Internet Merchant Account Provider Recommendations
Not all merchant accounts are created equal. This page is contains recommendations for some of the best internet merchant account providers. The services on this page are verified for rates and features. The merchant account providers listed here are those that we recommend to our internet consulting customers. They are competitive and have proven to be reliable with good support.
Finding the best merchant account provider isn't easy
Find out what gateways are available for processing credit cards in your online shopping cart and pick a merchant account provider with a good reputation.
Each company balances their fees a little differently so you need to calculate your expected number of transactions and average order total into their discount rate and transaction fee then add in monthly fees (gateway, statement). Divide that total by your expected number of transactions and you should be able to make a good cost per transaction comparison.
Merchant Account Providers for Small Business
All of the merchant account providers we talk to are familiar with helping small business owners sell their products online and automate the processing of credit cards. These credit card processing companies talk to retailers about their internet credit card needs specific to small businesses every day. Be sure to take a minute to discuss your concerns with them as a source of valuable information.
How we select Internet Merchant Account Providers
Our philosophy relies on 4 major factors:
- Solid reputation
- Straightforward online pricing
- Competitive Pricing
- Well established Merchant Account Provider
We particularly like merchant account providers that do not need to hide their pricing. Internet merchant account pricing can be confusing enough (see our Understanding Merchant Account Fees article) even when pricing is posted.
Since we are also sometimes able to establish better rates for customers using links from our site, we frequently call merchant account providers to confirm pricing. We also track the response time to our requests and list only providers that respond promptly.
Internet Merchant Account Tip:
Review merchant account providers every 6 months and talk to your sales representative to be sure you are getting the best pricing available. This is a competitive industry and providers make periodic pricing adjustments.
How does online credit card processing work?
If you would like to learn more on how to accept credit cards online, see our "How does online credit card processing work with e-commerce stores" article (Click here
Use our interactive checklist to order everything you need. OurShop Now will step you through the complete process. Use our recommendations or enter your own service providers.
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Internet Merchant Account Recommendations
In order to simplify the process of obtaining your internet merchant account and payment gateway account we only give our recommendation to merchant account providers that have set-up arrangements with gateway providers. This assures that the two accounts get set up correctly and streamlines the process.
The best Merchant account providers want your business and will work with you in an attempt to be sure you qualify. We've listed the providers that we are most satisfied with. The internet merchant account providers listed here are very competitively priced, are well established, and have no application fee. These are the same merchant account providers that we currently give as recommendations to our consulting customers.
Merchant Warehouse
#1 Choice - Start here by calling them at 866-854-4377.
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| Application | Setup | Discount Rate | Per
Transaction | Gateway
Fee | Statement Fee |
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Guarantees to have the lowest overall cost of processing (in writing)
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Gateway Fee Free with Account
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Available gateways include Authorize.net and Linkpoint. Information updated 1/9/2012
Merchant Warehouse has a lowest price guarantee. What we love about this merchant account provider and what bring them to the top of the list is that they are Better Business Bureau accredited with the an A+ rating. The best we've found.
Try to find that in other merchant account providers! They will also do everything they can to get you approved and processing your orders quickly. Use pricing from the other merchant account providers listed here to compare when you talk to them.
Call Merchant Warehouse toll free at 866-854-4377. Explain your situation and ask for their current transaction fees, discount rate, statement fees, and gateway fees. Then let us know about your experience. Your input matters in helping us maintain the best merchant account provider recommendations! info@ourshop.com
 
866-854-4377
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Charge.com Card Service
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| One time fees | Transaction Based Fees | Monthly Fees |
| Application | Setup | Discount Rate | Per
Transaction | Gateway
Fee | Statement Fee |
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$0
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FREE
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as low as 1.79% (internet)
as low as 1.26% (In Person)
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as low as $0.15
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$19.95
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$10.00
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Available gateways include Athorize.net, CSI Linkpoint, and SecurePay. Prices updated 12/12/2011
Charge.com has a $0 setup and application fee as an advertised special. Charge.com's pricing got much more competitive this year. The internet software package (needed for web site shopping carts) used to have a $195.00 setup fee.
Click here for the Charge.com Website
Charge.com's low transaction fee makes this provider an excellent choice for merchants with any quantity of transactions. They also boast that they can get you up and running and accepting online payments within 24 hours. We recently replaced Charge.com as one of our top merchant account provider with Merchant Warehouse after comparing Better Business Bureau ratings.
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Banc Certified Merchant Services
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| One time fees | Transaction Based Fees | Monthly Fees |
| Application | Setup | Discount Rate | Per
Transaction | Gateway
Fee | Statement Fee |
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$0
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$75.00
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2.19%
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$0.25
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$15.00
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$7.50
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Available gateways include Authorize.net.
Banc Certified Merchant Services is newly added to our recommendations because of their excellent fee structure. Though we do not have personal experience with Banc Certified Merchant Services they process over
$50 million transanctions per month. Banc Certified is a member, in good standing, of the Better Business Bureau. Banc Certified also offers a lowest rate guarantee. After signing up with Banc Certified we'd welcome an email letting us know about your experiences (info@ourshop.com). Click here for Bank Certified.
For merchants that do not already have their own shopping cart, Banc Certified Merchant Services also offers a shopping cart that is included in the fees listed. The Authorize.net gateway should allow this merchant account provider to connect with most popular shopping carts. Their pricing structure makes them appropriate for merchants of all sizes.
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Total Merchant Services
| One time fees | Transaction Based Fees | Monthly Fees |
| Application | Setup | Discount Rate | Per
Transaction | Gateway
Fee | Statement Fee |
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$0.00
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Free
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1.81%
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$0.08!
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$10
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$5 (service fee)
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(See notes below)
Available gateways include Authorize.net, VeriSign, Plug 'n Play, and PC Charge Pro.
The $0.08 transaction fee is about the best that you can find and the discount rate is only a little higher than Charge.com. You should find this offsets the difference.
Our experience is that set up has been easy, contacts quick, and prices are competitive.
The Total Merchant Services and accompanying Authorize.net gateway account will work perfectly with the shopping carts provided by all of our recommended hosting companies. The Authorize.net payment gateway works with most online shopping cart solutions. Be sure to check with your hosting company or shopping cart provider to be sure that the cart uses Authorize.net or one of the other payment gateways listed above. Our clients who use Total Merchant Services (home) have been very satisfied with this internet merchant account provider.
The first step with virtually all merchant account providers is to fill out an application. A sales representative will then call you. You should expect this same procedure with all internet merchant account providers.
Click here for the Total Merchant Services Application.
NOTE: Total Merchant Services is in good standings with the Better Business Bureau and recieves good reviews. After completing the internet merchant account application you will be contacted by a sales representative. Be sure to confirm that these prices (or better) are the ones you will have. We put a good deal of effort into finding the best rates for our consulting customers and frequently confirm pricing.
also see recommendation notes (above)
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Though we frequently check pricing structures for our merchant account provider recommendations, prices may change during the interim. Be sure to confirm current pricing with the account representative when you sign up.
Note that Authorize.net, and some other gateway providers, do not sell their gateway services to the public. You need to go through one of their authorized resellers (Internet Merchant Account Providers such as those listed below).
Recommendation notes:
Our top November/December, 2011 recommendations include Merchant Warehouse, Charge.com and Total Merchant Services. We are getting good feedback on Merchant Warehouse and have moved them to the top of our recommendation list. Another thing we like about Merchant Warehouse and Charge.com is that they seem to be more responsive to inquiries and are easy to understand. Merchant account providers can tend to confuse fees and services, many times this is because the provider you are looking in to is actually a reseller of someone else's service.
A quick example is our research into MerchantExpress. When we call the number listed on the web site we get a good answer sounding like we've reached a reasonable sized merchant account provider but when asking some non-typical questions and getting transferred around we find we are talking to TransLink, which appears to be a division of City Bank of Texas. Ultimately we were told that we needed to use the web contact form to submit our question. Isn't determining what you need to process credit cards online already confusing enough?
These providers allow you to accept major credit cards including Discover.
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Internet merchant account provider notes:
When looking for a merchant account provider it is important to make comparisons such as those we have here. If you do not understand how their rates work you should look at our Understanding internet merchant account fees article.
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