CDGCommerce Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (5 out of 5)
Last Updated: April 26th, 2010.
Overview:
CDGcommerce is an excellent merchant account provider with offices in both California and Virgina. Most of you have probably noticed that the bar for a perfect 5 out of 5 rating is pretty high here at Merchant Maverick. CDGCommerce has passed that bar with flying colors.
In an industry, where unethical business practices have in some cases become the norm, CDGCommerce doesn't compromise. They've been in business for over a decade, yet I literally had trouble finding a single complaint about them. Even the neutral reviews that I've seen don't discredit them in any way. Check out this WebHostingTalk thread and this GIDForums thread to get an idea of what I'm talking about. The general consensus is that CDG takes their merchants seriously. A much needed breath of fresh air if you ask me.
Their focus on obtaining business through referrals and partnerships puts them in a position where the "hard-sell" approach becomes unnecessary. They understand how much more powerful word-of-mouth can be, but also how accountable it can make them.
They have a great testimonials section with fully-disclosed (i.e. full-name/business name) testimonials, they don't lock you into a contract that charges a cancellation fee, they offer a free payment gateway and they provide their merchants with an educational resource center. What more could you want?
Throw in the Facebook and Twitter accounts, and you get a perfect score!
I give them a 5 out of 5.
Click Here To Get Started With CDGCommerce
Or You If You Need More Help Choosing a Provider Click Here
Date Established:
1998.
Location:
San Pedro, California and Chesapeake, Virginia.
Domain Name(s):
www.cdgcommerce.com.
Parent/Partner Company:
Doesn't look like CDGcommerce is a subsidiary of any other company.
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP.
Acquiring Bank(s) (Acquirer):
First National Bank.
Payment Processor(s):
CDGCommerce processes its own transactions.
Payment Gateway(s):
Authorize.Net or QuantumGateway.
Do you need help setting up your payment gateway? Visit the Payment Gateway Integration page for more info.
Trust Symbols:
The CDGcommerce BBB profile has an excellent "A+" rating as of this post with only 1 complaint in the last 36 months.
Negative Reviews:
I'm pleased to say that I couldn't dig up any negative reviews on CDG. You can see from their BBB profile that they've only had 1 complaint in the last 36 months, which is awesome. Being in business since 1998, I would expect more unhappy customers from them. So either they're very good at reputation management, or what I'm suspecting is, that they're actually a great company.
Common Complaints:
Can't have any common complaints, if I don't even have a single complaint.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
CDGCommerce has a big list of testimonials on their site. I contacted most of them, and received two responses so far. Both merchants were extremely happy with their accounts, and assured me that they weren't paid or incentivized in any way by CDGcommerce to write their testimonials.
Security/Privacy:
Their digital application is secured by McAfee.
Customer Service:
I've personally experienced CDG's customer service, in addition to the responses that I've heard from references and other friends. They're staff is very helpful, knowledgeable and operates with a great deal of integrity.
Contract Duration:
The sales rep told me that they don't have any contract terms.
Cancellation Fee:
No cancellation fee either (be sure to read your contract).
Interchange-Plus Pricing:
CDGcommerce does offer interchange-plus pricing, but it varies from business to business. Be sure to ask them about it though.
Seasonal Downtime:
Seasonal downtime is offered, but you must be in business at least 6-months out of the year.
Product/Service Offering:
Internet/Online (e-Commerce), Retail, Mobile/Wireless.
Product/Service Specialty:
CDGcommerce' self-proclaimed "primary area of expertise" is in the online/internet field. Great news for all you e-Commerce site owners.
Don't forget to leave your review and rating in the comment section. 
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September 2nd, 2009 - 10:38
I’ve been think of CDG Commerce as a reseller for my clients. I am really interested in the Quantum Gateway. Thanks for the review and I now leaning their way!
September 2nd, 2009 - 11:02
Robert,
Thanks for the comment. Glad to know that I was able to help. Let us know how it goes.
February 8th, 2010 - 11:26
Thanks for the great website, this is the best comparison resource I have found! (I tried to click the main contact button but that page isn’t loading for some reason.)
One suggestion as to a tip you might add…I have been researching the best payment solution for a non-profit theatre company, and it took me a while to find out that none of the “special deals” you see for non-profits offer a custom payment solution — all of them involve leaving the main website to go to a “donation page” on the provider’s website. I kept hoping that there might be a custom payment solution with a discounted rate for non-profits, but no such luck. (Since it is a professional theatre company with a good percentage of older patrons, we really want people to stay on the site).
So, my advice to non-profits in a similar situation would be to go with a provider that uses QuantumGateway, since they seem to offer slightly better rates than Authorize.net, although I think some of the 5-star companies on this site that use Authorize.net would probably be great also. I like how QuantumGateway keeps it simple (we have our own database, so we don’t really need a fancy API, though they offer one if you want it), e.g. http://www.quantumgateway.com/view_developer.php?Cat1=1 and http://www.quantumgateway.com/view_developer.php?Cat1=3.
I think we will probably go with CDG Commerce. Thanks again!
February 8th, 2010 - 12:23
Matt,
Thank you for the great post! As this site gains a following, it will be comments like yours that will help make our reviews even better. I definitely plan on adding industry specific criteria to my reviews in the near future, but as of now, I’m just trying to keep up with the number of MSPs that are out there. That’s a full time job in itself.
Again, thanks for the great post. Please check back and let us know how it went with CDGCommerce. It would be great if we could hear your experience with them in the following sequence: Initial Setup, Mid-Term and Long-Term. I know that relationships can last for years, and problems can come up at any time during your relationship with your provider, but if we know that you’re still happy with their customer service 6-months or 1-year into your relationship with them, then that’s great info for all of us.
Take Care.
Btw, I fixed the contact page issue…oops!
May 22nd, 2010 - 08:01
Great site! We’re launching a new company and the thorough information that your site provides is very helpful.
One thing – you gave kudos to CDG for Twitter and Facebook pages, yet neither is really that engaged. They’ve tweeted once with only 6 followers, and their Facebook page is a ‘friend’ page rather than a business page (and only has 11 friends).
I may have missed something, but was a bit confused.
It doesn’t matter much to their processing, but I agree with your attitude that having a social media presence allows their customers to be fully engaged and their service transparent.
May 22nd, 2010 - 14:25
Thanks for the kind words. Glad to help.
I agree with you, CDG should definitely step their game up in that department.
Feel free to call or email if you have any questions.
August 20th, 2010 - 14:59
Thanks for the website as well as well as your quick correspondence, this definitely made my searching easier.
Been looking around and found that CDG seems like a good and overall cheap company, been kind of paranoid about hidden costs, but this company seems to only charge 10 dollars a month for everything (excluding charge costs). even the $79 fee for the “free” CC machine (amazon cost $398) was less than other total costs from some banks I was looking at. Though may buy my own alternative terminal so the 79 isn’t charged.
One negative though is when I called them the first time, I was told that their terminal doesn’t accept multiple-users (phone sales), the second time that no CC machine accepts multiple-users (online sales chat), then the last time that it does accept multiple users (phone technical support).
- The terminal actually does, it appears to be maybe the only 3 hypercom that has this ability per the hypercom webpage. A cheaper option for this is the T7 Plus, an older but still useful machine at $180 (main neg. is no IP connector) that supports up to 20 merchant accounts.
August 23rd, 2010 - 19:08
Good site!
Question: If CDG has 5 starts, why aren’t they in your Top 10?
August 25th, 2010 - 00:21
I’m not sure I understand you here Joe. Technically, I don’t have a top 10. I do have a comparison chart where the providers are ranked based on their rating (1 to 5), and CDGCommerce is right there on that page.