticated reviews and rebuttals:
Keep an eye out for them, as they'll be the user reviews you'll want to pay the most attention to.
Alright, well that does it. If you have some thoughts or suggestions on the new policy, feel free to ask.
New “Questions & Answers” Page
I decided to create a Q&A page where you can ask merchant account related questions that you'd like me to answer. Check it out here.
Card Payment Solutions (IN) Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (4 out of 5)
Last Updated: March 4th, 2010.
Overview:
When doing my research on Card Payment Solutions (CPS), I found some conflicting information. On the one hand, it looked like CPS is a great company, but once I started doing a search for complaints, I found quite a few (see below). But, as I kept digging, I noticed something that I haven't encountered before. There are actually two different entities, located in two different states with the same name.
The Card Payment Solutions (www.cardpaymentsolutions.com) that is the focus of this review is headquartered in Madison, Indiana. The other Card Payment Solutions (www.csiprocessing.com) is located in Santa Barbara, California.
Interestingly enough, most all of the complaints posted online are for the California based company, which brings up a good point. Had I not read all of those complaints, I wouldn't have noticed that they were not for the Indiana company, and I probably would've given them a bad review. Even worse, if I was a potential prospect, I wouldn't give them a second thought. I'd move on to another merchant service provider.
With that said, I think the Indiana based company is actually very reputable. They've been in business for over a decade, they have a great score on the BBB with only a few complaints, and if you throw away all the negative reviews for the California based company, you're left with only 1 for the Indiana based company.
I'd definitely like to see them update their testimonials section, and adding a Twitter and Facebook account will give them the opportunity to clear the misunderstanding that they're obviously not paying much attention to right now.
I'm gonna give CPS (Indiana) a 4 out of 5 for now.
Date Established:
1999.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like Card Payment Solutions is a subsidiary of any other company. They process their transactions through Global Payments, and use either Plug'n Pay, Authorize.Net or Global Transport for their payment gateway needs.
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of HSBC Bank.
Trust Symbols:
The Card Payment Solutions BBB profile has an "A-" rating as of this review, with only 6 complaints in the last 36 months.
The CPS corporate info can be found here.
Security/Privacy:
The CPS online application is secured by Thawte.
Customer Service:
Have you worked with Card Payment Solutions before? Feel free to leave us your review.
Contract Duration:
3-years.
Cancellation Fee:
The cancellation fee will be calculated by multiplying the fees for the remaining months in your contract.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
Interchange-plus is offered by CPS, but you do have to be an established merchant that processes no less than 10K per month.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is also offered by CPS, but your account will be required to be shut down for at least 3-months, and you will not be able to charge any transactions during that time.
Negative Reviews:
So, if you do a search on RipOffReport for "Card Payment Solutions," you'll get about 4 complaints. There's also a thread here on ComplaintsBoard.com. At first blush, It looks like CPS might not be a good company to deal with, but if you read all of the complaints, it looks like there are two companies by the name "Card Payment Solutions." The one that I'm reviewing is based out of Madison, Indiana (www.cardpaymentsolutions.com), and the one that most of the complaints are about, is in Santa Barbara, California (www.csiprocessing.com).
Looks like we're dealing with a classic case of mistaken identity here.
Common Complaints:
None.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
There are a few verifiable testimonials on the CPS site, but they're pretty old. I think an update is in order. 
Locality:
Madison, Indiana.
Product Offering:
Retail (Credit/Debit), Internet (eCommerce), Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO), Mobile/Wireless, Check Processing.
Specialty:
None.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section.
ABC Global Systems Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (4 out of 5)
Last Updated: March 4th, 2010.
Overview:
According to their "About Us" page, ABC Global Systems (ABC) has been doing business since 1990, so they obviously have plenty of experience in the space. I couldn't find any reason why you shouldn't work with them, but they are missing quite a few things that could drastically help their rating.
For starters, I couldn't find any testimonials on their site. They can start there if they want to increase their score. In addition to the testimonials, I'd recommend that they create a Twitter or Facebook page, so they can connect directly with their merchants while offering them a public channel with which to express their opinions.
I tried clicking the online application link, but it was dead, so I'm not sure if it's secured or not.
That's about it. I'm going to give them a 4 out of 5 for now.
Date Established:
1990.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like ABC Global Systems is a subsidiary of any other company. They process their own transactions, and use either Plug'n Pay or Authorize.Net for their payment gateway needs.
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of HSBC Bank.
Trust Symbols:
The ABC Global Systems BBB profile doesn't have a rating as of this review, but it is showing 1 complaint in the last 36 months.
Security/Privacy:
I can't tell if their online application is secure, because as of this review, the application link is dead.
Customer Service:
Have you worked with ABC Global Systems before? Feel free to leave us your review.
Contract Duration:
None. Read your contract.
Cancellation Fee:
None. Read your contract.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
Interchange-plus is offered by ABC.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is also offered by ABC. You'll be able to shut-down your service, but you eCommerce folks will still be required to pay your payment gateway fee. That fee will vary depending on which gateway you use.
Negative Reviews:
None found.
Common Complaints:
None.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
None found.
Locality:
New York, New York.
Product Offering:
Retail (Debit/Credit), Cash Advance, Mobile Order/Telephone Order (MOTO), Internet (eCommerce), Wireless/Portable, Check Processing.
Specialty:
None.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section.
DirectPay Merchant Solutions Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (3.5 out of 5)
Last Updated: March 2nd, 2010.
Overview:
I wasn't able to dig up much information on DirectPay Merchant Solutions, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as a merchant I'd much rather deal with a company that I can research well.
They don't have a BBB profile, but they also don't have any complaints listed with any other online review or complaint websites, so that's definitely a good thing. They're only about 5 years old, so it may take some time for us to see any movement.
I couldn't find any testimonials on their site, which would have increased their rating by a bit, and some social media profiles (i.e. Twitter, Facebook etc...) wouldn't hurt either.
I'm going to give them a 3.5 out of 5 for now, but that can always change depending on what kind of reviews they get here on MerchantMaverick.com.
Date Established:
2005.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like DirectPay is a subsidiary of any other company, but they do partner up with Cynergy Data for their payment processing, and Authorize.Net for their payment gateway needs.
Type:
Registered agent of Cynergy Data.
Trust Symbols:
Couldn't find a BBB profile for DirectPay.
Security/Privacy:
The DirectPay online application is secured by McAfee.
Customer Service:
Have you worked with DirectPay Merchant Solutions before? Feel free to leave us your review.
Contract Duration:
1-year.
Cancellation Fee:
$159.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
Interchange-plus isn't normally offered by DirectPay, but much like other ISOs, they might be willing to work with you if you fit the right business profile.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is also offered by DirectPay. You'll be able to leave your account dormant for up to 6-months if you like, but you will still be required to pay your payment gateway fee of $25 per month.
Negative Reviews:
None found.
Common Complaints:
None.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
None.
Locality:
Hauppauge, New York.
Product Offering:
Retail (Credit/Debit), Internet Processing, Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO).
Specialty:
None.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section.
The 5 Rules for You Problem Merchants
The other day I was reading an article over at Transaction Trends called "Managing Problem Merchants." If you feel like putting yourself in your ISOs shoes for a bit, give it a read.
As much as we like to think that we're always 100% right, and that we should do everything in our power to make our merchant service provider's life a living hell, I think that sometimes it's important to cut them some slack. Especially if your provider is a good one.
Based on the Transaction Trends report, I've created "The 5 Rules For You Problem Merchants." Follow them, and you will be well on your way to becoming the beloved, "ideal merchant."
Rule #1 - Don't Be a Contract Buster
I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again...read your contract. I know it can be difficult when you have a pushy salesman in your face shoving a pen down your throat, but remember, you have control, not them. So, slow down and make sure you understand the entire contract before you sign the dotted line.
Once you do that, don't back out of the deal. If you've read your contract then there shouldn't be any surprises, so trying to kill your contract because you have buyers remorse would only mean one thing...you're a problem merchant.
There are obvious exceptions to this rule, but I'm pretty sure most of you know the kind of contract busting that I'm talking about.
Rule #2 - Don't Be a Risky Merchant
Whenever a merchant signs up to process credit cards, they're always required to provide their "business profile" in their application. Your business profile gives your provider an idea of what type of business you are, how much you process (or anticipate you'll process) per month and what level of risk you pose to them. You're basically telling your ISO or MSP the who, what when, where and why of your business. If you change any of those after signing up, then you're essentially changing your business profile, which could pose a whole new level of risk to your provider.
Other "problem merchants" are those that alter their business models and/or practices without warning their ISO or MSP."
Always inform your provider if anything changes, better yet, let them know before the change even occurs.
Rule #3 - Don't Not Be a Haggler
Although it's good to negotiate with your ISO or MSP, being super cheap might land you with a provider that promises you the world, but cleans your clock on the back-end.
You first need to understand the fee structure for your new merchant account before even getting into any type of negotiation. Ask your rep to break down the fee structure, and possibly even do a side-by-side comparison of their rate with the other, "cheaper," guys.
Read up on interchange-plus and tiered pricing, so you know the difference. Learn about other fees that might be tacked on as well. The saying, "you get what you pay for" applies here just as much as anywhere else. If you focus too much on rate, you may be sacrificing service. Especially since so many of these ISOs and MSPs know how to manipulate their rate structure to make it look just the way you want it.
Rule #4 - Don't Be Unreasonably Demanding
It's your sales rep's job to set your expectations from the get-go. If they do that correctly, then you shouldn't have any reason to be a pain in the ass. If you're gonna be demanding just for the sake of it...well...that makes you a problem merchant. And, we all know how everyone feels about problem merchants.
Rule #5 - Don't Be Quick To Judge
Merchant Maverick is a site where you can publicly express your opinion of an ISO or MSP, whether it be good or bad. I see so many people shooting first, then asking questions later when it comes to leaving negative reviews. Always do your best to reach your provider before you make a judgement call publicly. Sometimes, all it takes is getting to the right person within the company to have your voice heard, and your problem resolved. Negative reviews and comments should be an option of last resort.
Process America Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (4 out of 5)
Last Updated: March 1st, 2010.
Overview:
Process America (PA) is based out of Canoga Park, California and has been in business since 2003. Not much to say here, so you'll find most of the good info in the subsections below.
I will say that I gave Process America a 4 out of 5 for a few reasons. They could have easily increased their rating if they had some decent testimonials on their site. Also, a good social media presence (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Blog etc...) would have been a definite plus as well.
Date Established:
2003.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like PA is a subsidiary of any other company, but they do partner up with TSYS (Vital) for their processing, and Connect-N-Pay for their payment gateway needs.
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of Harris Bank.
Trust Symbols:
The Process America BBB profile has an "A+" rating as of this review, with 0 complaints in the last 36 months. They are also a part of the BBB TrustLink community, so check back often to see if any past merchants have left any reviews.
Security/Privacy:
The PA site is secured by Godaddy.
Customer Service:
Have you worked with Process America before? Feel free to leave us your review.
Contract Duration:
3-years.
Cancellation Fee:
I was told that if one of their independent sales agents adds a cancellation fee to your contract, then PA will waive it for you. Be sure to speak to them about it first though.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
Interchange-plus is offered by Process America but only for certain merchants. High risk merchants need not apply.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is also offered by Process America. They'll allow for deactivation and reactivation 3-4 times per year.
Negative Reviews:
None found.
Common Complaints:
None.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
I wasn't able to find any testimonials on the Process America website.
Locality:
Canoga Park, California.
Product Offering:
Retail (Credit/Debit), Internet Processing, ATM, Check Guarantee, Gift & Loyalty, Wireless/Mobile, High Risk Merchant Accounts.
Specialty:
None.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section.
PaymentMax Processing Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (4.5 out of 5)
Last Updated: February 27th, 2010.
Overview:
PaymentMax Processing is an ISO based out of Thousand Oaks, California. They've been around since 2004 which is still relatively young compared some of these other companies, but definitely enough time for them to have a decent history.
I have to say that I was very impressed by how well PaymentMax has embraced the new (digital) way of doing business. You won't have any trouble communicating publicly with PaymentMax online because they have a Twitter account, Facebook fanpage and a blog. If you need to learn how to use your merchant account or the equipment that comes with it, you can pop on over to their Youtube channel, and you'll find 60 different training videos (as of this review) for you to browse through. And finally, the folks at PaymentMax know that they cannot prevent their customers from leaving online reviews about them (good or bad), so instead of fighting the change, they've embraced it. This is what a business' online presence should look like. Good job guys!
As for negative reviews; I couldn't find any.
The only reason why I gave them a 4.5 out of 5 is because I think that they can do a better job with their testimonials section (see below).
Date Established:
2004.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like PaymentMax is a subsidiary of any other company, but they do partner up with First Data for their processing, and Authorize.Net for their payment gateway needs.
PaymentMax allows operates the following domains:
- www.paymentmax.net
- www.paymentmaxsales.com
- www.iphonecreditcardprocessingonline.com
- www.paymentmaxhq.com
- www.thecreditcardterminal.com
- www.nextdaymerchantfunding.com
- www.emerchantview.com
- www.pmaxpos.com
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank.
Trust Symbols:
I wasn't able to find a BBB profile for PaymentMax. Not an incredibly big deal, but it's always nice to see if a company has received any complaints, and usually the BBB is the first place unhappy merchants turn.
Security/Privacy:
No on-site security features (i.e. McAfee, Security Metrics etc...). The security issue really depends on what kind of information the merchant provider is collecting from you. If they require you to fill out a formal application with sensitive info like SSN numbers, then they should definitely have some third-party security in place.
Customer Service:
Have you worked with PaymentMax Processing before? Feel free to leave us your review.
Contract Duration:
3-years.
Cancellation Fee:
$195. I heard through the grape-vine that both the contract duration and cancellation fee can be negotiated, so don't be shy.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
Interchange-plus is offered by PaymentMax.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is also offered by PaymentMax. They allow for 2-months temporary downtime if necessary.
Negative Reviews:
None found.
Common Complaints:
None.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
PaymentMax has quite a few testimonials listed on their site. It looks like just one of them has full-disclosure though (full name/company name). It'd be nice to see some more.
Locality:
Thousand Oaks, California.
Product Offering:
Retail (Credit/Debit), eCommerce, Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO), Mobile/Wireless.
Specialty:
None.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section.
Electronic Transfer, Inc. Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (5 out of 5)
Last Updated: February 26th, 2010.
Overview:
Electronic Transfer, Inc. (ETI) has been in business for 20 YEARS! That's right, they've been providing merchant accounts for over two decades, and the funny thing is, that I couldn't dig up a single complaint about them. Very impressive!
However, I did have a hard time deciding what kind of rating to give them, because on the one hand, they have a very clean online record, but on the other hand they fall short on a few minor details. A few things that I determined pale in comparison to the fact that they've been doing good business for so long. Those minor issues were:
- No on-site security features (i.e. McAfee, Security Metrics etc...).
- 1-year contract duration w/ $195 cancellation fee.
I talk about both points in their appropriate sections below, so be sure to take a look.
Finally, I'd really like to see ETI with some social media accounts (i.e. Twitter and Facebook). A blog would be nice too. I can tell that they're an old school company, but getting with the times will really help their online image, in my opinion.
With that said, I decided to give ETI a 5 out of 5 for now. All of my reviews are subject to change during any type of update, so if I see for any reason that the rating needs to be dropped, I'll do it. In the meantime, I think they'd be a great company to work with.
To Visit The Electronic Transfer, Inc. Website Click Here
Date Established:
1989.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like ETI is a subsidiary of any other company, but they do partner up with other processors and payment gateways, much like all ISOs. ETI is registered with multiple credit card processors.
They offer their own payment gateway by the name "Fast Charge."
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of Westamerica Bank.
Trust Symbols:
The ETI BBB profile is sporting an "A+" as of this review, with 0 complaints in the last 36 months. Very good!
Here is the ETI corporate info.
Security/Privacy:
No on-site security features (i.e. McAfee, Security Metrics etc...). The security issue really depends on what kind of information the merchant provider is collecting from you. If they require you to fill out a formal application with sensitive info like SSN numbers, then they should definitely have some third-party security in place. Sometimes, and in the case of ETI, the application only requires some basic info, then the real application is taken care of by fax or through a secure online app.
Customer Service:
Have you worked with ETI before? Feel free to leave us your review.
Contract Duration:
1-year.
Cancellation Fee:
$195. I heard through the grape-vine that both the contract duration and cancellation fee can be negotiated, so don't be shy.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
They do offer interchange-plus, but it depends on what kind of business you are, and where you're located. You'll need to provide them with 3-months statements as well.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is offered by ETI.
Negative Reviews:
I didn't find a single negative review.
Common Complaints:
None.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
You'll find plenty of testimonials on the ETI site, most of which have full disclosure. I went ahead and contacted the ones that I could, and am still waiting for a response. I'll let you know when I hear from any of them.
Locality:
Spokane, Washington.
Product Offering:
Retail (Credit/Debit), Internet Processing, Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO), Mobile/Wireless, Recurring/Donation Billing, Touch-Tone Wireless.
Specialty:
None.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section.
Durango Merchant Services Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (4 out of 5)
Last Updated: February 24rd, 2010.
Overview:
Durango Merchant Services also known as "National Bankcard Systems of Durango (NBS Durango)" specializes mainly in high risk, overseas and internet based merchant accounts. They've been around for over a decade, yet don't have very many complaints against them. That's good to know.
The only areas that I feel they need to improve upon are in the testimonials and social media sectors. I couldn't find a Twitter or Facebook account, which would definitely help give their company a public face. And, I think the generic testimonials on the site need to be replaced with fully-disclosed ones.
I noticed that The Transaction Group partners with Durango to process it's high risk merchants. If you've read my review of them, you'll know that I think highly of their outfit, so I wouldn't think that the folks at TTG would partner with a bad company. Let's hope I'm right.
Durango is going to get a 4 out of 5 for now, but you all know that their rating can go up or down anytime.
Date Established:
1999.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like Durango is a subsidiary of any other company, but they do partner up with other processors and payment gateways, much like all ISOs. Durango is registered with over 10 credit card processors including 2 European, 1 Panamanian and 3 Canadian processors.
They offer their self-branded payment gateway, but also offer other gateway options if the processor they hook you up with doesn't integrate with theirs.
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of JP Morgan Chase Bank, Bankcorp South and US Bank.
Trust Symbols:
The Durango BBB profile is sporting an "A+" as of this review, with 0 complaints in the last 36 months.
Durango is also a part of the BBB Trustlink program, and you'll be able to find some reviews there.
Here is the Durango Merchant Services corporate info.
Security/Privacy:
I see a GeoTrust symbol on the site, but no link to verify, and the online application doesn't seem to be secured either. It may be because they require you to fill out some additional info, then you may get redirected to the secure page. Hopefully they can clear this up for us.
Customer Service:
I've never had an account with Durango before, so I don't really know how their post-approval customer service is. Please help us out if you've worked with them before.
Contract Duration:
Depends on business model and location.
Cancellation Fee:
Depends. Same as the contract duration.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
They do offer interchange-plus, but it depends on what kind of business you are, and where you're located.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is offered, but much like the interchange-plus issue, it all depends on your business profile.
Negative Reviews:
I found just one complaint on RipOffReport here, and another thread at Scam.com that is worth a read, but really doesn't prove anything negative about Durango. Both the ROR complaint, and the Scam.com complaints were responded to by a rep for Durango, in a professional fashion which is always a good thing.
Common Complaints:
None.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
There are a few testimonials on the Durango site, but they're hard to verify since it's just the first name and last initial of the merchant.
Locality:
Durango, Colorado.
Product Offering:
Retail (Credit/Debit), Internet, Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO), High Risk Merchant Accounts.
Specialty:
Internet, Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO), High Risk Merchant Accounts.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section.
