Getting The Best Merchant Services Deal?

Are you getting the best possible deal for your credit card processing services? Are you sure?

There's no doubt that your ability to accept payments online drives additional customers and sales to your e-business site, but is your merchant services provider getting into your pocket with hidden charges, or charging you for things you don't want or need?

If for any reason you're not happy with your credit card services provider, don't be shy about making a change. But before you do, spend some time in research to make sure you're truly getting everything your business needs at the best possible price.

The first thing most people think about is price, so let's start there. You want to find a provider that will give you the most for your monthly fees, especially if you're just starting out. And you also want to find a company that is going to package the most services into their standard offering.

And take a hard look at their fee schedule. You're going to see terms like account verification, chargeback and other miscellaneous items. These may look rather small right now but over time they will add up and have a dramatic affect on your bottom line.

Always make sure you understand exactly what services are included. And beware of those one-time set-up fees or application fees. These can costs hundreds of dollars for services that other companies offer for free.

The next area of interest should be with customer service. There can be a big difference between what sort of service after the sale a company says it offers versus what they really do. Is their helpline staffed 24/7, or does it close at end of business? Is their support staff inside the company, or is it outsourced?

And also consider there are a lot of companies that may have customer service people that are there 24/7 and always answer the phone, but there is also a per-call charge for such service. Or a charge every minute you're on the line. If you're not careful this is another area where you can see your profits evaporate.

Probably the most reliable way to make sure you're going to select the right company is to ask for references and not just buy into the testimonials most companies offer up. Stop and think. Of course a company is going to put glowing customer reviews on its Web site, so there's not a lot of useful information there unless you can call those people and ask your specific questions. Keep in mind their experience may not be your experience and this is a case where it truly is all about you.

Another good source of information is your peers in the business community. They will be happy to recommend one of their trusted vendor-partners, and likewise they will raise the red flag if a card processing company they have done business with has caused problems.

All of this may sound like it can be time-consuming, but if you look at it as an investment it's not so daunting. Especially if you consider it as an investment in you and your business. And who deserves it more?

Cardaccept.com has received the highest security and approval ratings from America Online, Excite.com, and the highest rating from Apple Computers. They provide a host of credit card processing, merchant protection, and Internet processing software. To learn about their services, visit them online at http://www.cardaccept.com