Get free merchant account setup and 24/7 support for credit card processing. Application is fast and easy. Guaranteed low rates & fees.
www.cardservicesales.com
Need Business Cash? Save 50% In Interest Over Other Cash Advance Agencies On A Loan Up To $150k When You Process $3,000/Month In Visa/MC.
Apply Now | Up to $150K
www.forwardline.com
Offering secure payment solutions, smart cash management & multiple payment options. Apply online or learn more here.
www.WellsFargo.com/biz
Guaranteed Lowest Rates. 50,000 Merchants Can't Be Wrong.
www.MerchantWarehouse.com
Application Is Fast, Free & Easy. Guaranteed Low Rates & Fees Always.
www.cardservicesales.com
24 hour approval. No set up fee. Start accepting credit cards today.
www.MerchantOne.com
Submit a request to compare costs and options for merchant accounts from multiple providers. No obligation.
Get Quotes Now | Compare Banks | Find Low Rates
www.AllOptions.com
Find Credit Card Processing & Credit Card Machines for the lowest cost available, Guaranteed. Free shipping and 30-day risk-free. Learn More Now!
Lowest Cost | CC Machines | Free Quote
www.eaglemerchantservices.com
2.19% + $0.20 for Internet/Mail/Phone. Approval in 24 Hours if You Apply Online! 1.39% + $0.20 for Small-Ticket Retail Merchants.
www.paymentsetup.com/
Offshore corporate and private bank accounts with leading offshore banks. Internet banking, debit cards, credit cards and cash cards.
About Us | How to Start | Questions | Banking Systems
www.myoffshoreaccounts.com
Provides merchant accounts to accept credit cards, all business types accepted. Includes retail terminals, software, and Internet options.
www.merchant-accounts.com
Free Internet Merchant Account. Free AuthorizeNet payment gateway. 2.14% internet discount rate. Easy application, fast approval. US merchants only.
www.takecardstoday.com
Merchant Service Center provides world class Merchant Account Processing Services and Products. Merchant Service Center is a leader in the industry.
www.merchantservicecenter.com
Free Terminal. No Application Fee. Free Trial. Call Now 1-866-694-5111
www.NorthAmericanBancard.com
24-Hr Qualify, 99.9% Approval Rate! Low Rates, Easy Setup (800)956-1277
Global-Payment-Services.com
Provider of credit card processing and general merchant account services for online businesses.
www.0downmerchantaccounts.com
Merchant account, hardware, points of sale software, & online transactions.
www.1americanbankcard.com
Secure merchant accounts software to approve, process, accept credit cards & make transactions. Check drafting software & check guarantee services for online payment acceptance.
www.123-merchant-accounts.com
We have been establishing bank based merchant accounts since 1986. We only offer bank direct Merchant Accounts Federally protected by the FDIC with your business name and phone number appearing on your customers credit card statements.
www.1stamericancardservice.com
Credit card merchant account, shopping cart, and real time credit card processing.
www.merchant-account-4u.com
Credit card processing equipment and software.
www.absolutemerchant.com
2.19% + $0.20 for Internet/Mail/Phone. Approval in 24 Hours if You Apply Online! 1.39% + $0.20 for Small-Ticket Retail Merchants.
www.paymentsetup.com/ (Paid)
Provider of credit card processing systems for online merchants.
www.activeonlinecreditcardprocessing.com
Specializing in providing credit card merchant account services from small start-up businesses of every type to large high volume accounts.
www.creditcardsaccept.com
Free Internet Merchant Account. Free AuthorizeNet payment gateway. 2.14% internet discount rate. Easy application, fast approval. US merchants only.
www.takecardstoday.com (Paid)
Complete automation system to replace manual systems in loss prevention, customer support, and business services.
www.cardready.com
Merchant account provider and internet marketing company.
www.cardservicesales.com
Specializes in providing retail and restaurant businesses with the lowest prices on credit card equipment and credit card machines.
www.bigcabin.com
Submit a request to compare costs and options for merchant accounts from multiple providers. No obligation.
Get Quotes Now | Compare Banks | Find Low Rates
www.AllOptions.com (Paid)
Your one-stop source for merchant accounts, credit card machines and credit card processing software. No application, set-up or annual fees.
www.cardpay.net(Paid)
Find Credit Card Processing & Credit Card Machines for the lowest cost available, Guaranteed. Free shipping and 30-day risk-free. Learn More Now!
Lowest Cost | CC Machines | Free Quote
www.eaglemerchantservices.com (Paid)
Merchant Service Center provides world class Merchant Account Processing Services and Products. Merchant Service Center is a leader in the industry.
www.merchantservicecenter.com (Paid)
Offers check guarantee program designed especially to protect the small merchant; cost effective program for Business to Business and Business to Government merchants.
www.mcvisa.com
Electronic Clearing House, Inc. (ECHO) has been a tier 1 payment processor providing merchant accounts since 1986.
www.echo-inc.com(Paid)
Our staff calls up merchant account service companies nationwide every week to find the lowest prices available. Ensight Merchant Services will beat the merchant account rates and fees of any other merchant account provider.
www.ensightmerchantservices.com
Electronic payment solutions for merchant acquiring, point-of-sale transaction processing and commercial card programs.
www.paymentech.com
GoEmerchant is an industry leader in merchant accounts and e-commerce solutions.
www.goemerchant.com
Sign up a High Risk Merchant Account for Pharmacy, Gaming, Tobacco, CD-DVD and Travel Services. Weekly Payments & Transparent API Integration.
www.ironbilling.com(Paid)
Provides credit card processing services nationwide, for all types of businesses.
www.bankcard-processing.com
Merchant services for all types of business.
www.innovativemerchant.com
Extensive security and fraud prevention, multi-payment options, multi-currency, advanced integration and reporting, optional 24 hour call centre.
www.intabill.com(Paid)
Merchant accounts for retail, home based, internet, & high risk.
www.interlinkmerchant.com
First Atlantic Commerce, your offshore credit card processing, payment gateway. Bespoke international merchant accounts to suit any online business.
www.firstatlanticcommerce.com(Paid)
LML Payment Systems, Inc. is a financial payment processor specializing in providing end-to-end check processing solutions for national, regional and local retail merchants.
www.lmlpayment.com
As one of America's leading merchant account processors, MAXX Business Solutions can show you how having a merchant account and accepting credit cards encourages consumer purchasing which can help you grow your business!
www.cmscreditcards.com
Offers credit card merchant accounts for mail order, phone order, home based, travel related, & internet.
www.merchantaccount.com
Markets merchant accounts to businesses and is a value added reseller of gateway services to ecommerce companies, enabling the merchant to receive secure payment online via credit cards and checks.
www.online-merchant-accounts.com
Need Business Cash? Save 50% In Interest Over Other Cash Advance Agencies On A Loan Up To $150k When You Process $3,000/Month In Visa/MC.
Apply Now | Up to $150K
www.forwardline.com (Paid)
Provides merchant accounts to accept credit cards, all business types accepted. Includes retail terminals, software, and Internet options.
www.merchant-accounts.com (Paid)
Offers merchant accounts for all business types. Application is fast, free and easy.
www.cardservicesales.com(Paid)
Get free merchant account setup and 24/7 support for credit card processing. Application is fast and easy. Guaranteed low rates & fees.
www.cardservicesales.com (Paid)
Provides merchant account services for direct deposit of credit card transactions.
www.bnkcard.com
Provider of merchant account and electronic payment services, processing equipment, processing software and supplies for all business types.
www.merchantequip.com(Paid)
Specializes in providing credit card merchant accounts, credit card processing and ecommerce solutions for all types of businesses: Internet and home-based.
www.merchantexpress.com
Merchant account credit card equipment; internet credit card processing.
www.merchantnumber.com
We are always here to help and answer any questions you may have regarding merchant accounts directly.
merchantwarehouse.com
Offshore corporate and private bank accounts with leading offshore banks. Internet banking, debit cards, credit cards and cash cards.
About Us | How to Start | Questions | Banking Systems
www.myoffshoreaccounts.com (Paid)
We are a trusted merchant account and credit card service provider for more than 30,000 businesses, in all 50 States, Paynet Systems provides unparalleled 24/7 support; assuring fast, reliable and quality service.
www.paynetsystems.com
Credit card management, payment, processing, software, warehousing, data collection systems.
www.paysys.com
Credit card processing and software for retail and home businesses.
www.totalpaymentsystems.com
United Payment Services can help you become a merchant account processor for accepting and processing a credit card account including Visa. No application fees. No set up fees. One of the highest approval rates in the industry.
www.unitedpaymentservices.com
Offering secure payment solutions, smart cash management & multiple payment options. Apply online or learn more here.
www.WellsFargo.com/biz (Paid)
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Guaranteed Lowest Rates. 50,000 Merchants Can't Be Wrong.
www.MerchantWarehouse.com
Application Is Fast, Free & Easy. Guaranteed Low Rates & Fees Always.
www.cardservicesales.com
24 hour approval. No set up fee. Start accepting credit cards today.
www.MerchantOne.com
Guide to Merchant Accounts
How to start accepting credit cards![]() |
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Key Merchant Accounts Tips
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In order to accept those forms of payment you'll need to set up some type of 'merchant account' with a bank, credit card processing service or other vendor. Once you are approved for the merchant account (through a merchant account services department) and have set up the necessary hardware (card swipe terminal and receipt printer), software or online service, you'll be ready to begin accepting electronic payments via your mechant account.
The advantages of merchant asccounts -- and thus the ability to accept 'plastic' payments -- are huge. Whether you sell to consumers or business-to-business (B-to-B), customers are more comfortable paying for goods and services by non-cash means. And for Web-based sales, credit card, PayPal and electronic check payments are a must.
But merchant account providers do consider online and telemarketing businesses to be a higher risk for credit card fraud. Startups that fall in those categories are often scrutinized more closely, and may pay higher fees to begin with and be asked for a deposit. Once your business establishes a track record, however, you can often request the deposit back and negotiate lower fees.
Here are some choices for establishing merchant accounts or online merchant accounts:
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
New Low Cost Solution
QuickBooks, which already makes the most popular small business bookkeeping software, recently introduced an off-the-shelf credit card processing solution that works on your desktop PC. It's called the QuickBooks Credit Card Processing Kit, sells for $39.95 at major office supply and software outlets, and offers a quick, low-cost solution for startups.
I recommend:
Install the software and apply for a QuickBooks merchant account with a simple online application. Once approved, you can start taking credit card payments within minutes. Just enter customer information on your PC and receive transaction approval online within seconds. The software also lets you create custom invoices and estimates, bill customers for recurring charges and track payments. The monthly fee of $14.95 is lower than what many banks or card processors charge, and there is no monthly minimum fee.
More Choices from PayPal
PayPal, which started as a simple system for online businesses to accept payments, has blossomed into a full line of electronic payment solutions for small business. Customers can pay by credit card, debit card, bank account or their special PayPal account.
I recommend:
PayPal's new Virtual Terminal solution lets small businesses easily accept credit card payments online, as well as by phone, fax or mail. By taking the PayPal route, many startup businesses will be able to bypass the sometimes rigorous merchant account setup process at a bank, and start taking credit card payments immediately. At PayPal, the per-transaction fees start out somewhat high but drop as your volume increases. There are, however, no monthly fees, no setup fees and no gateway fees. There are free tools especially for eBay merchants, and antifraud systems at no extra cost.
Get set up for a merchant account quickly
Some firms specialize in getting small businesses up and running quickly to accept credit card payments, sometimes with free setup.
I recommend:
FirstData and AVPS can tailor a merchant account credit card processing solution for almost any type of business.
Comparison shop for credit card processing services
A great place to shop and compare services is BuyerZone.
I recommend:
At BuyerZone, complete a short request form and receive free rate quotes and information on merchant accounts and credit card processing.
Make your merchant account mobile
Handheld wireless technology lets you accept credit card payments anywhere.
I recommend:
Card Service International and Authorize.net - both industry leaders - offer complete wireless solutions for small business.
Line up a trade group discount
Some small business associations, business membership organizations and other industry trade groups offer discounted merchant account solutions as a member benefit.
I recommend:
Two major small business organizations to check into are the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE).
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide- Credit card fraud is growing. Ask the merchant account vendors you are considering what fraud protection services they offer.
- Merchant account fees and charges vary greatly. Your costs include the discount rate (% of each sale you pay to the service provider), flat per-transaction fee, equipment rental, monthly minimum and 'chargebacks' for customer returns, disputes or cancellations.
- For online sales, decide if you need real-time processing or can use lower-cost 'batching' where you collect card info and process by hand offline.












