Dharma Merchant Services Review
Advertiser Disclosure: Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.
- Date Established
- 2007
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
Pros
- Interchange-plus pricing offered exclusively
- No annual fee or monthly minimum
- Month-to-month billing with no early termination fees
- Discounted pricing for qualified nonprofit companies
- Outstanding sales transparency and highly ethical business practices
Cons
- Not recommended for businesses processing less than $10,000 per month
- No support for high-risk or international merchants
Overview
Dharma Merchant Services is a merchant account provider headquartered in Vancouver, Washington. Founded in 2007 in San Francisco by Jeff Marcous — former regional manager for Cardservice International, then SVP of Sales and Marketing at Authorize.Net (see our review) — along with his daughter Alexia Marcous, the company combines expert processing industry know-how with highly ethical business practices to cater to the unique needs of small businesses, restaurants, and nonprofits. The duo created Dharma to bring their philosophical convictions together with their knack for business, proving the two need not be mutually exclusive.
Dharma has some of the best advertising practices and sales transparency we’ve seen anywhere in the industry. The company uses interchange-plus pricing exclusively, and all accounts feature month-to-month billing with no early termination fees. It also has no account application fees, no annual fees, and no monthly minimums. Dharma also won’t charge you any pesky PCI compliance fees or batch fees. While the company probably isn’t getting rich, it is proof that you can run a merchant services business and make a profit without having to rip off your customers. The people at Dharma make an honest living and live with respect and integrity. Did we mention that it’s also a certified green business and a Special Purpose Corporation (similar to a California Benefit Corporation)?
At Dharma, you can count on consistently fair and predictable pricing. The company advertises all of its standard rate and fee information publicly on its website. You can also expect high-quality, friendly, personalized service and support from the Dharma team. A real human being with industry knowledge is always just a phone call away. We’re in touch with the people at Dharma often, and we’re always impressed by the quality of the information provided by the in-house staff.
We take our reviews seriously. We’ve reviewed hundreds of companies, most of which end up being average or below. A select group makes the grade as providers we recommend, and only a handful of those are our favorite, go-to partners. Dharma Merchant Services is one of that very elite handful, and it’s earned the distinction.
As you might have guessed by now, Dharma Merchant Services easily earns a score of 5 out of 5 stars. It’s not ideal for everyone (high-risk businesses and those processing less than $10,000 per month will have to look elsewhere), but for most merchants, it offers the best overall value of just about any provider in the industry. We really can’t say enough good things about this business, and we recommend Dharma to you with absolutely no hesitation. Read the full Dharma Merchant Services review for more details, or just cut to the chase and sign up with the company. You’ll never look back.
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Table of Contents
Products & Services
Rating: Excellent
Dharma Merchant Services provides a complete lineup of essential products and services for retail and eCommerce merchants. It offers everything you need and nothing you don’t. Check it out:
- Merchant Accounts: Dharma primarily uses Fiserv (formerly First Data) as its main back-end processor. While Fiserv doesn’t have a great reputation among small business owners, Dharma has tremendous leeway to set its processing rates, account fees, and contract terms. The result is that Dharma is able to offer you a much better deal than you would get if you tried to set up your own account with a company such as Fiserv directly. Dharma provides its own customer service to its merchants, so you shouldn’t have to contact Fiserv directly, in most cases. Note that Dharma no longer services high-risk or international accounts. Instead, the company will refer you to PaymentCloud (see our review), which specializes in working with the high-risk community.
- MX Merchant: This is Dharma’s all-in-one online account access and reporting system, and it’s included with every Dharma merchant account. Features include a virtual terminal, online reporting, a customer database, a mobile processing app, and several other goodies as well. For an additional monthly fee, you can add options, such as integrated ACH payment processing, B2B processing, invoicing, and recurring billing.
- B2B Processing: If you run a business that sells to other businesses, Dharma has an exclusive B2B program that offers discounted rates for merchants processing Level 2 and 3 data. You’ll need the MX B2B app, which costs an additional $20 per month. Depending on your average processing volume, your savings in processing charges should more than offset the cost of this extra fee.
- Payment Gateway: For eCommerce merchants, Dharma offers a choice between either the NMI Gateway or Authorize.Net. Both gateways have nearly identical pricing, but the NMI Gateway appears to have a few more specialized features. If you’re concerned about being able to take your customer data with you if you ever switch gateway providers, the NMI Gateway may be a better choice.
- Credit Card Terminals: Dharma offers several countertop terminals for direct sale, with pricing fully disclosed on its website. Unlike many providers, Dharma won’t set you up with an expensive (and noncancelable) lease. Current models include the Verifone Vx520 ($179) and the Fiserv FD-130 ($269), both of which are EMV-compliant and can also work with NFC-based payment methods, such as Apple Pay. If you already have your own terminal, Dharma can reprogram it for free — if it’s compatible with the company’s system. Check Dharma’s FAQ on this subject for more details, as several potential problems can come up. For example, Dharma won’t reprogram wireless terminals and recommends that you buy a new terminal in most cases.
- Mobile Processing: If you’d prefer a truly mobile way to accept payments, Dharma offers its MX Merchant Express app, available for both iOS and Android. It pairs with the Walker C2X card reader, which can accept magstripe, EMV, and NFC-based payment methods (including Apple Pay and Google Wallet). The reader costs $99 and can connect via either your device’s headphone jack (if you still have one) or Bluetooth.
- POS Systems: Dharma promotes Fiserv’s popular Clover series of POS products, including the top-of-the-line Clover Station (see our review) ($1,349). Other options include the Clover Mini (see our review) ($499 or $599 for an LTE/4G model) and the Clover Flex (see our review) ($499). Be aware that the Clover products also require a monthly fee that’s paid directly to Clover. Available options include the Payments Plus ($0.00 per month), Register Lite ($9.95 per month), and Register ($29.95) plans. You’ll want to consult the Dharma website for details on the features of each plan before signing up. For example, the free Payments Plus plan does not include any inventory management capabilities.
- Kabbage Merchant Financing: The company partners with Kabbage to provide small businesses with a line of credit up to $150,000. This credit line is not the same as a merchant cash advance and may be a better option if you need funding to get your business off the ground.
- Fundraising Services: Dharma partners with 4aGoodCause to provide services for nonprofit organizations, from everyday donations to online crowd-funding events. Dharma will set you up with clean, professional donation pages for web and mobile as well as event registration services. The costs here are a bit more than regular processing, of course, but they beat the industry standard for sure, offering very reasonable pricing with optional add-ons.
Fees & Rates
Rating: Excellent
Dharma Merchant Services offers one of the most transparent and fair pricing structures in the industry, with all costs being fully disclosed right on its website. Interchange-plus pricing is provided exclusively for every account, so you won’t have to negotiate to get it. Not only does the company reveal every fee you might have to pay, but it also discloses how much each fee costs and why Dharma has to charge you for it. This practice is a breath of fresh air in an industry where most providers bury their fees deep in the fine print of their contracts, hoping that you’ll never read it.
Dharma also sells its processing hardware directly, rather than setting you up with an outrageously overpriced third-party equipment lease. Prices for its terminals are quite fair, especially considering that you’re also getting a warranty and the software loaded to work with Dharma’s processing system. If you already have a terminal, the company will reprogram it to work with Dharma’s system for free. Unless you already have a compatible EMV-compliant terminal, we recommend buying your equipment outright from Dharma.
The company separates its pricing plans by business categories rather than processing volume levels, so it’s effortless to decide which plan is best for your business. Pricing plans include options for storefront and eCommerce merchants as well as a discounted rate plan exclusively for restaurants. Discounted rates are also available for qualified nonprofit organizations. Here’s an overview of Dharma’s pricing options:
Storefront (Retail) Rates
- $20 monthly fee
- Interchange + 0.15% + $0.07 per transaction
- Numerous incidental fees (e.g., chargebacks, etc.) — all disclosed on Dharma’s website
Virtual (eCommerce) Rates
- $20 monthly fee
- Interchange + 0.20% + $0.10 per transaction
- Numerous incidental fees (e.g., chargebacks, etc.) — all disclosed on Dharma’s website
Restaurant Rates
- $20 monthly fee
- Interchange + 0.15% + $0.07 per transaction
- Numerous incidental fees (e.g., chargebacks, etc.) — all disclosed on Dharma’s website
High-Volume Retail Rates (Over $100,000 Per Month)
- $15 monthly fee
- Interchange + 0.10% + $0.05 per transaction
- Numerous incidental fees (e.g., chargebacks, etc.) — all disclosed on Dharma’s website
Gateway Fees
There are extra costs associated with using a payment gateway. Dharma gives you a choice between its proprietary NMI Gateway and Authorize.Net. With either option, you will pay nothing in setup fees and $10 per month after that. There is also an additional $0.05 per-transaction fee for any sales processed over the gateway. You will only need a payment gateway if you will be selling online.
Other Fees
Like any other provider, Dharma also occasionally charges incidental fees. Unlike most providers, however, the company discloses them in advance on its website. Here’s an overview of the fees you might see on your statement:
- Retrieval Fee: $5 per instance (charged only when a customer disputes a transaction)
- Chargeback Fee: $20 per instance (charged only when a chargeback occurs)
Dharma does not charge account setup fees or annual fees. None of its accounts require a monthly minimum, and there is no early termination fee if you close your account.
Special Rates For Nonprofits
Dharma specializes in working with nonprofit organizations and offers reduced pricing for qualified businesses. Retail rates are interchange + 0.15% + $0.07 per transaction, while eCommerce rates are interchange + 0.20% + $0.10 per transaction. All other pricing information listed above also applies to nonprofits.
Contract Length & Early Termination Fee
Rating: Excellent
Dharma offers true month-to-month billing with no long-term contract and no early termination fee on all of its merchant accounts. While you can close your account at any time, be sure to follow the procedure specified in your contract to avoid being charged beyond your intended closure date.
While it doesn’t charge an early termination fee, the company does impose a $25 account closure fee when you permanently close your account. Dharma, like all merchant account providers, is required by law to keep your account on file for a minimum of six months after closure. This fee merely recoups the cost of this required record-keeping. Note that if you are a seasonal business, you will not be charged this fee when you suspend your account for the off-season.
Sales & Advertising Transparency
Rating: Excellent
Often, the sales experience is one of the worst aspects of setting up a merchant account. That’s not the case with Dharma. Your first contact with the company will probably be through its website, and it’s one of the best we’ve seen. Naturally, you might expect a company that started in the Bay Area to have a great website, and Dharma doesn’t disappoint. Its site is well laid out, and it’s easy to find the information you need. In fact, it provides more data than you probably thought you needed. All fees, rates, and contract terms are explained in detail, and the company lists the actual cost of every service and piece of equipment it provides.
The advantage of this unusually high level of transparency is that many (if not most) of your questions will already be answered by the time you decide to contact the company’s sales team. Dharma uses in-house sales representatives exclusively, so you won’t experience any of the misleading claims and high-pressure sales tactics that independent agents at other companies commonly employ.
With Dharma’s standardized pricing plans and lack of long-term contracts, there won’t be much left to negotiate when you finally talk with one of the sales representatives. They’ll still provide friendly and helpful service, of course, but you’ll already know most of what you need to know before you ever talk to a representative. Frankly, we wish a lot more providers would offer the same level of transparency that Dharma does. The company has set a very high standard in this area, and there aren’t many other providers in the processing industry that come even close to meeting it.
Dharma also gets the word out about its services via social media. The company has active accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. A YouTube channel provides several educational videos, and Dharma has posted some marketing videos separately on the site that include excellent testimonials from satisfied clients.
Get Started With Dharma Merchant Services
Customer Service & Technical Support
Rating: Excellent
In-house telephone support that’s available 24/7, 365 days a year, is the gold standard in the processing industry, but it’s something that only the largest providers can offer. In most cases, companies provide in-house support during business hours and rely on outsourced support staff to cover the rest of the time. If you have an issue come up at 9 PM on a Saturday, for example, you’ll often find yourself talking to a call center employee who can do little more than file a support ticket on your behalf. The actual resolution of your problem will have to wait until Monday morning.
Dharma compromises, providing superb in-house telephone-based and live chat support from knowledgeable and supportive staff during business hours, 8 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time. Support is also available via email, and you can submit a ticket directly from the company’s website. Outside of regular business hours, Dharma will direct you to the appropriate party, depending on the nature of the issue and your back-end processor.
Dharma’s website also includes an outstanding knowledgebase — one of the best we’ve ever seen — that provides answers to a wide variety of questions you might have about how credit card processing works. All the information the company provides is beneficial, accurate, and, overall, quite impressive.
User Reviews
Rating: Excellent
Dharma is one of the very few companies we’ve seen in the processing industry that has more positive feedback than complaints on the web. In fact, the most common criticism of the company appears to come from merchants who’ve been turned down for an account for one reason or another.
Negative Reviews & Complaints
Dharma Merchant Services is no longer accredited by the BBB but still has an A+ rating. The company has had only a single complaint within the last three years, with this complaint coming in within the previous year. Unfortunately, specific details about the complaint are not available. Over on Trustpilot, Dharma has 88 reviews, with 91% of reviewers giving the company an Excellent rating. While it’s not quite a perfect record, it’s about as close to perfect as we’ve seen for any merchant services provider.
The general lack of negative feedback is, of course, an excellent indication of the high quality of service that Dharma provides. However, it does not mean that nothing ever goes wrong. Funding holds and equipment compatibility issues come up from time to time, but the company handles these hiccups in a much more professional and competent manner than most of its competitors. Dharma’s use of a well-trained and supervised in-house customer support team is the main reason the company is able to keep almost all of its merchants happy.
While it’s not a negative factor, we should point out that you will have to pay a monthly gateway fee and a small per-transaction charge if you use one of the company’s gateways. The amounts Dharma charges for these services are entirely fair and reasonable, and they’re generally below industry averages. However, if you’re an eCommerce business on a very tight budget, you should be aware that there are providers out there who will set you up with a payment gateway for free. For example, CDGcommerce (see our review) offers either its proprietary Quantum gateway or Authorize.Net for free. There are no setup fees and no monthly gateway fees. Nonetheless, we firmly believe that the overall value provided by Dharma more than makes up for the cost of these charges for most merchants.
Positive Reviews & Testimonials
Unlike the overwhelming number of merchant account providers in the industry, praise for Dharma is much easier to find than criticism. Our Comments section (below) is filled with positive reviews from merchants who’ve used Dharma’s services and been happy with the results. Reviews on Dharma’s Facebook page are also mostly very positive, with the company scoring a 4.5 out of 5, based on the opinions of 32 people.
The company promotes a number of client testimonials on its website from merchants who have been very satisfied with Dharma’s service. Business owners and their companies are clearly identified, making these testimonials very convincing.
It’s always a breath of fresh air to see a company receive so much positive feedback. Particular strengths praised by reviewers included fair pricing, excellent customer service, and Dharma’s commitment to both protecting the environment and promoting the work of a wide variety of nonprofit organizations.
Help make our Dharma Merchant Services review even better by leaving a comment with your own experience below!
Final Verdict
If you’ve read this far, you’ll understand why we feel that Dharma Merchant Services ranks among the best of the best when it comes to providing merchant services with honesty and integrity. It offers a high-quality service at a fair price. With such amazing services and sales practices, it’s no wonder that Dharma comes in as an absolute favorite merchant account provider. It has excellent connections in the industry and seems to get the most out of its partnerships with processors, gateway providers, and others.
The company does a great job of saving merchants money and providing a headache-free processing experience. If your business is a good fit for what Dharma has to offer, we can’t recommend the company highly enough. Dharma may not always be the least-expensive provider (although it’s pretty close!), but it does provide the best overall value that you’ll find anywhere. We firmly believe that the total value of the services a provider can deliver is more important in the long run than simply being the cheapest available option. Dharma scores exceptionally well in terms of both value and cost, providing top-notch services for a fair and reasonable price.
Our only word of caution, of course, is that not all merchants will be a good fit for Dharma’s business model. Dharma is only available to merchants operating in the United States, and it doesn’t accept high-risk merchants. If your processing volume is currently less than $10,000 per month, Dharma recommends Square (see our review) as a more affordable option. In fact, it now provides an online calculator that allows you to compare your anticipated costs using either Dharma or Square. We can’t think of any other provider in the industry that so openly gives you the chance to compare your costs with a competitor in this way. If your results show that Square is a better deal for you, remember that Dharma will still be an option later on down the road when your business reaches a higher monthly processing volume.
For businesses that do meet the company’s acceptance criteria, Dharma is an excellent choice, ranking among the best of the best in the merchant account provider category. While restaurants and nonprofits will benefit the most from Dharma’s services, you should check the company out if you’re in a more traditional retail or eCommerce business as well. Dharma earns a coveted score of 5 out of 5 stars and our highest endorsement.
Get Started With Dharma Merchant Services
Frank Kehl
Frank Kehl has been writing about merchant services, payment gateways, and international money transfer services since 2015. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Penn State and a Juris Doctorate from the Ventura College of Law. After a long and enjoyable career of traveling around the world as an Air Force navigator, he’s comfortably settled down in the wine country town of Paso Robles in California’s scenic Central Coast region. He enjoys reading, photography, hiking, and numerous other outdoor pursuits.
Latest posts by Frank Kehl (see all)
- The Complete Guide To Switching From Worldpay To A Better Credit Card Processing Company - June 10, 2020
- Should You Implement A COVID Surcharge? 4 Ways To Manage Your Profitability During The Pandemic - June 2, 2020
- How To Read, Understand, & Successfully Negotiate A Merchant Agreement For Your Small Business - March 3, 2020
- How To Detect (And Prevent) Online Credit Card Fraud — And Why You Need A Solid Strategy To Manage Fraud For Your eCommerce Business To Succeed - November 18, 2019
- Don’t Fall Into The Trap Of Leasing Credit Card Machines & Terminals: 4 Smart Alternatives For Getting Payment Processing Hardware - October 21, 2019
We've done in-depth research on each and confidently recommend them.
We've done in-depth research on each and confidently recommend them.
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Organization Name: Shaman Modifications LLC
Dharma no longer exists and we were never informed that their number transfers to Priority Payments- they closed without taking down their website or even emailing their clients. I only found out when I called to find out why an email wasn’t answered for weeks and was informed that email doesn’t go anywhere anymore.
Organization Name: HILL'S AUTOMOTIVE
Dharma is great! I have been a customer for several years & they have been exceptional. Had a chargeback issue – first time in 25 years processing cards. I dealt with one of the main people at Dharma personally & he got my problem solved. Great service!!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Fed-Up Legal Solutions
I would not recommend Dharma Merchant services as they will say anything to get your account and then when you have any customer charge-back issues they immediately begin holding your funds with no notice or snail mail notice so you have no time to respond! They will send you confirmation that your account is good and then continue holding the funds without explanation. They do not care what effect it has on customers or their business! Very deceptive practices STAY AWAY!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Thank you for sharing the information.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: EMERALD CITY
Dharma Merchant Services is one of the best companies we have ever done business with! Every single person we have interacted with has been friendly, understanding, efficient, and effective. They have always gone out of their way to make sure they’ve answered every question and solved every problem we’ve ever thrown at them. And on top of all that, their fees are quite competitive for us!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Auto Repair Rockford IL
Who would you recommend for an auto repair shop? We do over 3 million in sales per year.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hey there Dale!
At that processing volume, almost all of our recommended processors will give you custom pricing and probably match rate quotes from other providers. I’d say Dharma (The review we are commenting on) is probably your best bet due to their high overall quality of service. All the best!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Londono brothers
Hello. Anyone can suggest me a good merchant account provider? I have lighting restoration busineas and many customers want to pay me with CC.
I currently take cc with quickbooks but my clients find the fee too high.
Thank you for your help.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Andres,
We have reviews of many excellent merchant account providers! You can compare some of our top choices or give our filtering tool a try for a more specific recommendation. Best of luck to you!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Tuffy Auto repair
Who would you recommend for a auto repair shop. we do over 1.3million in sales per year
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Danette,
Dharma or Helcim would both be able to accommodate your sales volume, and both offer excellent customer service and competitive pricing. You can read through our five star reviews of both providers here and here to help you make your decision. Good luck!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: run 3
It provides a practical shopping experience for their merchants. They offer everything you need.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: Salon Simis
Hi, Tom
Quick question Salon in Northern Virginia looking for new processing company, We take all major credit cards. Have been told bulk of credit cards are high rewards cards as we are in an affluent area. Require a tip option on cards. POS type processing , processing well in excess of $10,000.00 threshold. Any suggestions for processing companies?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Lori,
You have a few good options. At that volume, I wouldn’t recommend Square as a primary contender. And with a lot of premium rewards cards, you definitely need interchange-plus pricing to avoid the substantial downgrade surcharges that will get tacked on with a tiered quote. Dharma (read our review) could be a good fit if the MX Merchant POS app meets your needs, but you could be just as well served by Helcim (read our review) and its branded POS app, included free with the account. Both companies have similar pricing for businesses with your processing volume. You should base your decision more on which app your prefer. I’d recommend demoing them before signing up to make sure they have all the features you need. Tipping is definitely in the feature set for both, but you might find other things that make a difference to you.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Organization Name: toZion
tom… why didn’t you post my reviews of Dharma I wrote in december?? I was a customer since they started!! I had a complaint? is that why??
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Goshen,
I don’t have a record of your comment, but chances are, it wasn’t approved if our User Review and Comment Policy wasn’t followed. Please resubmit your comment and we’ll be sure to publish it, good or bad, as long as it meets the guidelines. Thanks for checking in!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
You list a 7.95 PCI compliance fee but it does not come up for Dharma on the side by side comparison.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Thanks for pointing that out! We’ve just updated the pricing on the comparison chart. Should be good now. 🙂
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom, we need a new processor to keep our costs low for our pizzeria. We use Amber POS and need smooth integrations. Mercury was great until Vantiv bought them. Elevon offered great rates on paper then downgraded every transaction due to some software issue. Looking at Dharma, Heartland and Payment Depot. Looking for good customer service and low rates. We aren’t low volume.
Any advice?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Miga,
The main thing to be aware of is that Ambur POS uses the BridgePay gateway. If you can keep your current gateway account open, great! You’ll just need a payment processor. If not, then you’ll need to open a new BridgePay gateway account, which is something your new merchant services provider can help you with. All of our top providers can work with the BridgePay gateway. My first recommendation might actually be Helcim, even though you’ve had a bad experience with Elavon in the past. Helcim works with Elavon, but the pricing is not tiered so there will not be any downgrades. Payment Depot and Dharma are also fine options. The most important thing to do is to communicate that you are using Ambur POS and need to use the BridgePay gateway. All have fair rates and good service.
Hope this helps.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom,We are looking for a domestic processor that supports international charging up to 80-90%. We contacted Dharma but they do not accept international charging above 30%. Can you please suggest us a solid domestic processor that supports that kind of international charging?Thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Sean,
I believe that Payline Data can accommodate that, depending on other variables. If not, let us know and we’ll see if we can find another option.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi, I have a membership based business and I am looking for the best, cheapest options. What would you suggest?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jeff,
I am going to send you an email right now, so please keep an eye out for it.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Was turned down today: “Dharma is unable to support businesses offering online investment training or annual memberships/packages.” $100,000/month business. Application was a waste of time.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Sylvaint,
Unfortunately investments and memberships are considered high risk. You will have better luck with a high risk processor such as Durango Merchant Services, Payline Data, and Instabill.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I have recently contacted Dharma to get information about their services and they told me they do not deal with Canadian companies at this time. I’m confused.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Clint,
I would recommend taking a look at Helcim.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
It needs to be made clear in your review that dharma does not deal with merchants who process less than $10,000 per month (at least what’s they told me yesterday). Otherwise the vast majority of nonprofits will waste their time researching Dharma like I did.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Apologies for the confusion. We actually did have a blurb that mentioned it, but it was removed in our recent update of Dharma’s review. We’ll go ahead and put it back in.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
So any recommendations on lower volume non-profit companies? We are a church and want to start online offering. Thanks!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Melody, thanks for your inquiry. We have a blog post all about non-profit’s here: Nonprofit Card Processing Discounts Can Mean Big Savings Go ahead and read it if you’re interested in learning more. Otherwise, if you trust my advice, I would say that Dharma Merchant Services is your best option for a non-profit.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Which company is best for a small company (under $10,000 a month) that uses both eCommerce and mobile payment systems equally?
I used the tool but it would only works for one choice.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Deborah,
It can be kind of complicated in that scenario, depending on exactly how the businesses are handled. Helcim is a good bet for both, as is CDGcommerce.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
What about Heartland?They process nonprofit accounts up to $25,000 a year for free – at cost/no markup. Also none of the junk fees you see above. Surprised by some of the favorites your site has – makes me think it’s not really objective.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Will,
I’ve never heard of that program at Heartland and was unable to find any information about it. For retail accounts Dharma stacks up competitively against Heartland and other processors, with the added benefit of consistency. Because we don’t refer to individual representatives, the companies we feature have to offer very consistent pricing and terms for us to be able to recommend them broadly. I will contact Heartland to see if they offer such a pricing incentive for non-profits and what scheduled or incidental fees would apply.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Depends, but likely Heartland. No processing mark-up for small charities (under $30k yearly).
Read that again: ZERO profit (no monthly fees, minimum, % markup, transaction fees).
I don’t think it’s the same for larger charities, but at least the local representative I work with has been much better than any option out there period. Maybe it’s because he’s worked with nonprofits, but the rates and intelligence of how they set up places down here definitely makes me think it’s the best. I just really can’t endorse that much of a profit markup on small charities – monthly fees and a lot of cost.
If big processors offer better solutions how is dharma the most “ethical” processor?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
This review has flaws. It says Dharma Supports Clover but below is reply from one of Dharma’s associates.
Clover systems are non-transferrable. It’s actually one of the main reasons Dharma has chosen not to support Clover .
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Sundeep,
Thank you for writing in about this. I will correct the review today.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Tom, I am currently with Flagship Merchant Svs. Though I haven’t had a problem with them, I was exploring whether I could find a lower rate.
We are a small counseling private practice, just me and my husband. Our average charge ranges between $140 and $560 per transaction. Monthly our volume is between $5000 and $8500 with the average over the last 6 months being $6500/month. We recently stopped taking insurance so our charge volume will be rising. Last month our volume was $9500.
Our total merchant fees over the last 6 months have been average about $275/month. (We are on a tiered system.)
I would love to use Dharma, but it looks like we might be too small for them. Flint sounded good but the comments below your review made it sound not very good. Should we stay with Flagship or contact Dharma and see if they would accept us? Or look at another company besides Flint? Thanks for your help.
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Hi Tom,
Any recommendations for a low volume business that has steady growth (not high growth but steady)? I was looking at Dharma given the great comments but it looks like their fees are quite high. I’d like a good merchant processor who has good service like Dharma but with fees that are feasible for a business that is only a few months old and with lower volumes. Thanks!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Rishi,
I would recommend taking a look at Flint or Square.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Sorry, forgot to mention, our company does online transactions so customers fill out their payment information online so don’t think flint or square will work. (We are a subscription based business)
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Hi Rishi,
We don’t have any reviews on subscription software at the moment, but I would check out Recurly. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please let me know!
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Hi Tom,
After reading your reviews I’m leaning towards Helcim or Dharma for my restaurant. It’s a small business and I’m anticipating to have somewhere between $10-$30K in card sales once it’s up and running. I was initially going to sign up with Elavon thru Costco, but after reading Elavon reviews online I was a little hesitant. I know you highly recommend going thru Helcim instead of Costco from reading your post. Then I read your (and others’) review on Dharma and was convinced this was the company for me. Unfortunately, I then searched First Data and it got even worse reviews than Elavon. “Scam”, “Run!”, and “worst customer service” were in almost every review I encountered. Now I’m back to square one and frustrated. If I go with Dharma, would I have better experience than going thru First Data directly?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Judy,
I know how confusing it can be! We have to separate First Data and Elavon as “merchant services providers” from those same companies as “payment processors.” These are two different jobs. When you sign up with Helcim or Dharma, that company will be your merchant services provider. They will set up your account, determine your fees, and help you along the way. First Data or Elavon will serve as the backend “payment processor,” which is a task they both generally do very well. The negative reviews you’ll find for First Data and Elavon are usually from businesses that signed up with these companies directly, as both merchant services provider and payment processor. By signing up through one of our trusted partners (like Dharma or Helcim), you can ensure a fair contract, fair rate, expert account setup, and quality support.
I hope this helps! Good luck.
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Hi. I would appreciate your advise. My sister owns a day spa – haircuts, nails, massages – etc. They process about 25 – 30 transactions/$2000 a day for their clients – 6 days a week. Currently they accept Discover, MasterCard & Visa. They use QuickBooks for their accounting. They do not accept Amex or rewards cards. Based on this information can you recommend the best option for them in terms of cost for merchant processing services.
Thank you for your help in advance.
Kevin in CT
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Hi Tom!,
First off I would like to say that I am a business owner of about 14 years and my business processes about 120K per month in credit cards. We currently use Dharma with authorize.net. It has been a decent experience but we know there is more savings potential out there. It has come to my attention that we can save quite a bit of money by switching from the tiered system, to the flat fee systems such as paymentdepot.com
I just got done reading your review and the associated comments for paymentdepot.com and in my basic research, it looks like our savings will be roughly above $1,000 savings per month, by switching from Dharma to paymentdepot.com . I am also checking out fattmerchant.com which is roughly the same cost, maybe slightly more. Both companies seem legit. For small business people like me, it comes down to the bottom line most of the times. Ethics and morales of Dharma seen good, but if we can save $1000 a month or more, with a seamless and safe transition, it is time to switch. Your feedback Tom?
Thanks for your insights and deep knowledge on this subject. It is greatly appreciated.
F
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Frank,
Glad to help! Here’s my thought. If you are satisfied with the service from Dharma and are only looking to change for the possibility of lower rates, the first thing to do is to get a rate quote from a different processor (like Payment Depot in this case). Then you can take that quote to Dharma and say that you would like for them to match this rate quote or you will need to switch providers to save the extra money (which is totally understandable!). This will give Dharma the opportunity to match the savings (which they probably will be able to do, I’d bet, but it depends). If they can’t – and you can’t identify any extra value that Dharma is giving you that you wouldn’t get elsewhere – then it might be time to switch. The transition between Dharma and Payment Depot, if that ends up being the best solution, should be easy because they use the same processing network and offer the same gateway.
Hope this helps!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
If Payment Depot charges $79/month membership fee, but Dharma, for example, charges a 0.10% per transaction margin, wouldn’t Dharma always be cheaper unless you process more than $79,000 per month?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Joe,
If Provider A charges a $20 monthly fee + 0.20% markup + $0.10/trans and Provider B charges a $99 monthly fee + 0.00% markup + $0.10/trans, then — assuming all other fees and services are equal — at $39,500/mo the cost will be exactly equal for both. Every dollar over that saves incrementally more when using Provider B. Every dollar under saves for Provider A.
Hope this helps.
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Hi, I want to know more about Dharma. How it works.? How will I contact them ? Am looking for mobile transfer? Kindly, help and recommend plz.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Ishan,
You can visit the Dharma site here, or call the number listed at the top of this review. They are easy to talk to!
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Hi Tom,
I’m looking at changing cc processing companies and have two in mind, Optimal Bankcard and Flagship Merchant Services. I process between 10K and 30K a month. It seems almost all of these companies have horrible reviews to some extent. Would you have a recommendation between the two?
Thanks ~ Joe
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Joe,
Honestly I’d suggest that you give our merchant account finder a try instead. There are better options out there.
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Hi Tom, I am searching for a new cc processor that will give me straightforward info without a lot of confusion and salesmanship. Someone told us about Hot Rod Processing- I am a little skeptical and haven’t been able to find much one way or another about them. Any feedback?
Thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Briggs,
I don’t get a good feeling about Hod Rod Processing. Our top rated providers are all really straight forward, no-nonsense, gimmick-free processing companies. We only recommend providers that don’t make any outrageous claims and don’t use any high-pressure sales tactics. Your best best for finding the perfect fit for your business is to use our interactive questionnaire. At the end it will match you with the best one for your business.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I own a physical therapy clinic and have been using Dharma for just over a year. I swear I don’t work for Dharma. Theses guys are fabulous. I average about 2.2% per month on an average of 12k in sales. I have had to call Dharma about a half dozen times since I started for various things. No joke, you call and someone answers every time. They don’t transfer you to anyone else and there’s no phone tree. Whoever answers the phone helps you with your problem. Have you ever heard of such a thing!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Would you do a review on a payment processing company called BluePay.com Thanks!
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Matt,
We have a review of BluePay here…https://www.merchantmaverick.com/reviews/bluepay-processing-review/
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Hi Tom,
I own a small electonic cigarette shop for over a year in a half and is averageing over $10,000. using Square. Months after months I’ve been searching for a merchant that deals in retail and commerce and I’m getting confused with all the rates and regulations from all different companies. I’m also looking for a POS that doesn’t charge me up the ying yang. I hope with your expertise you can guide me through the process.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
We are a New Microbrewery in California. We are looking at processing over $20,000 a month. Looking at the average tasting room transaction $16-20. Even more on Keg sales and deposits. We have been looking at many companies, POS system, Credit/Debit Card machine, Clover, Micros, Harbortouch and more. We just got a email for Dhamra. But we had a sit down with Wells Fargo Bank. My brain is about to explode with information. One thing I like about Dhamra is no complaints. Wow. Pacific Islander Beer Company
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Ku’uipo,
I just sent you an email about the POS system. As for merchant account, Dharma is a great option. We recently launched a tool that will help you narrow your options, if you’d like to give it a try.
Take care,
Amad
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Really appreciate the info offered here. I have a small seasonal travel business, currently not accepting credit cards, primarily because have not found a company that caters to seasonal activity (would only be processing fees in April-July. Amounts are hefty–$2 K to $8 K. I don-t want a terminal, just an easy way for clients to pay that doesn’t require a complicated system. Thank you.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
K Anne,
We recently launched a tool to help our readers find the right merchant account for their business. Please give it a try and let us know what you think.
Take care,
Amad
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Hi Tom,
Thank you for all of your reviews. I am running a small restaurant with monthly sale from $45k ~$60k and currently using Alpha Card service to process card payment. the cost of using Alpha Card is getting higher every month (nearly 2k in monthly fee for all Visa/Master/Discover and Amex plus other rental fees). I am looking to change my merchant provider, what is your suggestion between CDG, Helcim and Dharma? Thank you.
Mike
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Mike,
Sorry for the delay. All three have great service. For your business Dharma would be the top choice, followed by Helcim. Just make sure that it is compatible with your current POS system. Both of them are compatible with most systems, but it’s always worth asking. Either way, you should be paying significantly less after you switch.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom ,
Thank you for your reply. Do you think paymentdepot with its flat rate fee is better than the Interchange-plus pricing from Dharma?
Thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Mike,
I’m going to send you a quick email for some more info.
-Tom
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Hello, I love your article. I am a small business with sales about 3-5k per month. I am now with a company called bank card USA. Been with them for about a month before it was strip but they decided the product I sell is high risk and discontinued business with me thought I’ve never had any charge backs or complaints. I swiched to bank card USA things were going good for about a month then with no notice or no warning they froze my account and stop transferring funds to me. That was 3 weeks ago. Still have not released my money. I have submitted all documents they have requested and assured me this was “standard practice ” on all new merchant account. I try to call daily but never get a hold of the person who’s over my account. They have 2,500 of my money and it is quite frustrating. Can you suggest a good company for me and that would fit my business. I sell hair weave extensions.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I have just recently closed my account with First Data and have been looking for a new card processor. I have talked to numerous salespeople for several months before coming across your reviews about different merchant services. I really like what I have read about Dharma and Helcim but I am not sure which is the best fit for me or if either one is a good fit. I am a small retail business. I sell chainsaw carvings but also small gift items so my products will range from $1.99 to several thousand dollars. My average sale for gift items is about $20 – $30 and the average price for carvings are about $100 – $300. But with the economy like it is and my products being luxury items that people can do without, it is mostly $20- $30 items selling. I also offer layaway so even if an expensive item sells a lot of time they will put it on layaway and make partial payments on the item. I am seasonal with most of my business in the summer months. I am in a vacation location so when the kids are in school from mid August to mid May, my business is very slow. In the winter, I will only open on the warmer days when people may be visiting the area and sometimes close in Jan and Feb depending on the weather. In the summer months I may process $2,000 – $3,000 per month but the rest of the year it is under $1,000 per month. But 90% of my customers pay with a credit or debit card. I don’t have a smartphone or a reliable tablet to use so I would want to do it on a terminal. Since I don’t process at least $10,000 per month it doesn’t sound like Dharma would be a good fit. So I was thinking about Helcim. Would either one be a good fit for me. I haven’t been able to take cards since February and my season is fasting approaching. Meanwhile I have been loosing sells from not having a terminal. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi again Tina,
Just saw this previous comment. I 100% think that Helcim would be a great option for you. Thanks again for the comment on the Helcim review.
-Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Thanks Tom
I did call them both today (Dharma and Helcim) before I received your reply and I was leaning towards Helcim. Then I got your e-mail saying that you 100% thought Helcim was right. Thanks for getting back to me and giving your opinion. I feel better knowing that I was on the right track. Thanks for helping me make the decision.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom
I just open up a new tires shop never had a business what so ever and I want make sure I get the right merchant that will not screw me over with all of their hidden fees and then I would be left with little to no profit on my merchandise. What processing company would you recommend?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Yuri,
We have a great filtering tool that you can try here. If you have further questions please let us know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom,
I run an IT company in CT (a Managed Services Provider of MSP). We sell hardware, software and services to our clients. We have been using Authorize.net and Commerce Bank Systems. The fees are hard to understand, all over the place and its getting expensive. Wanted your thoughts on who might be a good fit to switch to based on the following services our clients pay us for;
Hardware & Software – from hundreds of dollars per month up to around $20k occaisionally
Services – clients pay us a set monthly fee to take care of all of there problems with computers, applications, etc – hundreds to around $3-$4k per month depending on the client.
We currently key in all transactions when clients call in to pay their bills. No need for swipe. We do plan on changing our website so clients can pay via link on site.
Any thoughts on who might be a good fit for us would be great.
Signed
“Trapped in a Tier”
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Glad to help.
The simplest solution will be to switch merchant account providers while keeping the Authorize.Net gateway. This is especially true if you currently have customers set up with recurring billing. If you change gateways, all of the recurring bills will have to be re-entered and re-authorized. Most of the fees come from the merchant account and not the gateway, so you can significantly decrease overall cost without switching the gateway in most cases.
The good news here is that Authoize.Net is compatible with just about every payment processor. If you think you’ll consistently be doing $10K+ per month and you’d like to continue to use the Authorize.Net gateway, I’d suggest checking out Dharma. If you’d consider changing gateways and would like to save a little more, consider CDGcommerce. They will set you up with a gateway at no additional fee.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
-Tom
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Hi Tom,
I do have a restaurant and working with Bank of America merchant service for 3 years,
and looking for another merchant service provider for better pricing.what would you recommend for a mid size restaurant?
thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Dogan,
We have a great filtering tool that you can try here. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please let us know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I have a collection agency and of course im having problems getting a decent merchant,ive never had complaints or a charge back who would your recommend
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jerron,
Check out Durango Merchant Services or Payline Data. They both set up “high-risk” accounts with fair rates and fees.
Good luck,
Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
hi tom can you suggest any merchant for tech support business and its available for INDIA .
pleased mail me schandan8@gmail.com
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi,
Send us a message about this and we’ll get back to you. You can also check out this article for information about Indian tech support merchant accounts.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom,
Very helpful postings and comments, thanks for making this information available.
I am looking for a merchant services company to recommend to my customers. SotalCloud is an Online Video Platform (OVP) and we help video content owners create a “Netflix” like experience, to further monetize their video content.
I am looking for a company that can meet the needs of most of my clients. They charge a monthly subscription, or transaction fees for VOD and live feeds. The charges at between 1.99-29.99, with some PPV events that might be up to 69.99
We make their content available world wide, so need options for multiple currencies, and to work with transactions outside USA and Canada
Many of my clients are not technical, and looking for a company that has a complete and simple sign up process, secure, easy to manage, and simple accounting (no hidden charges or complicated billing.) Customer support access and one of your “5 star” vendors.
Finally, a fair and competitive pricing model
Sorry for lengthy post, trying to give you data to help narrow down recommendations
Thanks again for the blog and any advice you can provide
Regards,
Russell Foy
SotalCloud Inc
russell@sotalcloud.com
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Russell,
Have you checked out Braintree? That will be the absolute simplest, most flexible option for this application. Depending on how the integration is executed a web developer might be needed, but it depends. Check them out.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I currently process through B of A and I am tired of using them and they have terrible customer service. My CC sales avergae 25k to 60k a month, depending on season. Do you think Dharma would be a good fit for my small business? thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Autumn,
I hear you about issues with BofA’s payment processing (BofA MS). We hear a lot of complaints about them. Based on the info you’ve provided, I think Dharma could be a good fit. The only businesses I don’t recommend Dharma to are low volume businesses, but for your volume Dharma would be an appropriate selection. And their customer service is about a million times better than Bank of America Merchant Services.
Good luck,
Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I just opened my company but it’s hard to find a merchant company that deals with high risk companies. Brain tree made me change my 1-7 year subscription memberships to only 1 year and pay pal denied me a virtual terminal. I have two parts of my company that uses monthly membership billing for members as well as published company books. my company will have tickets as low as $12.50 and as high as 4k an average ticket would be between 1500-2500 ideally though. But our monthly cc transactions could range from 50k-70k. What merchant provider would be best for my company.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Reggie,
Check out Payline Data. They do a great job with high-risk companies. If it doesn’t work out there, another good option is Durango Merchant Services. If neither works out, come back and we can try to figure out another option.
Good luck,
Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hello Tom,
I am in the process of selecting a new merchant service provider. My business is a salon and spa, in business since 2001. Currently I have Chase as my merchant service. 90% of our transactions are swiped, 10% are through our website. The business does roughly $100,000 annually. Can you suggest a compatible company with interchange rate structure
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Debra,
Aside from Dharma (who wants a $10K per month estimated card volume) our other preferred providers can all handle this kind of account well and at a similar cost. Helcim and CDGcommerce would be two good options to consider. Both offer interchange-plus with no junk fees or hidden fees, and both work well with swiped and e-commerce transactions. No monthly minimum fees, no minimum volumes.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Great review Tom. One thing I didn’t see though was how they process American Express. We are doing 500k+ a month with a low volume of charges and out of that about half is American Express due mostly to their high limits. Also didn’t see if they offer next day deposits.
Cheers.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Daryl,
Amex pricing is in a state of transition now. Previously Amex pricing was fixed and controlled only by American Express. But now they started using a system called OptBlue, which works more like the pricing structure used by Visa and Mastercard, i.e. a “wholesale” price offered to the processor, who in turn adds a markup in the form of interchange-plus or a tiered plan. While the pricing still depends on your business type (as it always has), the fact that this opens the door for cost-plus pricing on Amex transactions is great news for business owners. Dharma offers this pricing system, and you can read more about it in this article they posted about OptBlue.
Dharma does offer next-day funding for many businesses, but it depends on your business type. If you give them a call, they’ll be glad to talk to you about it before signing.
Hope this helps! Good luck. And feel free to shoot us a request if you need more help choosing.
-Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
My wife is setting up a new brick and mortar flowershop. I have been reading through your reviews and my mind is a mess. We are anticipating sales over 10K a month but being a new business that is not guaranteed. Dharma sounds like a great business to deal with but I see they partner with Moneris. Why not deal directly with Moneris? Also I am not sure what POS software to go with that would integrate well with the different payment processors. Too many questions!!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jim,
Thanks for writing in.
If you are on the fence about the $10K monthly in card payments, you should talk to Dharma directly via a phone call to see if they will be a good fit or not. The major benefits of dealing with a company like Dharma instead of directly with the processor are as follows:
The POS question is slightly trickier to answer. But, for the most part, compatibility isn’t a big issue. Even if the default set up that the processor offers won’t work with a particular POS, there is usually a workaround. But with that said, it would be good to select the POS you want first, and then consider payment processing. This will help you to keep your options open in the POS arena. Check out our POS reviews for some good options. If you’d like some more help choosing, submit this form and we can help.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
We were quoted 1% higher than anything listed on their website. At a rate of 3.95% they were not competitive at all.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Laurel,
I’m surprised to hear that. Didn’t they give you an interchange-plus quote? Do you mean that your effective rate (when accounting for all fees) was 3.95%?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I have been using Dharma Merchant Services for credit card processing for my acupuncture practice for almost 3 years now. They are an outstanding company. When I was researching potential credit card processors, my experience with DMS was the complete opposite of my experience with the other 3 or 4 companies I looked at closely. They were up front with all of the information I needed to make an informed decision, and they explained things in a way that made sense. I have been extremely satisfied with their service. In addition to everything being exactly as promised when I signed up, they are very helpful whenever I have a question or need help with something, which is not often because everything works so smoothly and logically. I highly recommend Dharma, and I am very grateful that I found them. As others have said, if I could give them more than 5 stars, I would!
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Tom – Lots of great information on this site. Thanks! I volunteer at a local American Legion and we need to update our POS system and merchant service. We are a non profit. We currently have legacy hardware with a local POS provider. Our POS provider only allows us to use one merchant service provider, Pivotal Payments. We would like to look at a cloud based system with one POS in our lounge and an additional printer for our kitchen. We are firewalled and can go hardwired or WIFI. We 10K to 12K consistently a month in credit card transactions. Dharma sounds great , but would this be our best solution?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Paul,
Glad you’ve found our reviews helpful! Dharma can set you up with a major processor and gateway combo that should work with the vast majority of POS systems. The only way to know what the compatibility situation will be is to first select the POS you want to use. Check out our cloud-based POS reviews, and if you need more help choosing submit this form and we’ll get in touch!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hey Tom
I’m starting a service based cleaning business in 4 months and I’m looking at merchant options. All of my transactions that are paid with a card will be mobile as I will always be at the customers place of business. I will start off with very few transactions but plan to have around $10k a month by the end of the first year. I’m looking at what would be best for the type of business I have and I appreciate your expertise and reviews. What would you suggest? Thank you!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Blake,
I good starting place for a new business with mobile transactions would be Flint. They offer basic functionality and lack some of the capabilities of other systems, but for most businesses like your it’s a perfect solution. Check out the review and see if you think you can get by with their offering. Down the line you may decide to upgrade to a different service, but it’s nice to start out with something like Flint.
For a secondary option, consider PayLine Data. It will likely be a little bit more expensive, but there are some additional capabilities included.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom.
For a healthcare provider starting a business and looking for a merchant account, what do you suggest? It’s frustrating to call these companies and not get straight answers about the fees. The virtual option would be nice as to allow clients to make monthly payments for their care without the staff having to swipe a card. Any suggestions?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
This will depend on your volume to some extent, and what tools you’d find useful. Any of our preferred providers will be able to set you up with a virtual terminal so that you can accept payments over the phone. Most of them can also give you the ability to set up recurring payments, in case you have any clients that will pay the same amount every month. Dharma is great, but your volume might not be high enough to make them the best option. You should check out PayJunction and Helcim. PayJunction has a bunch of features you might find useful, and Helcim is just an overall cost-effective and reliable provider.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
-Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom,
I run a retail business processing 80k-120k in credit card sales per month. My average sales amount is $375. I have recently started to review what seemed to be a good merchant rate. After trying to educate myself on fees and charges I am not so sure anymore. Does Dharma offer volume discount? Or can you suggest anyone else? Thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jim,
Absolutely. Dharma can review your recent processing statements and give you a competitive customized interchange-plus rate quote based on your volume and transaction types. At your volume, you will qualify for something lower than their advertised baseline rate. Most (or all) of our favorite providers will be willing to provide lower rates for higher volume merchants. If you’d like some more help, submit this form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom,
My husband and I currently own a small automotive shop. We currently have our merchant services with Bank of America but are looking to switch. Our monthly credit card amounts range from 5K-8K. Do you believe that Dharma would be a good fit or do you recommend any other for a small business such as the one we have? Thanks!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Claudia,
Dharma is great, but for your particular volume and business type my first recommendation would be to check out Helcim. They offer a very cost-effective solution along with great customer service and fair contract terms.
Good luck,
Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Tom
I just took time and breath since my hotel is seasonal and look on statement from the fist date. I’m shocked by fees and expenses that are absolutely not categories for what. I called them but looked like we playing a game cat and mouse. It is my fault that I let go so long.
But this not what I want to write about. I made for several days a research and got two company from a huge pool of them. I think I like there pricing and business practicing of two of them.
The fist one is Fattmerchant.com and Dharma Merchant Services.
Which one will be better for my business. I have a small seasonal hotel for almost 10 years. Most of tractions are swept, monthly average about $45.000. I hope, I not missed anything that help you give me a dissent answer. Thank you Nina
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Nina,
We haven’t formally reviewed Fattmerchant yet, but from what I’ve seen they look like a good company. As a point of comparison, you might also want to check out Payment Depot, which has a similar pricing system.
Dharma would be a good option for you. And they offer seasonal downtime, so you won’t have to pay for the months your account is not in use. If you choose Fattmerchant, make sure they can do this as well.
I think you’re on the right track. If you need more help, submit this form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Good luck,
Tom
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We have been using Dharma for about 3 months now. After reading the review here I decided to give them a shot, but I am now regret my decision. The interchange-plus rates in addition to countless fees (that no one here mentions) have driven my processing rate up to over 4%. In addition, Dharma is charging me $20/mos for a PCI non-compliance fee…huh? Needless to say we are now making arrangements to switch processors, and throw caution to the wind for anyone considering to use their service.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Chris,
I’m surprised to hear that. I’ve spoken to many of Dharma’s customers and for businesses with a volume of over $10K per month, it’s usually a great deal. The non-compliance fee can be avoided by completing the PCI questionnaire. If you contact Dharma about this, they can help you to do it. If you have a moment, could you let us know what other fees you are being charged? There are some fees that are passed along to you from the card networks (all providers charge these fees), but I haven’t seen Dharma charge junk fees for profit, so I’d be interested to hear about your experience.
Dharma’s customer service is generally outstanding, so you might also consider asking them to review your rates if you think your account was not set up in a cost-effective manner based on your volume and processing habits.
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This is an amazing review…unfortunately my POS provider does not integrate with them. Is there a way around this?
According to your reviews, the merchant providers they do use start at 4 Stars 🙁
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Nancy,
Have you talked to Dharma directly about this? They use a number of different processors to set up accounts, so they can integrate with most major POS systems. So if you have not already, reach out to them at sales@dharmams.com or call at (866) 615-5157. If they can’t get you set up with your POS, let me know what POS you use and I’ll give you some other options.
Best,
Tom
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Hi Tom ~
Thanks for getting back to me ~ we are looking at the Revel system. Currently use POS Lavu and Mercury, but always open to other options…
Nancy
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Hi Nancy,
Revel has good compatibility too, since the USAePay gateway is a popular one. If you submit this form we can help you figure out how to approach this!
-Tom
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Hi again Nancy,
I just saw your comment on the POS Lavu review. You’ll be able to use Dharma with POS Lavu by utilizing one of Lavu’s supported gateways (listed here). Dharma uses Authorize.Net primarily (which is supported), but they will allow you to keep your current gateway if desired. (You can switch processors without switching gateways.) You also have the option of opening a new separate gateway account. If you depend on other integrations, you should try to use a “preferred” gateway to make sure all/most integrations are compatible.
Hope this helps!
Tom
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Thank you for all of the useful information here. Your review of Dharma has me thinking that this seems like just the sort of company that we like to do business with but with our unusual circumstances, not sure if it is the best fit. We are a small greenhouse grower producing flowering plants. We sell to the general public only 3 months out of the year and nearly all of our cc transactions would occur during that time. Though we’ve been in business for over 20 years, we’ve never accepted credit cards. We do about 150K in business during those 3 months but have no idea how much of that will be through credit cards. Our average ticket is about $90. Your thoughts?
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Hi Dennis,
Thanks for reading! All of our favorite providers, Dharma included, will allow you to have seasonal downtime. This will allow you to avoid paying fees during months you know you will be inactive. Beyond that, as long as you will be processing over $10K in card payment transactions, Dharma will suit you just fine. They can be a little pricey for ecommerce business sometimes, but retail accounts like the one you’ll need are always very fairly priced at Dharma. Plus their customer service is exceptional and their business model is commendable. Hard to beat that.
So I’d say check out Dharma first. If for some reason they can’t get you set up (your lack of processing history may be a factor), then come back and we’ll figure something else out. Or if you’d like more help you can submit this form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
Good luck!
Tom
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Thank you Tom
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Tom,I’m sorry, but your high rating of this company is flawed. I called their “sister” company, Flint, and kept getting disconnected. Their phone system is terrible.As for Dharma, they don’t even have a phone number to call. Everything is apparently done via e-mail. Call me old fashioned, but a lot less gets misunderstood via direct verbal transactions.If a company can’t or won’t have customer service readily available, and initial on hold time, before getting disconnected is over 5 minutes, those are companies that business people should run from, not to.
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Hi Bill,
I completely agree with you that being able to talk to a live person during account sign up is critical, and that data accuracy during this process is essential. This is actually a big part of why we hold Dharma in such high esteem.
It should be noted that Flint is a completely separate company from Dharma, and the customer support Flint offers (while much better than most mobile processors), does not live up to the same standard as Dharma.
Dharma’s application process starts online, but they have extremely reliable service reps available by phone, and are glad to handle the entire process via phone. They have the pre-application primarily online in order to streamline the process and avoid miscommunications of critical information (self-entered spelling and data is much more reliable and accurate than verbally communicated data).
If you go to the application page, you’ll see their sales phone number listed. [It’s (866) 615-5157.]
I hope this helps, and I’m confident that you’ll have a much better experience with Dharma’s phone support than you had with Flint.
Take care and let us know how it goes. If you need additional help choosing the best provider, submit this form and we’ll get in touch with you ASAP.
Good luck,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
I am looking to switch to a new merchant services provider. Currently on Bank of America. I do roughly 30-35k per month in card transactions. I have two offices, so about 16-17k per month in each. I would say 80% of our transactions are over the phone. Currently, including equipment leases and tiered pricing, I’m paying 850-950 per month! Can you recommend a good provider for me? I’ve looked at your 5-star ones and can’t decide which would be the best. I need 2-terminals (EMV ready and Apple Pay if possible) — one for each office. Want to buy the terminals.
Thanks,
Todd
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Apologies for the delay on this Todd,
Any of our top rated guys would be a great choice for what you’re looking for. I just sent you an email to discuss further.
Best,
Amad
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Tom,
first let me say I LOVE your honest reviews. I am seeking help with what merchant service provider would best fit my needs. I currently have an account using Ipayment/First data. Words can not express my dislike for them in MANY areas! I have been processing with them for about 5 years. I have a MOTO account. Most all of my transactions are keyed or our clients go online to our shopping cart and process their payments. I use Volusion and Authorized.net. I love Volusion and Authorize.net but Ipayment/First data are becoming to much to deal with. When my account was started several years ago I had a monthly average of 5K. I surpassed that years ago. My monthly average is now and has been for a very long time of 7k up to 20k depending on the months and my daily tickets can range from as low as 21.50 for a single permit or has high as sometime 2,500 if setting up 3 or 4 trucks for a company to run all 48 states. I know this might sound strange but I process State and Federal Permits and DOT compliance filings for trucking companies and owner ops. I think I am what is called High risk because of the MOTO. In the renewal months it is very likely that we will process 17-20k easily. During the non renewal months and just bringing on new clients if a slow month then we at least process between 5-10k. Who would you recommend for a moto high risk provider that will allow me to process tickets up to at least 2,500 if need be and 20k Monthly? At this point I am ready to try anyone but Ipayment/First data.
Thank you so much.
Sam
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Samantha,
Thanks for checking out our site. Glad to help! You are in a good position to switch. Staying with Volusion and Authorize.Net still leaves you with a ton of great options. There’s no need to stick with First Data. As long as you stay with the Authorize.net gateway, you’ll be able to keep all of the stored payment info and existing recurring payments (if you have these) without having to regather it all.
For a high-risk account like yours, my go-to provider is Payline Data. One of their specialties is high-risk accounts, and beyond that they are incredibly honest, helpful, and easy to work with. There shouldn’t be a problem if you choose to stay with Authorize.Net, but they might suggest that you switch to their gateway to save you money. Their gateway features an Authorize.Net emulator, which makes changing over exceptionally easy. So that’s something to think about and talk to Payline about.
If Payline ends up not being right for you, come back and we’ll figure something else out.
Good luck!
-Tom
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Thanks so much Tom! I will check them out!
Sam
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Hello Tom,
We are a new business and have no idea of what are monthly volume of credit card transactions will be. I have been doing some shopping and have negotiated some great numbers from looking at others and from where I started but I am just still not sure whom to use. We are a commercial embroidery business and I will need a Mobile Account with card reader for phone or tablet and a ecommerce Website account.
I have negotiated as low as .20% + interchange and .10 cents per transaction for both accounts with one company on here that did have some not so good reviews.
Just need some guidance and suggestions before I sign on the dotted line.. Have any recommendations… I see that Dharma is highly recommended but looks like they have a monthly minimum amount 1k + etc. and I just don’t know how much in CC we will be doing.
Please help..
Thank you
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Vernon,
0.20% + $0.10 over interchange is a perfectly reasonable quote, especially considering it will cover your ecommerce and mobile sales. It’s actually on the low side, so be on the look out for other fees. Be careful that there is no monthly minimum fee on your account. Hopefully your monthly fee is between $10 and $25, preferably with no additional fees for PCI compliance, no additional gateway fees, and no early termination fee.
Even good companies can end up with a few bad reviews and some dishonest agents, just be careful and make sure you read the imporant parts of your contract thoroughly. You may also consider asking your agent for references. If it doesn’t feel right to you, here’s what you can do. Get your rate/fee quote in writing, and then take the quote to a different provider. They will almost certainly be willing to match it to gain your business.
Good luck,
Tom
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Tom,
I appreciate you straight forward approach to reviewing the merchant account service providers. I would like some assistance on what would be best for us. We are a salvage company that sells used automotive parts. We have used a credit/debit card machine for about one year now and the charges are so hard to understand and some of them are from previous months that we don’t understand. We would like to change providers, currently we have $2000 to $2500 average monthly sales on the machine. We don’t do payments online. Currently we have First Data and how is the best way to proceed with termination of their services? I look forward to any of your suggestions or ideas. Thanks so Much!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tammy,
In your contract there are likely specific terms and instructions relating to termination. To get the most accurate information, you should refer to the contract. The section heading will probably have the word “termination” in it.
But in terms of standard procedure, here’s how it works. Your initial contract term is probably for three years, at which point it will auto-renew for one year periods. There is likely an early termination fee attached to the contract, from $100 to $500. It sounds like you probably haven’t exhausted the initial contract term yet, so there is likely no way around the early termination fee. You can try to get it waived, but it’s unlikely that you will be able to.
You will need to submit a written request for cancellation, preferably delivered by fax and/or certified mail. You can call customer service to see if they have a particular form they would like you to use. If they drag their feet in providing you with the form, just write up your own request. If your machine is on a non-cancelable lease (as First Data leases often are), DO NOT send it back. You will be charged for the remainder of the lease term either way, so you might as well continue to use the machine. Your new provider can reprogram it for you. If it is a cancelable rental, however, then you should return it upon request to avoid being charged for the value of the machine.
Lastly, you will want to keep a close eye on your bank account. If they continue to draft fees from it, you should call customer service immediately.
As for new providers for you, check out Helcim and Payline Data.
Hope this helps!
Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Tom,I am starting a consulting business and looking for a payment processing solution. I plan to be billing at least $5,000 monthly within the next 6 months on charges between $100 on up depending on the frequency. It will be mostly credit cards. I need the functionality to be able to key in their payment directly or send them a link via email where they can pay on their own. Also as I grow, I will need the functionality for recurring payments as well. Any thoughts on who you would recommend would be most helpful and love your site.Kind regards,Karla
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Karla,
You might consider Payment Depot. They will give you access to a virtual terminal (for keying in payment from a computer or mobile web browser) as well as recurring payment and card info storage functionality at no additional cost. It’s a great company to grow with. As a comparison point, check out CDGcommerce, also a great company to work with.
If you’re interested in e-invoicing, check out our invoicing software reviews.
Hope this helps. Good luck!
-Tom
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Thank you for the information. It’s very much appreciated!!
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Hello again Tom,
I have a small Black Car transportation service. Currently using an outdated 3rd party processing company. I charge client’s cards (via) phone systems. I’m believe I am paying way too much per transaction and additional monthly fees. PCL fees alone are $99. per yr. and $15. per month, which goes up to $24.99 per month if not compliant..
Which company would you recommend I utilize for business or review?
Thanks in advance!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Dee,
Sorry for the delay in reply. Have you checked out CDGcommerce? They provide a free gateway and virtual terminal (which sounds like maybe all you need) plus a low monthly fee and competitive rates. Dharma might end up being slightly more expensive for you, but they provide really exceptional service. As a third option, take a look at Payment Depot. Depending on your processing habits, they often produce great savings and really predictable fees.
Good luck,
Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
I am looking at finding a new credit card processor. I currently have First Data but have had very poor customer service from them. I have USAepay gateway for my POS software system and have to keep that gateway. I also have an e-commerce website and have another First Data account that processes those credit cards. Do you have any recommendations for me?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Dannette,
Our preferred providers will have no trouble letting you use your existing USAepay gateway and your current POS (but you should always ask your account rep to confirm this before signing up, just to be safe). Dharma is a great provider, so definitely check them out. You might also want to take a look at Payment Depot and Helcim.
Good luck!
-Tom
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Hi Tom
We are a Web development and Tech. support company from India. our customer base is in US only. Could you please confirm if Dharma provide services in India. or if you can suggest any other merchant account which can help us get best payment gateway like authorize.net or first data.
Sincerely
Fateh Chahal
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Fateh,
Dharma will not be able to set up an account in India, but we can help connect you with someone who can. Send us a message and we’ll see if we can find a good solution for you.
Take care,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
Like many I am very confused as to whom to pick to process credit card transactions.
We would love to partner with dharma and find their ethical foundation to be right in line with ours. Unfortunately I do not think we will meet their $10,000/month processing requirement.
Here is some information about who we are and what we are looking for.
We have a website currently that is promoting our project, but has no products for sale at this time.
We are looking to sell children’s books on a webpage.
We need to be able to process domestic and international credit cards and PayPal.
We are not a 501c3, but our profits from book sales will benefit a museum and children in South Africa.
We would greatly appreciate your guidance in this matter.
Thank you for your time and consideration…
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jim,
You might consider Ethix Merchant Services or Payline Data. They both donate a portion of the proceeds from your account fees to charitable organizations, which is nice, plus both do a great job setting up accounts with honesty and integrity. PayPal processing fees will always be determined by PayPal, and the extent to which clean integration is possible will depend on how your website is set up. But one way or another, you’ll be able to accept all the payment types you mentioned with either of these providers.
Let us know if you have any other questions!
Best,
Tom
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Hi. CC makes up a small portion of payments to my business. On approximately $5K per month in CC sales, I paid a total (all fees together) in 2014 of 2.54% to the merchant services company I am with. I am wondering if I should consider this relatively good or consider changing to someone like Dharma?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi William,
For $5k/month, going with a traditional merchant account like Dharma is going to end up being more expensive. Also, Dharma accepts accounts that average $10k+/month. 2.54% is definitely comparable, so you probably are’t going to find rates much lower than that. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please let me know.
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is Darma available in Canada? if not who in Canada has similar open fair contracts?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Vic,
Dharma does set up accounts in Canada, and we love their service. You can also check out Helcim if you’d like to compare.
Good luck,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
I just stated working with a new company and one of the first things I have been tasked with is to review our current processing service and potentially recommend a new processing service. We are currently using PayPal. I had begun my research by looking into a few providers (Blue Pay and Square) who have come recommended. In doing that research I stumbled on to your site and realize these two suggestions are really just the tip of the iceberg so I am hoping for some help and feedback. Some insight into the business…I would consider us a small to mid size business with about 900 transactions monthly January through October and then 1500 to 2000 transactions monthly Nov and Dec with a good amount of those transaction coming through Ebay and Amazon. I have a couple of questions for you. With a good amount of the transactions coming from Ebay/Amazon does it make sense to move to a another service provider. If I was to move to a interchange service provider how do you find out what the current interchange rates are in order to calculate your true costs? What would be your recommendations based on the limited info I have provided?
Thanks for your time!
Rob
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Have a payment gateway with Authorize.net but need a merchant account for a business that is considered “high risk” (not sure why). Which one do you recommend?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi,
You should definitely get in touch with Payline Data. They do excellent work with high risk accounts. If they can’t get you up and running let us know and we’ll figure something else out, but I’m pretty sure they’ll be able to set you up and give you a good deal.
-Tom
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Hello Tom,
I am starting a small retail shop and need help on finding a credit card processor as well as a pos system. This is my first time searching for pos systems and processor options so I am a but confused. Can you help?
Thank you in advance!!
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Hi Jenny,
Got your email! I’ll be in touch with some ideas for your business.
-Tom
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Hi Tom
I was wondering what were your thoughts on First Data’s Clover POS? Thanks
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Hey Tom,
Opening a cafe in LA , coffee and food, counter service while still running my catering business as well.
Love to get your advice on a POS system and credit processing ?
Thanks so much, Sandra
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for checking out the reviews! I’ll send you an email with some options.
-Tom
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Hi, we run a wholesale business and have just gone online and beginning to ship out some things across the country. We wish to start excepting credit cards to ease the worrying involved with giving stores 30 day terms and hoping we get a check in the mail from someone we have never dealt with. We probably will not be making that many transactions right away but certainly hope that our sales grow over the next short amount of time. Would you recommend Payment Depot for me? After reading your review of them and seeing there website I really like how they charge people and I would know exactly what it cost per transaction. One thing I will point out is that all of my transactions would need to be keyed through a virtual terminal if possible because I will be doing phone orders. No need to be able to swipe a card as I do not sell anything directly from our place of business. Thanks, and let me know what you think!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Jake,
Thanks for checking out our reviews. I’ll send you an email with some more information!
-Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hoping that you may be able to help me out a bit. I’ve been tasked with finding a new credit card processor for the business I work for (we’re currently using Square). We sell helicopter parts and perform maintenance for customers, so our charges can range from around $100 to several thousand per transaction. However, most of our transactions are paid through bank wire transfer or check, so we don’t accept credit cards on regular basis, only when there isn’t a more practical option for our customers. We may go months without a credit charge and then charge a service/parts invoice for $5,000 or so followed by inactivity again. Dharma sounds great, but it doesn’t make sense to go with a company that charges a monthly fee when we may not use it for several months and most pay-as-you-go processors (like Square or Flint) have transaction limits well below what one single charge from us would be. Not to mention the ~3% rates are not chump change for our transactions. Furthermore, from my research it seems like our frequent inactivity and high charges could easily be considered a high-risk business (despite over a decade in business and excellent credit). Do you have any suggestions for companies I should look at?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Dariana,
That definitely is a tricky situation to find a processor for. I’ll send you an email with some more information so we can figure out the best solution for you.
-Tom
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HI there- thanks for all of the info! I am a plant expert- not a credit card processing expert and have found that the more I research, the more confused I become. Just enough information to be dangerous as they say! I have a nursery/garden center. We are a seasonal business and do $45,000 per month in cc sales in the busy season and sometimes as little as $500 per month in the winter. We take all credit cards and we often have a high volume of low ticket sales. Currently I am using PNC processing with a hardware lease from First Data. That lease expires in a few months. I can’t even read my processing statements they are so confusing. Would like to start clean- can you point me in the right direction?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Laurie,
There’s so much information to sort through, it’s easy to get dizzy considering it all. But that’s what we’re here for! I’ll send you an email with some good options for your business.
-Tom
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Hi Laurie, saw your post and as we are in a similar situation, I thought I’d hit you up for whatever information you might be willing to share with us. We are a small grower retailer.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi, I have a small deli, I do anywhere from 3000-5000 a month in credit card sales, right now I use North American Bancard and my 3 years is up. They just charged me a $99.00 regulatory fee and I am not happy and want to change processors. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks, John
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi John,
I’ll send you an email today with some good options! Be careful with your timing for the current contract ending. Most contracts will auto-renew, meaning that the processor can collect the early termination fee even after the initial term is up.
-Tom
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in restaurant business for 20 yrs. we do approx 20000 to 25000 in card transaction per month. who would you reccomend?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Garry,
Thanks for stopping by! I’m going to send you an email with some good options for your business.
-Tom
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
hi Tom
Tried flagship -worst customer service tried billing me for gateway authorize.net wich was never activated didn’t need it because I was using slim CD gateway. They told me after the sale they don’t support slim CD for reoccurring billing! How do I cancel this acct and do you recommend Dharma?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi John,
That’s so frustrating! Gateway compatibility is a pain, and changing gateways is an even bigger pain. But at least your Flagship account shouldn’t have an early termination fee, so that’s a plus. You will definitely want to get the account closed as soon as possible though. If you haven’t already initiated the termination process, they may still charge you for another month of fees since generally 30 days notice is required. In some cases, they will waive the fees.
To cancel you account, you’ll have to submit a written request for cancellation, preferably through fax. Contact their customer support to let them know that you would like to cancel the account. If they tell you that someone will call you back, make sure to stay on top of it. If you do not receive a callback by the end of the day, call again the next day.
Please keep me posted about your progress. If you have trouble, I can help.
Dharma could definitely be a good option for you. But you might run into the same gateway compatibility issue. Be sure to ask about this first and foremost. If they can’t help you, try CDGcommerce. If they can’t do it either, consider changing gateways.
Good luck!
Tom
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I have been trying to get my sit going for over 2 yrs. Unfortunately there a lot of dishonest developers. The last one in May was using magento, and was not working on the site like he was suppose to be. I filed for a resolution with paypal requesting him to give me the work he had done, with a reasonable amount of the $1000 I had pd to him back to me for his time spent. He refused and escalated it to a claim. I didnt get any work, and of course not a dime back, because of paypals media policy. So I lost another 1000 through all of this.
I have exhausted all my funds, and I am looking at a solution I can do myself very fast, to get some kind of income coming in. I am thinking of using Americommerce? Would you suggest the same?
The other question is bout gateway, & merchant provider. I currently have Eureka Payments as merchant, which withdrawals my gateway USAepay fees monthly of $15.00. My merchant acct provider is Humboldt which charges me $25 a mth. I cant remember what my % will be when I finally get going.I think like 2.9% plus .30 per transaction. They have me with an average ticket of 50.00, and like 2000.00 max sales. I have asked them to change this average transaction, and cannot seem to get them to call me back. Again Ive been paying these fees, along with hosting for almost 3 yrs : ( What would your recommendation be? This is an adult novelty site(so high risk), with highest priced product $1500-2,000
Thank you for any advice you can give me
Lisa
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Alisa,
High-risk accounts are tricky. My recommendation is to get in touch with Payline Data. They can set up accounts for most high-risk businesses, and can almost definitely get you a lower rate than you have right now. If they deny you, try Durango Merchant Services. They can set up accounts for just about any kind of business.
In terms of how to best implement your sales on a website, preferably without a developer, that will depend to some extent on which merchant account/gateway provider you get. Talk to the people at Payline about this. They probably have a partner service that they can hook you up with without it costing an arm and a leg.
Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
-Tom
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Tom,
Looking for the best credit card processing for weekly reoccurring billing and a.c.h drafts. HELP!!!
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Hi Eric,
Got your email! Will be in touch shortly.
-Tom
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Hi Great site!I have an Insurance agency in Los Angeles with 2 locations and my monthly average for each office is about $6000 – $8000 a month in credit card transactions. 80% is debt cards. I am currently using Bank of America Merchant Services and I feel that i am paying too much. Thank you in advance. P.S. I also own 2 f100 cc terminals.
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Hi Mark,
Thanks for reading!
If you are processing mostly debit cards, one of the most important things you can do to save money is use an interchange-plus pricing plan. Many debit cards are very inexpensive to process, and some providers substantially overcharge for this. Interchange-plus pricing helps to ensure you get a fair deal across the board. Dharma Merchant Services uses interchange-plus pricing and provides exceptional customer service. Their card-present plans are a particularly good value. Definitely consider doing business with them.
If I can help you further, don’t hesitate to email me.
Best,
Tom
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Hi – My husband’s biz averages about $8k monthly in credit card sales – a lot of Amex in there – and we have been using First Data, who just charged us an astronomical amount for November charges so it’s time to make a switch. We do not need bells and whistles, just safe, reliable processing at reasonable fees. Do you recommend Dharma for this?
I just discovered this site, wish I’d known of it sooner!
Thank you.
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Hi Chrystyna,
Thanks for reading! I’m going to send you an email so we can figure out the best service for you.
-Tom
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Tom,
I am starting out on my own in the therapy business and looking for a payment processing solution. I will be processing $15-20K monthly, on charges between $100 and $200. It will be mostly credit cards. Most of the transactions are keyed in and recurring payments. Which processor would you recommend?
Thanks,
Eli
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Hi Eli,
Thanks for checking out our reviews! I’m going to send you a direct email in the next 24 hours to give you some insight on the best processing solutions for your business.
Take care,
Tom
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We are the handicraft manufacturing and trading company with the transaction volume of around 20k per month, We are located in Nepal. What is the best option you have for us?
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Hi Raj,
Check out Durango Merchant Services.
Good luck,
Tom
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Hello Tom,
I’m interested in signing up for dhrama merchant services. How long does it take to get up and running. I will only be doing face to face transactions
Thanks
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi there,
It usually takes 2-3 days after you submit all of the necessary paperwork to get the account up and running. In some circumstances it can be done in a day, but it’s safer to count on 2-3 days. The best way to expedite the process is to submit all of the necessary paperwork right away or as soon as they ask for it. To some extent it will also depend on the unique characteristics of your business. I can promise you, though, that they don’t drag their feet on this. They’ll get you set up as fast as humanly possible, but they will also make sure to take the time to get it done right the first time – which you will thank them for down the road.
Let me know if I can help you with anything else!
Best,
Tom
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Hi Tom.I am using Intuit with Quickbooks. I like the ease of use (I never leave QB to process), but am spending a ton on fees.Rental transactions are small at around $100-$200. My sales average $2500-$3500 per transaction. I am averaging $39,000 per month.Any suggestions are so appreciated. There is so much information-it is overwhelming. :-)Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
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Hi Addie,
Thanks for reading! I’ll send you an email to outline some good options for you. A number of our preferred providers offer good QuickBooks integration. Although the processing experience won’t be as seamless as it is with the QB Payments service, you’ll definitely save on fees.
Best,
Tom
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Hey Tom, I’ve been trying to find the best merchant service for my company. I am planning on teaching professional classes to students across the country with classes being about $300 a person. So If I teach 1000+ people in a month, Id be looking at upwards of $300k + in sales revenue each month. All my payments would be processed online. Im just starting a new website to get it all done. Is there a merchant you would recommend that would be able to help me process a high volume of people and also retain information of my students such as email addresses so I can potentially send my students more information and keep track of them? I just was about to start with square until square told me it wouldn’t be able to keep track of the information of my customers. And I’ve read reviews where they were a little shady with high volume merchants. I’m looking for a merchant that I can get off the ground running with as I am just starting up.
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Hi Khari,
I’m going to send you an email. There’s a system I’m in the processes of reviewing right now that I think would be perfect for you.
-Tom
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Alright, I’m looking forward to your email. Please let me know as soon as you can. And if you can, can you do like a top 3 of what you would recommend? You gave high accolades to some of the businesses on this site and I didnt know if those would be good options either. Thank you for your time! You’re awesome!
Khari
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How about their acquiring bank?
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Hi Jon,
Since Dharma is not a direct processor, they use a number of different processors depending on the needs of the merchant. But all of your customer service would come directly from Dharma.
-Tom
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Hi Tom! I am so overwhelmed with all of the choices that are out there! Thank you for all your wonderful reviews and work.
I have a consulting practice where fees are $2000-5000 est monthly PER CUSTOMER. For larger volumes, a locked in 1 fee [no hidden fees], low to no monthly fee, no set up or cancellation and friendly heart based staff that allot you an account member- where is best to go?
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Hi Brandye,
Thanks for reading! I’m going to send you a direct email today so I can give you a thorough answer.
Best,
Tom
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Hello everyone at MM. Tom, maybe you can help me with your knowledge.
I read your glowing review of Dharma with interest, as well as clicking through a few other reviews on MM. However, I’m having difficulty finding the right service to choose for my mom. She’s a counselor who provides services to people over the phone and in-person, and is even considering setting up something like Skype for internet-based counseling.
She’s looking for a fair credit card merchant services provider who won’t charge an arm and a leg for her to take credit card/debit card payments.
Most of her payments currently are in cash or check, but some clients are looking to pay with a card. I would imagine that once she is able to take card payments, some clients may change to paying by card rather than cash or check. Since some of them would be by phone, we can’t do just a swipe/picture based system on a mobile device. However, I can’t imagine transactions exceeding $1,000 per month, even in a great month, so Flint is looking like one of the better options, except I don’t see an option for keyed entries (unless I’m overlooking it.)
Any knowledge shared is appreciated.
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Hi Alex,
Flint may be her best bet in terms of value. You are correct in noticing that no keyed-entry option is available with Flint. (Technically you can key-in the card numbers, but you’ll still need a signature to process the transaction.) Instead they cover card-not-present transactions via online invoicing. This is included at no extra charge, and the fee is the same as it would be for scanned payments. Basically you ask for the client’s email address, and then they are sent an invoice with a payment button. The customer inputs his/her card info, and voila – payment complete. The Flint reporting software keeps track of the status of all invoices so you can see when they are paid.
In most cases this is a good option for card-not-present transactions. If you are looking for a more conventional keyed-entry system that is reliable, you have to look outside of the mobile processing category. While some mobile processors offer it, it’s never very reliable.
If Flint’s system doesn’t end up meeting your mom’s needs, you might consider checking out Forte Payments. While I don’t love everything about them, they do in fact offer an enormous number of features (including ACH payments and a virtual terminal, as well as mobile payments) under their no monthly fee plan. The downside is that rates are 2.9% + $0.25, but with a low volume this won’t make much of a difference.
Let us know if we can help you further! Good luck.
-Tom
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Thanks Tom to you and your team. Steve
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HI Tom, I am starting 2 businesses from home. 1) is a Concierge business and will have a website. Most of the time payments will be with Client present, except with some deposits that are needed and I would think $1000.00 max per job. I can deal with Visa and MasterCard only. 2) is a Photography business that I can sell pic’s from my website. Great website you have. Any thoughts?Steve
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Hi Steve,
You’ll probably have to open up two separate accounts because the businesses are so different (and thus will have different risk levels and transaction limits). To some extent, the best value for you will depend on your monthly card payment volume. Here are some thoughts:
Dharma Merchant Services could work well for the concierge business. Especially since you might be dealing with large transactions, it’s nice to have a partner as helpful and responsive as Dharma to avoid/resolve any problems should they arise. They could also set you up for the photography website, but depending on your monthly volume they may not provide you with the best value on that end. If you expect a fairly low volume, I’d recommend that you check out a pay-as-you-go option (no monthly fees) for the online sales, such as Braintree Payments.
Hope this helps. Let me know if I can help you further!
Best,
Tom
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Hi Tom,
I am brand new at this. I wrote a book I’m publishing myself and want to sell it on my website. Also would probably be looking at selling on the road at events, eventually.
I have no idea which Merchant Services company would be best for me? I really don’t know how well this book will sell, so it’s hard to crunch numbers, but I do know I need something very economical as a result. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you for all you do! This site is extremely helpful!
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Hi Tyler,
Glad to help!
For the website sales end, my first recommendation would be Braintree Payments. They are entirely pay-as-you-go, which means no monthly fees. You only pay the processing rate. What’s even better is that they are currently doing a promotion that gives you your first $50K transactions at no charge. For small book sales, you could probably go for a long time without paying a dime. This includes both the payment gateway and the payment processing service. How you’ll integrate this into your website will depend on the specifics of your site, but in general it’s not too difficult.
When you want to start selling on the road, I’d recommend that you set up a separate account with Flint Mobile, which is also pay-as-you-go.
With this combination, you’ll have no monthly/annual/scheduled fees at all, and you’ll pay very low rates. I also find these two companies to be very reliable and easy to work with.
Let us know if we can help you further!
Best,
Tom
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Thank you so much Tom! I will check this out. I really appreciate your expertise and quick response!
Peace!
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Hi,
Thanks for the great reviews and information.
I’m currently putting together a crowdfunding campaign for my product and am stumbling upon the payment processing world for the first time.
I think quantum physics is easier!
I wonder if you could point me in the right direction? My situation is as follows:
I’m in Canada, but product will be sold globally and only online.
Will most probably accept payments in US$, I have a $US account in Canada.
I was thinking of using an open source crowdfunding code, to avoid the big percentages most sites charge. There’s only so many out there. So it seems i’m limited to pretty much Balanced, Stripe, Paypal or Amazon.
After rummaging through your site i’ve picked Stripe.
I’m wondering if there are any other alternatives?
Maybe putting a cart on my site??
Any info would be much appreciated!
Thanks from Canada.
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Hi Alex,
Based on the info you’ve provided, I would recommend Braintree Payments above all else. They have great features and great support, plus two really great things:
1. Your first $50K in processing is free of charge. You process $50K, you keep $50K. After that, the rate is the same as Stripe. There is no time limit on this offer, so even if it takes you a year to hit the $50K mark you won’t be billed until after that.
2. You can use the Braintree gateway with a different merchant account provider. So if you end up loving Braintree’s integration and gateway service, but later want to shop around for a different merchant account provider, you won’t have to integrate with a new gateway (which can be costly and a general headache). You’ll just have to pay their gateway-only fee.
Good luck, and let me know if I can help further. Keep us posted!
-Tom
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Hi Tom!
I am very happy to have found this site. I am a Registered Massage Therapist in Ontario, Canada and am planning to work from home in the coming months. I anticipate to continue seeing about 20-25 clients per week, appr $7000 per month. I have been researching the most well known POS merchant companies and am extremely disappointed with the reviews. I am looking for a wired (wireless is okay but not necessary) device that accepts Visa, MC and debit. Which company would you recommend for someone like myself? Thanks in advance!!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Hi Angela,
Thanks for reading! Do you anticipate that all/most of the $7K monthly will be in debit/credit card transactions? The answer to that doesn’t necessarily change my recommendation, but coming up with this figure will help you during the application process.
For Canadian accounts in general, I like both Helcim and Dharma Merchant Services. Helcim has $12 in monthly fees and will rent you a terminal for $16 per month, for a total of $30 per month in fees. Beyond that, they offer interchange-plus pricing with a very reasonable markup regardless of your monthly volume. I also like that they specialize in Canadian accounts.
Dharma could end up being slightly more expensive for you (not far off though), but they are one of my all-around favorite providers so definitely worth your consideration too. Their customer service and sales team are extraordinarily pleasant and friendly, so don’t hesitate to get on the phone with them!
Let me know if I can help your further.
All the best,
Tom
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Wow! What a difference compared to some other merchant service providers. Reading nothing bu positive comments was a music to my ears. I’ll definitely check them out!
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Well, our mom and pop lodging business moved over to Dharma about 3 months ago from a past MM #1 that is no longer in that position and I must say we are thoroughly delighted with Dharma. Dharma is a value player, they are fair, straightforward and are pleasant in communications and that’s what all business’ need and should strive to be in their relationships with customers/clients. Don’t be fooled by cheap, as cheap gets what cheap gives and Dharma rises above such shell games and trickery. Bottom line: we saved money by switching to Dharma and after 15 years in business have finally found comfort with our move and new Dharma relationship.
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I signed up with Dharma, and received my processing terminal which was quite expensive. I tried to use the service several times, and it wouldn’t work. A charge got “stuck” in the system, and we never received the money. I called their customer service, and after hours of working with them over several days, they told me that their system did not work with my digital phone line. I told them that it would have been nice if I were apprised of that fact, BEFORE I spent all of the money. They will receive the terminal back and give me a refund, I suppose, but they will not credit my account for the amounts that I paid for a service that never worked, and they are charging me a $25 account closure fee. I am not impressed with Dharma, and I think they owe it to their customers to tell them beforehand, that their system does not work with certain phone lines.
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Tom, your reviews are extremely helpful.
I have a pizza shop in the US and I’m looking for the best merchant. I can sell for $10~$12k a month and I close the business for 2 months during the summer.
Could you please recommend something. Thank you so much!
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Hi Adam,
Thank you for reading! Most good providers these days can provide seasonal downtime, where you won’t be charged your monthly fees for those scheduled months. If you already have a credit card machine, you’ll want a provider who will reprogram it for free (all of our favorites do), and if you don’t have one you’ll want a company who will either encourage you to buy one outright (maybe $300 if EMV-enabled, which you will probably want since it will be standard issue by next fall) or rent for a reasonable fee (say $80 per year). Beware of non-cancelable long-term leasing agreements. If you already have a POS system, you’ll want a provider who will be able to integrate with that system (for this, you’ll have to ask your sales reps, since there is often flexibility here).
For a business of your size and type, Dharma Merchant Services and Helcim would both be great choices. Both have interchange-plus, no early termination fee, and will sell you a good terminal at reasonable prices. I have more experience with Dharma’s customer support, which I can tell you is truly exceptional. If you’re interested in reasonable EMV-enabled terminal rental, check out CDGcommerce, another favorite of mine. Depending on your average transaction size, Payment Depot might be worth checking out too.
Please feel free to follow up if you have any other questions!
Best,
Tom
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Hi Cindy,
I’m sorry to hear that. Most merchants I’ve spoken with had a more timely experience with Dharma. I appreciate your taking the time to let us know about your delay experience. After you’ve had some time to get a feel for your new provider, I hope you’ll come back and leave your thoughts about their service.
Best of luck,
Tom
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Hi I live in Canada and am currently contract free but have a month to month basis with First Data. We originally set up with UNPS and when everything moved over to first data we went too. I am not unhappy with my service provider, they have been very good at reducing our rates but they have since moved all our deposits onto the 2 business days. which sometimes goes into 4-5 depending on the long weekends ect. Also they have since notified me that they are raising my non qualified rates again! which as 95% of all our transactions are non qualified it is getting a bit much. Also I was suckered into a 5 year non cancellable contract with another company and am at this time paying on 2 debit machines. My question is who do you recommend besides Helcim? I would really like to find someone that does next day deposits. Thank you
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Hi Ally,
Sorry to hear you’re stuck with a terminal lease! At least you’re still able to use the machine. One of the nice things about Dharma and Helcim is that they only use interchange-plus pricing, which means you don’t have to worry about non-qualified rates.
I think it’s worth asking Dharma Merchant Services if their Canadian processor could offer next-day funding. It might depend on your business type and who you bank with for any processor, but it never hurts to ask. PayPal’s Canadian sector might also be able to accommodate you here, but I’m not 100% confident in their service.
Overall though, I really like Helcim for most Canadian accounts, especially retail/card-present businesses. Their processor might accommodate a request for next-day funding. It’s worth asking!
Good luck, and come back to let me know how the search is going!
-Tom
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I have been looking for the past 2 weeks to switch from my First Data account which I have been getting over charged for awhile. I called and spoke to many companies.Dharma, was the only one that answered all my questions and was very honest and quick to reply. They gave me very good rates and did not try to hide anything.A pleasure to work with……
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5 Stars!!Here’s why:1. Half the rates of our previous provider2. cost-plus – the most transparent & consistent way of doing business as a merchant provider. I don’t have to wonder what Dharma’s margins are. 3. Trace answers every question I can come up with thoroughly (email & phone)4. They donate 10% of profits to a charity of our choice5. They are local.6. The setup process was easy and timely for e-commerce and card-swipe. 7. No Contract or early cancellation fee.Complaints: none. They saw the need for good business in an industry fraught with deception and greed. They created an exceptional business model and they are following through on their commitments to be green and keep their customers happy. I will and have recommended them to everyone.
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I forgot to submit my rating
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My company has worked with Dharma for two years. I can’t say enough about their rates, customer service and business model. They always answer the phone and reply to emails quickly. If I had my way all of my vendors would be as easy to work with as Dharma.
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Please put Dharma in the 5 star category on your compare page.
Thanks for the site! I think I will try Dharma for my seasonal ski rental shop, I’ll be sure to post a review. I was already to go with CDGCommerce when I heard about Dharma FROM ANOTHER SITE!!! I then searched “Dharma review” which brought me back here. As a certified ski bum I am attracted to their “green” theme and their charity donation. Of course, their low rates and fast set up time ( I hope ) don’t hurt.
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Not sure I understand you here Aaron. Dharma is listed on my comparison page. I have been doing some edits to the page, so it’s possible that you landed on it mid-edit.
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I just finished speaking with a representative about establishing new service. Talk about a great, knowledgeable person on the other end. I was transferred to the President of the Company, Jeff Marcous who was honest and quickly answered each of my questions with a complete response. Informative and extremely professional. Your review is very accurate.
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This site is excellent, I don’t know how I’d be able to make a decision on this topic without it!
I noticed Dharma now has a BBB profile:
http://www.bbb.org/greater-san-francisco/business-reviews/credit-card-merchant-services/dharma-merchant-services-in-san-francisco-ca-358616
Not sure how to tell if they have 3rd party security yet…
keep up the good work!
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Thanks for the heads up Seth. I’ll update their review accordingly.
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Steve,
Thanks for the great comment, and Dharma recommendation.
Maybe I’ll create a survey to see how many folks want to bump the rating system up to six instead of five. 🙂
Thanks again!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.