Merchant Services Agent

With the advent of the internet, businesses have expanded their market, bring their goods to the World Wide Web. Before, we had to physically go into stores and give either cash or checks to stores for basic goods and services. Later on, we learned to use plastic instead of cash, and soon after, we did not even need our cards to make our payments, then we did not have to be in the store at all. With e-commerce, actual brick and mortar companies became a thing of the past, being replaced by brick and click companies who do their business physically and online pure click companies who do their business primarily online. If you plan on selling products online then you must choose the right e-commerce Merchant Services Agent.

The first step is research. The internet is not only a tool for business; it is primarily a vast library and communications device. Use your search engines to carefully study each one. Use your chat servers and social networks to get referrals from friends, preferably those with knowledge in banking and finance. Perhaps they have good experiences to share with you or horror stories so you'll know which ones to stay away from. Soon you'll be able to make comparisons to see which is better and will fit into your needs. Other good sources are internet forums and online reviews. When a merchant becomes dissatisfied with a service, he most probably wants to share that information on which company provided poor services.

Fees and rates should not be overlooked when selecting a provider. Sometimes they will entice you with small upfront fees, but in the long run you might find hidden fees and large percentages for each purchase. Even worse, you'll be paying much more for poor services.

Test the customer service. If something should not turn out right or a customer has problems, you don't want to be associated with a provider with a bad reputation. Simply call them up and test how long before you can get a reply from an actual person. Though most companies have automated answers to common questions, most customers would prefer to speak to a living, breathing person. Also check if the agents are professionally trained. You will end up hurting your business if you rack up irate customers displeased with the way they are treated by the agents.

There are two kinds of providers able to offer merchant accounts and their services to businesses: independent sales organizations, or ISOs, and merchant banks. Each have their special perks and drawbacks.

Merchant Banks - This type of bank differs from normal investment banks in that their main operating objective is to turn profits by making investments of their own capital. They often provide loans for small businesses in addition to offering other banking services for businesses.

ISOs - Independent sales organizations are licensed third party brokers who exist specifically to handle credit card processing. These companies act as a middleman between businesses and banks, but come with a few very practical extras. ISOs typically offer an array of services dealing with credit card processing including customer service, equipment sales and leasing, settlement management and more.

Another plus factor for choosing a provider is its ability to process credit card payments for all major credit cards. Your e-commerce account should be able to process the most prolific credit card brands such as Diners Club, JCB, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover Card.

To sum it up, for a merchant to be able to join the e-commerce bandwagon, you must choose the right provider for the internet services you need. Research each one and learn to differentiate each one. Confirm if the customer service is effective. Finally, see which credit cards it accepts.