One of the greatest misconceptions in payment processing is the benefit of a local rep. In many ways it is a quaint and old-fashioned notion. It almost hearkens back to the days of going to your local butcher, the neighborhood bakery or getting milk delivered to your door. You have the warm and fuzzy feeling of knowing someone from your community has your business’ best interest in mind. They periodically drop in to say hello, or maybe they are an acquaintance or were recommended by your local bank. They are relatable because they service your area.
Unfortunately, this antiquated approach is absolutely one of the most costly ways of handling your business’ payment processing needs. Local reps often don’t make any reliable form of pay. They exist solely off commission and signing bonuses. In this feast or famine situation, most reps will understandably say anything they need to for you to sign on the dotted line (regardless of how legitimate their claims are).
They also often work for third or fourth party resellers for much larger processing companies, keeping you further and further away from the actual processor while keeping as many thumbs in the pie as possible. With all of these factors at play there’s almost no way to get a truly competitive rate on a local level with a local agent.
Typically a local rep will approach a business offering great savings. However, because they will have to survive off of a percentage of your processing fees in years to come your volume 100% dictates your pricing. Usually you end up with a very low introductory offer or “teaser quote”. The quote is intended to lure you in to signing. Many local reps will also claim to do you a favor by leaving the agreement as a commitment free month-to-month agreement. This also means there is no real guarantee that the pricing will last while keeping you comfortable.
These very simple sales tactics then set the stage for what will eventually lead to hundreds of online complaints and negative reviews. What you may not be aware of is that your new rep has received a rather lucrative signing bonus, another kickback when your new account is approved, and yet another when you are “plugged in” and processing. This allows them to coast for a few months while you, confident in your new deal, gradually stop paying close attention to your monthly billing.
Because you now represent monthly residuals to this rep they will gradually increase your fees to boost the account’s profitability. Previously undisclosed corporate fees, non-compliance charges and customer rewards programs typically start popping up on both your statement… and the withdrawals from your checking account each month.
My best advice to any merchant is to approach your payment processing just like your larger, nationally franchised competition. THINK BIG. Instead of bouncing back and forth between numerous smaller local companies, essentially all working in the exact same way I’ve described above, THINK BIG.
The Wal-Mart’s of the world get great rates because all of their locations, and their volume, move as one. Working with industry specific buying groups, and large established processing brokers like SekureCard Services are the easiest ways to access this type of pricing.
Sekure Card Services has a very simple model. We work with volume, instead of working with a few merchants a month as a local rep might; we work with a few hundred merchants each month, and thousands every year. You can have your statement reviewed for free, without any cost or obligation.
SekureCard will also pay your current company’s early termination fees, supply free equipment or terminal reprogramming and various other things that others charge for or won’t even do. SekureCard is one of the few companies to actually pay money against POS switch fees instead of relying on projected savings. We also have a dedicated customer support and technical integration team to provide a much higher level of assistance than a single rep, despite that rep being a few minutes away from your business. SekureCard only has one complaint with the BBB that was resolved, giving us an A rating. CLICK HERE for SekureCards BBB rating.
If you’re looking to reduce expenditures in what is a rocky financial time for all of us, I would highly suggest broadening your horizons. To maximize your profits, you will definitely have to look further than your back yard when it comes to payment processing.
Please see below for more information regarding SekureCard Services, or visit us online at, www.sekurecardservices.com
Corporate Sales:
Phone: (866) 437-3189 ext.225
Email: info@sekurecardservices.com
Statement Analysis:
Fax or email your most recent statement to:
Fax Numbers: 1-888-990-9929 or 1-888-990-9932
Email: analyze@sekurecardservices.com
I agree fully with what you are saying. My local rep for my banks merchant services tries at least twice a year to pick up my business with no sucess. I have been dealing with sekurecard services for 3 plus years and the rates have never changed. I have cost plus pricing that no one can beat. I guess the way i see it is that a local rep is like ticket scalper. They buy rates and add on commisions and start up fees to your account and make money off of us every month. I will go with a broker any day!
This is a very well written and informative article. We need to spread the word and have more business owners read this, so they can realize exactly where their money is going.