Applied Merchant Systems Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (4.5 out of 5)
Last Updated: January 29th, 2010.
Overview:
In a head-to-head comparison with other MSP's, Applied Merchant Systems (AMS) has what it takes to pull out in front of most of the pack. If you look at their site, it's nice, simple and straight to the point. They offer third-party security features because they know that keeping your information private is important to you. They're an accredited BBB business, they have very few negative reviews and they even have a Twitter account, now that's getting with the times.
I like that they offer both seasonal downtime and interchange-plus pricing.
The only thing that I would like to see from the AMS site would be some good testimonials. So, if they get some of those up, or if some past merchants leave positive reviews here on Merchant Maverick, then their score will definitely increase.
Other than that, I think they're solid. It's a 4.5 out of 5 for now.
Date Established:
1996.
Parent/Partner Company:
Applied Merchant Systems was recently bought out by Capital Payments, LLC, which is another great merchant service provider. They partner with Authorize.Net and PayMeNow.com for the bulk of their payment gateway needs, and use Concord Payment Systems and EVO Merchant Services as their credit card processors.
AMS also operates the following domains:
- www.amsmerchant.com
- www.amsgate.com
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of HSBC Bank, National Association and Wells Fargo Bank.
Trust Symbols:
The Applied Merchant BBB profile has a "B" rating (as of this review). They are an accredited business though which basically means that they actively pursue the resolution of complaints made towards their company. Speaking of complaints, AMS has had 18 complaints in the last 36 months (as of this review).
Security/Privacy:
McAfee Secure and TRUSTe, along with a good privacy policy.
Customer Service:
I contacted them through their site with a few "touchy" questions, like whether or not they have a cancellation fee and/or contract terms. I received a very nice and detailed response. The rep did mention that they have a cancellation fee and a contract term (3-year), but that both were negotiable. Has anybody else dealt with these guys? Let us know.
Contract Duration:
3-year.
Cancellation Fee:
Yes, but they didn't tell me the cost. Check the contract before you sign.
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
Interchange-plus pricing is offered by Applied Merchant Systems.
Seasonal Downtime:
AMS offers seasonal downtime as well.
Negative Reviews:
A search for "applied merchant systems" brings up 3 complaints on RipOffReport. I couldn't find any other ones.
Common Complaints:
It was tough to nail down any common complaints based on the ROR (RipOffReport) data, but if you take a look at the BBB profile, you'll notice that the bulk of the complaints fall into the billing & collection or refund & exchange dispute categories.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
Once again, we have a company that doesn't understand what a testimonial can do for their reputation. And I'm not talking about the cheesy anonymous testimonial either. I want full disclosure of the satisfied merchant's name and contact information. It shouldn't even be called a "testimonial," it should be called a "reference" because that's what it really is.
Locality:
Chicago, Illinois.
Product Offering:
Retail, Gift Cards & Loyalty, Check Processing, e-Commerce, Mail/Telephone, Cash Advance.
Specialty:
None in particular.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section. 
August 19th, 2009 - 11:08
I have been checking out merchant accounts and have had dealings with Imax Bancard Network and would not recommend them to my worst enemy, well maybe my worst. I read the review on ROR but what I didn’t like was that the individual did not identify themselves so that they could be contacted for an update and to find out if they still used Applied Merchants. Of all the companies I’ve spoken with they are the most reasonable. They all seem to have their pros and cons. However, the sales rep John did tell me that the when I applied for the account and was approved the fees would start for that month and based on your review I think I will be going with Applied Merchants.
August 19th, 2009 - 11:38
Thanks for the input on IMAX. I’ll look into reviewing them next.
I agree with you on the name disclosure for the ROR complaint…It definitely would have helped.
I’d recommend you take a look through the rest of my reviews, you might find some other candidates as well. It seems you’ve chatted with some already though. Applied Merchant is a pretty good company, but as you can tell from my review, the only thing that bugged me was that they didn’t have any testimonials. Try and ask for some references.
Best of luck to you, let me know if you need any help.