MerchantPlus.com Review

24 Comments

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John Coslick March 13, 2013 at 12:15 pm

On reading further, I note that Ipayment is seperate from merchant plus. If that is so I had no agreement with Ipayment and they had no right to deduct funds from my account for a bogus “early termination fee”. Sounds like a criminal act. Will contacting the Attorney General help?

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Boris July 24, 2012 at 7:22 pm

You may evaluate a merchant services provider via its credit cards processor. I think it is the best way to do it. I notice that Merchant Plus is using ipayment as one of its credit card processors. I have a personal experience with ipayment and ipayment is the worst company you want to do business with.
If Merchant Plus wants to attract more customers and make more profits, getting rid of ipayment is the best way since a lot of small businesses won’t use Merchant Plus if they know that ipayment is around.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Kinetix - Michigan Web Design January 4, 2012 at 4:32 pm

We use MerchantPlus to process credit cards for our web design business and have been very happy with them. The account was approved within about a week and so far we haven’t had any problems. We’ve only had to call customer service once since using them.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

Kinetix - Michigan Web Design January 4, 2012 at 4:33 pm

Also, their website signup form has their old agreement which had an early termination fee, but if you contact their sales department before filling out the application, they will give you one that shows a $0 early termination fee.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Mara Alexander February 7, 2011 at 2:53 am

For anyone else that may come here from Google, the article does state MerchantPlus is on Twitter. April 2010 was the last time that Twitter account was used by them. I found even less support/activity in their support forum.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Mara Alexander February 7, 2011 at 2:49 am

You’ve GOT to be kidding me…

#1. You claim there’s ONE complaint on Rip-Off report? Try 28.
http://www.ripoffreport.com/directory/IPayment-Inc.aspx Granted 10 of those were from after this article was written, but that still leaves 18 as of April 2010.

Most of my problems with MerchantPlus has been due to the unmitigated ineptitude of iPayment, their upstream. I normally think a high percentage of posts to Rip-Off report and other sites like it are from whiners who want something for nothing. In this case, I think there only reason there aren’t far MORE bad reports against iPayment and MerchantPlus is because it’s extremely time consuming.

Much like this post: http://www.ripoffreport.com/on-line-banking/ipayment-inc-merchan/ipayment-inc-merchant-servic-3f7c5.htm

iPayment STOLE money from me, plain and simple. Not once, not twice, but THREE times.

The first time was because iPayment apparently hadn’t received my PCI scan reports that I’d forwarded to MerchantPlus, and withdrew $75 in fees from my bank account. I filed a complaint with MerchantPlus, the ball got dropped by whoever was handling it, and to his credit Zachary picked it up (*after* I threatened legal action, contacting the media, state attorney general’s office, etc).

He apologized for the mix-up, and got the $75 refund if I promised to stay a customer. I’ll be honest, though he was pleasant about it, it felt like dealing with a blackmailer.

I know if wasn’t MerchantPlus’ error directly, and I’d always received good service from *them* (I’ve been with MerchantPlus since April 2007). The one time I had to deal with iPayment, they were horrid. I’d rather have to call India for what passes as support from PayPal than EVER speak to another person affiliated with iPayment again.

Then a month or so later…ANOTHER extra $30 was deducted from bank account. I complained, and it got returned, the explanation being that it was (yet another) iPayment error, and they’d done it to all merchants.

Now, two months later…yet ANOTHER extra $30 was withdrawn from my account.

And it’s not been the only time…just the only time I noticed it and complained. Just doing a random spot-check of the fees I’ve been charged from them over the last 2 years, there’s a few instances where the monthly service change suddenly went up $30.

While many of us are fighting to stay in business, iPayment is STEALING from us, and MerchantPlus is enabling them to do so.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Andrew September 29, 2010 at 8:38 am

Here is my experience in trying to signup for Merchant Plus.

1. I have called 3 times to ask questions and was promised to be either called back or emailed some information. It wasn’t until I called the 4th time that I was finally sent the information I requested.

2. After finally getting the email I requested I have since returned the email but have yet to receive any response 6 days and counting.

3. I have worked with [name removed] and a lady who works for him both times and they were unapologetic for their failure to keep their word.

I am not a huge merchant but if this is how they treat prospective customers, I would hate to be a current customer. I was going to signup with them and promote them to our web hosting customers as a preferred merchant provider but not so much now.

Frustrating to say the least.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

Merchant Maverick Admin September 30, 2010 at 12:29 am

Thanks Andrew. Your comments are much appreciated.

You may notice that I’ve removed a name from your comments. I’ve only done this because my current policy doesn’t allow for it. I know that it would be beneficial for others to know those names, but until I come up with a policy to deal with the potential flame wars that it can cause, I have to just remove it for now.

Thanks again!

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

Andrew October 29, 2010 at 11:07 pm

No problem, I went with CDG commerce and am pleased with their service so far.

MerchantPlus has poor customer service and I hope my comments help other merchants looking for a quality provider.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Andrew September 13, 2010 at 12:25 pm

You really need to change your cancellation fee from None to what their agreement says.

I have been shopping for a new provider and when I asked about the clause below I was told they do not charge an ETF. However, they weren’t sure they could remove this clause from the agreement.

If I sign the agreement, I am now depending on their spoken word that there is no ETF. Which one do you think will hold up in court? The agreement or a salesman’s assurance?

————————————————————————–

If Merchant is approved, any cancellation by You of this Agreement within three (3) years from the date of approval or is terminated by Servicers due to an Event of Default by Merchant, will be subject to the applicable early termination fees and Merchant will be charged a fee for such early termination equal to (i) $350.00 if terminated before completion of the first year of the Term; or (ii) $250.00 if terminated after completion of the first year of the Term but prior to the end of the third year of the Term (See Section 22.1 of the Agreement – Program Guide).

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

Merchant Maverick Admin September 14, 2010 at 8:54 pm

Thanks for the heads up Andrew. That contract is a default iPayment contract, so it may not apply completely to MerchantPlus, but if and only if, MerchantPlus can supply something in writing that renders that section null and void. Otherwise, you’re right in assuming the legality of the situation. Your sales rep obviously didn’t have an answer for you, either through ignorance, or worse. 🙁

Regardless, I’m going to chat with the folks at MerchantPlus to see if they can clear this up for us.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

Andrew September 16, 2010 at 9:53 am

I failed to thank you for this resource and congrats on successfully putting this together. I hope it is a profitable venture for you.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Sarah Baldwin November 18, 2009 at 12:02 pm

I signed up with MerchantPlus based on the review here. I made the decision after an exhaustive amount of research, and having talked to reps at quite a handful of companies. When I initially called MerchantPlus, I was impressed at how straightforward, helpful and articulate the rep was. Reps at all the other companies were like used car salesmen. No hard sell from MerchantPlus! I couldn’t be happier with my decision. As a new owner of an internet business, this is my first experience with a merchant account. I was approved quickly and setting up the new service was seamless. Every time I’ve called customer service, the service was professional and helpful. Based on the many horror stories I’ve read of business owners’ experiences with merchant accounts, I was prepared for the worst, but I have had nothing but a positive experience with MerchantPlus. I have recommended them to many other business owners and will continue to do so.Thank you so much, Merchant Maverick, for posting these objective reviews here! There are not a lot of objective reviews easily found on the internet. You are providing a great service, and have potentially saved me and others from merchant account nightmares!

5

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

The Merchant Maverick November 19, 2009 at 2:55 am

Sarah,

Thank you so much for the great comment. I try my best to paint an accurate picture of all the merchant service providers out there. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I don’t. But like you said, it’s extremely difficult to find another site that at least tries to put in the same level of effort that I do with my reviews.

Best of luck to you, and your relationship with MerchantPlus. Please let me know if you have any questions. 🙂

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Brian November 8, 2009 at 1:53 pm

There are too many other providers out there, for me to agree to a contract with these terms:

If Merchant is approved, any cancellation by You of this Agreement within three (3) years from the date of approval or is terminated by Servicers due to an Event of Default by Merchant, will be subject to the applicable early termination fees and Merchant will be charged a fee for such early termination equal to (i) $350.00 if terminated before completion of the first year of the Term; or (ii) $250.00 if terminated after completion of the first year of the Term but prior to the end of the third year of the Term (See Section 22.1 of the Agreement – Program Guide).

Qualified Rate: 2.15 %
NOTE: Not all transactions will be considered qualified by Visa and Mastercard. As such, some transactions may be downgraded to a mid or non-qualified rate. This generally occurs when Address Verification is not performed or successful, among other reasons. In such cases, a Mid−Qualified Rate Surcharge of 2.19% and Non−Qualified Rate Surcharge of 2.19% will be used. If used, voice authorizations cost $1.50.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

The Merchant Maverick November 8, 2009 at 3:23 pm

Thanks for the comment Brian. Which part of the contract doesn’t sit well with you?

As far as the tiered-pricing is concerned, I’d have to agree with you, but that’s why you should ask for interchange-plus pricing instead. Your statements might be a bit more difficult to read, but there’s definitely more transparency. You won’t have to worry about:

Not all transactions will be considered qualified by Visa and Mastercard. As such, some transactions may be downgraded to a mid or non-qualified rate.

But, the early-cancellation fee isn’t a HUGE deal, so long as the company you’re working with is decent enough to not force you to cancel early. With that said, you are right in that there are a ton of ISOs out there that don’t carry early-cancellation terms. Don’t forget, you can always try and negotiate with MerchantPlus about that too. 🙂

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

Brian November 19, 2009 at 8:55 pm

You were right. While I ended going with another provider, I got pretty far along with the application and found that they do infact waive cancellations for merchants, but I still find their rates a bit steep.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

The Merchant Maverick November 19, 2009 at 10:32 pm

Brian,

Understood. If you can find a merchant provider that doesn’t charge an early-termination fee, doesn’t have contract terms and offers great rates. That’s a no-brainer to me. 🙂

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Narvin November 4, 2009 at 12:03 pm



My name is Narvin and I’m an Account Manager with MerchantPlus. I’d like
to reply to Marcy’s post as I personally worked very hard to resolve the
issues on her account. Unfortunately, due to the undisclosed processing
history of this merchant, there was little that could be done.

MerchantPlus is an ISO (Independent Sales Office) that provides merchant
accounts for the individual or business wanting to process credit cards.
However, we do not have final say in whether a particular account is
approved, declined, our deemed too risky to process. This decision is up
to the banks we work with and their underwriting departments. Our role
is to provide the merchant with a seamless integration, the best rates,
fees, and customer service that we possibly can.

I am very sorry that the case ended as it did. Due to various risk
factors we could not keep the account open despite our best efforts. We
completely understand that Marcy is frustrated in this matter, but
realistically her account would have been closed by any other processor.
We *always* put our customers first and Marcy was no exception. While we
did fight for her, in the finance industry (especially when dealing with
banks and risk issues) there are always limits to what we can do.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

The Merchant Maverick November 19, 2009 at 2:52 am

Narvin,

Thank you for the response. I personally know that, much like you’ve said, there are some issues that are out of an ISO’s hands. As a merchant, it’s difficult for us to understand the whole process (i.e. processor’s, acquiring banks etc…), and since the ISO is our only point of reference, they usually bear the brunt of our frustration.

I think a good solution to a problem like this would be for ISO’s to make an extra effort to educate merchants about all the players involved, so they don’t end up getting blamed for something that’s out of their hands. It might take up more of your time, but I feel that most merchants will be sympathetic, if the account manager is sincere in that effort.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

Marcy December 3, 2009 at 2:18 pm

Narvin,
Your reply could not be more incorrect. We utilized Card Service International for 6 years before changing for better rates and your company was a nightmare. We are now back with Card Service International and could not be happier to be back there. We are a zero risk with a zero chargeback history. I can see how you have to make your company look great so people with sign up with you but your company was a nightmare for us and your statements of our processing history is a complete lie and further more we would not be dropped by any other bank as I stated we are back with CSI and are very happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

John Coslick March 13, 2013 at 12:06 pm

I think Merchant Plus loaded this site. My experience is very negative. First of all, I signed on with merchant plus and was told there was no early termination fee. I was also told there was not a PCI compliance fee. Guess what? Right away the PCI Compliance fee came up. They verify through McAfee Right? I was told that I was not PCI Compliant. Called McAfee and was verified to be compliant and secure. Didn’t matter, they wanted the extra money. Doens’t matter, apparently. So after two years I dropped them and went with go-payment. No problem for about 5 months, then some subgroup called Ipayment charged my bank account a $250 termination fee. When questioned they identified themselves as part of merchant plus. Nothing but lies and scams. I suspect the good reviews are placed by merchant plus employees.

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.
Marcy October 16, 2009 at 8:37 pm

I hate to break the great record here but so the story goes…. I have processed only 2 batches with MerchantPlus. Between both batches a mere 5000.00 (approved monthly 25K). Out of the blue we get a request for invoice copies and tracking numbers of our shipments to our 2nd batch of customers. Fax’d over to them within 10 minutes. Wow then the next day we get told our batch is held. Wow then the next day we get told they dont want our account and have closed it…WOAH…guess why? Our company has an F rating with the BBB because we dont respond to any complaints they send us anymore seeing as we are not a “member” they never agree with our side anyway. Trust me, I dont think the the world is out to get me. I’m very, very business oriented. Back to the nigtmare, besides closing my account they are going to hold my 2nd batch of 3100.00 “in case of chargebacks”… They would not even let me refund all of the customers charges to be completely done with their company since they didn’t want me as a customer. USE STRONG CAUTION. Especially if you do not believe in or support the BBB. Someday, they profess to release our 3 grand )without interest)… There is always a first complaint and when businesses grow sometimes they get too full of themselves and maybe thats happened here. Its a shame because us little guys built them there and now they could care less about us little guys.

1

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.

The Merchant Maverick November 19, 2009 at 2:42 am

Marcy,

I’m sorry to hear that you had a bad experience with MerchantPlus. Although I can’t speak for their company, I’d have to say that so far, you’re the only one of my visitors that’s had a rough time with them. I wish you the best of luck in your search for a new provider, and I’ll definitely consider your comments, during the next update.

Thanks again!

This comment refers to an earlier version of this review and may be outdated.