Marketing
Acceptcards uses reselling partners, such as Metro Bank, to promote its services and build its customer base. Also, it uses Twitter to promote its services and partner relationships. We do not think that Acceptcards is fully transparent about how it benefits from its referral services.
Honesty
Though it presents itself as an autonomous, third-party service, it actually generates commissions from the referrals it makes to major banks and acquirers. Acceptcards does not make this clear on its website. We find this misleading and not a very valuable service to businesses, since it is financially benefiting from the advice it gives you.
Support
Acceptcards can be reached via phone, email, and contact form. There is no live chat option, and it is only available during business hours.
Staff Responsiveness
Shortly after filling out an inquiry form, we received an automated response from Acceptcards. In the response, we were asked to call for more information. None of our questions were answered in their responses. Fortunately, calling the business was seamless. There were no lost calls, we received a person within a few minutes, and they seemed eager to help.
The quality of the information we received, though sparse, was better when you called.
It is important to note that any customer service issues that arise after a contract is signed is handled by payment service provider’s support team. Each provider has its individual approach and resources. It’s best to ask about support before you sign.
Staff Education
While on the phone, the merchant services consultant gave basic information about merchant account services, and spoke clearly and honestly about processing. The consultant was upfront about the information we needed to move forward. The staff seemed well informed and knowledgeable, however, they were rather pushy in wanting us to move forward right away with an acquirer. We didn’t feel we had provided information for them to make a recommendation that quickly.
Staff Interaction
In our experience, we found getting Acceptcards on a call to discuss the details of their services was straightforward. The staff was upbeat, quick to respond, and answered questions easily about merchant accounts and processing.
Pricing
Since Acceptcards does not set the rates for processing or merchant accounts, there are no prices listed on its site. What you pay will depend on which merchant service provider approves your account. Prices vary depending on industry, average ticket prices, and transaction volumes. Depending on the merchant service provider, you can pay flat rate pricing, tiered pricing, or interchange plus pricing. Flat pricing is when you pay one specific amount for processing, and there are no hidden fees. With interchange plus pricing, you pay a small percentage and a small per-transaction fee plus interchange fees each time a card is used. Meanwhile, tiered pricing is when merchants pay three different rates based on what types of cards are used. You pay the lowest rates for qualified cards, higher for mid-qualified cards, and the highest rate for non-qualified cards.
We did find it important to mention that we did find some pricing that related to Acceptcards relationship with Metro Bank. Developed in collaboration with Acceptcards, Metro Bank launched a “walk out trading” service, which allows businesses to accept debit and credit card payment immediately after opening accounts. The service, which allows customers to take face-to-face payments through a contactless-enable chip and PIN reader, is available on a pay-as-you-go basis, with transactions charged at a flat rate of 1.75% along with either a £99 upfront cost or £6.50 monthly rental fee for the terminal. This service also does not require a fixed-term contract.
Hardware Costs
Through its partners, merchants can also lease desktop, portable, and mobile point-of-sale systems with the help of Acceptcards. All terminals accept contactless payments, such as Apple Pay and Android Pay. Though Acceptcards does not list any pricing, merchants can expect to pay rates starting at £9.99 per month for desktop machines and starting at £19.99 per month for portable and mobile machines.
After a merchant account is approved, Acceptcards arranges the configuration and delivery of new card machines. Acceptcards sends the instructions on setting up virtual terminals and e-commerce gateways.
Early Termination Fees
According to Acceptcards, the company does not offer a standard contract because it claims to evaluate a merchant’s business profile, needs, and preferences, and then, provides several processor recommendations to the merchant. In theory, using this type of model, merchants would end up with the best possible contract terms and prices. However, Acceptcards does earn its commission from acquirers, so you will need to determine whether you think its recommendation is best for you. In the payments industry, it is not rare for a merchant to pay an early termination fee as high as £380 or to have to pay out the entirety of a contract to be released from it. Some also have an automatic-renewal clause.
The fee varies, but some of the acquirers used, such a Global Payments, charge those hefty fees. To ensure that you don’t get stuck in a long contract that doesn’t work for you, be sure to read the fine print in your contract and ask about it, before you sign.
Complaints
After thoroughly scouring the web for reviews, we were only able to find one positive Google review about Acceptcards other than the few positive testimonials listed on its site. The reviewer stated Acceptcards had “helpful and friendly staff.”
A major reason we were likely unable to find any other reviews is that merchants likely complained about their acquiring bank or processor. That is not unusual. When merchants sign up for merchant accounts, their agreements are with acquirers, who take on all the risk associated with the accounts.
The best way around this is to search for any reviews about the recommendation Acceptcards provided you. Search the Better Business Bureau, TrustPilot, and the Ripoff Report for any negative reviews or complaints. Many of the acquirers they work have scads of negative reviews about terminating accounts, unnecessarily long fund holds, hidden fees, undisclosed contract terms, and poor customer service.
