CDGcommerce Review
This reputable merchant account provider offers month-to-month billing with no account setup fees, application fees, or early termination fees.
CDGcommerce
Total Rating | 4.7 |
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Fees & Rates4.6 | |
Products & Services5.0 | |
Contract5.0 | |
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0 | |
Customer Service3.5 | |
User Reviews4.9 |
CDGcommerce At A Glance
- Month-to-month billing with no long-term contracts
- Offers merchants a choice between flat-rate, interchange-plus, or membership pricing
- Credit card terminal included with each account ($79 annual insurance fee required)
Pros
- Processing rate plans fully disclosed
- Free payment gateway and virtual terminal
- No account setup or application fees
- Month-to-month billing with no early termination fees
- Excellent customer service and support
Cons
- Only available to US-based merchants
Table of Contents
What Is CDGcommerce?
CDGcommerce is a merchant account provider that offers features and pricing that fit well with the needs of small businesses, including true month-to-month billing with no long-term contracts for all of its merchants. CDGcommerce also offers three separate pricing plans that are designed to give you the best value based on the size of your business and your average monthly processing volume.
Flat-rate pricing is available for very small or seasonal businesses, while interchange-plus pricing is offered to medium-sized businesses. Larger enterprises can choose one of four membership pricing plans, depending on their monthly processing volume.
CDGcommerce is one of the very few providers in the industry that actually focuses on meeting the needs of small businesses, and it offers services and prices that are appropriate to all segments of the market. We recommend the company very highly, and when you learn about all it has to offer, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Products & Services
Products & Services5.0 |
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Software & Services 5.0 |
Hardware & Equipment 5.0 |
The company’s line of products and services covers all the bases, but it focuses on eCommerce and small to mid-sized businesses. CDGcommerce’s offerings include the following:
CDGcommerce Fees & Rates
Fees & Rates4.6 |
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Pricing 4.6 |
Affordability 4.6 |
CDGcommerce differs from most traditional providers in that it fully discloses its pricing on its website. Everything you need to know is available via a Pricing tab, which is prominently displayed in the top menu. You’ll want to take a close look at the information presented here, as the company offers a variety of rates and pricing plans for different types of businesses. CDGcommerce offers a choice between three pricing plans, depending on your monthly processing volume.
Here’s an overview of the One Rate and the Interchange-Plus plans:
Simple, One Rate Plan | Interchange Plus Pricing Plan | |
---|---|---|
Processing Rate Plan Type | Flat-rate | Interchange-plus |
Swiped Rate | 2.90% + $0.30 | INT + 0.25% + $0.10 |
Mobile Rate | 2.90% + $0.30 | INT + 0.25% + $0.10 |
Online Rate | 3.50% + $0.30 | INT + 0.30% + $0.15 |
Monthly Processing Volume | $1,000 – $10,000 | $10,000 – $200,000 |
Monthly Account Fee | $0.00 | $19-$49 |
Features | Mobile card reader ($65) | Countertop terminal ($79/yr), $100,000 Breach Protection Plan, PCI Security Tools |
The Membership Pricing Plan has four tier options:
Basic | Standard | Plus | Premium | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Processing Rate Plan Type | Membership | Membership | Membership | Membership |
Swiped Rate | INT + $0.10 | INT + $0.10 | INT + $0.07 | INT + $0.05 |
Mobile Rate | INT + $0.10 | INT + $0.10 | INT + $0.07 | INT + $0.05 |
Online Rate | INT + $0.10 | INT + $0.10 | INT + $0.07 | INT + $0.05 |
Monthly Processing Volume | Up to $25,000 | $25,001 – $75,000 | $75,001 – $200,000 | Over $200,000 |
Monthly Account Fee | $49 | $79 | $99 | $199 |
Features | Countertop terminal ($79/yr), $100,000 Breach Protection Plan, PCI Security Tools | Countertop terminal ($79/yr), $100,000 Breach Protection Plan, PCI Security Tools | Countertop terminal ($79/yr), $100,000 Breach Protection Plan, PCI Security Tools | Countertop terminal ($79/yr), $100,000 Breach Protection Plan, PCI Security Tools |
We’re very impressed with how CDGcommerce has been able to eliminate so many of the nickel-and-dime fees that most providers charge. Here’s a brief rundown of the things the company doesn’t charge you for:
- No account setup fee
- No annual fee (except the $79 per year terminal insurance fee)
- No gateway fees
- No monthly minimum (this is particularly valuable to very small or seasonal businesses)
- No PCI compliance fees
- No Address Verification Service (AVS) fees (saves $0.05 per transaction)
- No TIN/1099K IRS reporting fees
- No early termination fees
For a small business, this can add up to significant savings over what you would pay with a more traditional merchant account provider. Account setup fees can be $100 or more. Gateway fees usually run between $15 and $25 per month, plus there’s often an additional per-transaction charge. PCI compliance fees typically run around $99 per year but can be even higher. Although only applicable if you close your account early, early termination fees can run between $300 and $500 – or even more.
Sales & Advertising Transparency
Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0 |
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Sales Practices 5.0 |
Web Presence 4.9 |
CDGcommerce’s website discloses far more details about its pricing and contract terms than most of its competitors. At the same time, the variety of plans and features can be a bit confusing, particularly for a first-time business owner. If you’re unsure about something or have a question, don’t hesitate to contact one of the company’s sales representatives for clarification.
The company uses a full-time, in-house salaried sales staff and doesn’t rely on independent sales agents. The use of independent agents by many other providers has resulted in a massive volume of complaints from merchants. You won’t have to worry about this problem with CDGcommerce. With most of the pricing and contract terms already disclosed online, there’s simply no reason for your sales representative to lie to you.
CDGcommerce also has a social media presence, with accounts on Facebook, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.
Contract Length & Early Termination Fee
Contract5.0 |
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Commitment 5.0 |
ETF & Other Fees 5.0 |
True month-to-month billing with no long-term contract and no early termination fee is the best arrangement you could ask for, and that’s exactly what CDGcommerce provides for all its merchants. In the processing industry, the typical merchant account contract runs for an initial term of two to four years, with three years being the most common length. These agreements also contain an automatic renewal clause, which will extend your contract for an additional year at a time unless you close your account within a very narrow window at the end of the term.
Most providers include these terms in their standard contracts, although some will now waive the early termination fee – but only if you negotiate aggressively to remove it.
Even then, you’re still on the hook for three years or more, and you might continue to be billed for monthly fees after you’ve stopped using your account and thought it was closed. Always thoroughly review your contract terms and merchant agreement before signing up with any provider, and follow the instructions for closing your account to the letter to avoid difficulties.
Note: Merchants on one of CDGcommerce’s subscription plans who’ve paid for a full year of processing upfront and then decided to close their account can expect to receive a prorated refund of the subscription fees for the unused months remaining in their subscription.
Customer Service & Technical Support
Customer Service3.5 |
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Personal Support 5.0 |
Self-Service 2.0 |
CDGcommerce offers 24/7 customer service via telephone, 365 days a year. Live chat is also available through the website during regular business hours. Additionally, you can contact the company via email and usually receive a response within 24 hours. Reports from merchants indicate that the quality of CDGcommerce’s customer support is very high.
CDGcommerce Support | Availability |
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Phone Support | |
Email Support | |
Support Tickets | |
Live Chat | |
Dedicated Support Representative | |
Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
Videos & Tutorials | |
Company Blog | |
Social Media |
The company no longer includes a knowledgebase on its website, which would be a useful feature for merchants trying to resolve minor technical issues on their own.
CDGcommerce Reviews & Complaints
User Reviews4.9 |
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Customer Feedback 5.0 |
Review Site Aggregate 4.8 |
CDGcommerce reviews demonstrate the company has a great reputation among merchants and across the payment processing industry. Complaints are few and far between and often arise due to issues with the back-end processor, which are out of the company’s hands.
Final Verdict
CDGcommerce is easily one of the best credit card processors for small businesses in the payments industry. If your business doesn’t need any specialized, optional features, you can have a true merchant account with pay-as-you-go pricing and no monthly account fee. Also, eCommerce merchants, who usually have to shell out extra to connect their website to a payment gateway, can enjoy a free gateway and interchange-plus pricing for as little as $19 per month.
We’re also very impressed with the company’s unique way of supplying credit card terminals. Countertop terminals are provided for free (one per account, of course), and all you have to pay is a reasonable annual fee to insure and maintain them. This is the one instance where we would recommend renting your terminal rather than buying one outright. Remember, this is not a lease – you can cancel your account and return your terminal anytime. It’s a good way to avoid the risk of being stuck with an obsolete terminal in the future.
If there’s a catch in CDGcommerce’s service, it’s that it’s only available to US-based merchants. The company also sometimes doesn’t accept high-risk merchants in several specific industries. If you’re a high-risk merchant in need of a merchant account and CDGcommerce can’t accommodate your industry, check out our article on the best high-risk merchant account providers for some great recommendations.
CDGcommerce offers a combination of high-quality service and low pricing that makes it one of the best credit card processors for small businesses we’ve found. We highly recommend that you check it out.
Credit Card Processor Review Methodology
We evaluate and test each payment processor that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on certain key characteristics in order to generate our granular ratings for merchant accounts and credit card processors.
For payment processing reviews, we use a 24-point rubric to evaluate the provider. First, we look at pricing structure – interchange plus, subscription-based, tiered, or hybrid – giving the most points to providers that provide fair, transparent pricing and docking those that rely on tiered models. Then we examine rates, the presence and transparency of early termination fees, and any additional fees.
We also look at contract length and fairness and test out sales staff and customer service channels ourselves to ensure that the company uses reputable, above-the-board sales techniques. Finally, we take the company’s online reputation into account, reading customer reviews and comments.
Read more about how we rate payment processors.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
CDGcommerce |
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After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see CDGcommerce for yourself.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
CDGcommerce |
---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see CDGcommerce for yourself.