4 Telltale Signs You Need Help with Your Payment Processing Servicer

Business is going great throughout the day when suddenly you notice an employee swipe the customer’s card multiple times and then look up for help. Card error or payment terminal down again? Few situations bring a small business to a stop like technology errors or, more specifically, faulty payment equipment with subpar service to back it up. Learn from these common payment technology issues to help you choose the right merchant services provider.

1). Unreliable or Faulty Equipment

So you have been aware of some wear and tear to your payment terminals since start of business. And maybe the previous owner even mentioned that some of the business payment devices needed updating. Adding troubleshooting or even updating this equipment to your other important list of to-do’s is not something that any business owners wants to do. In fact, addressing these issues before they arise is probably the very thing that you expect your current service provider to do for you. So when you identify that your payment equipment features and functions are unreliable and hard to use, it may be time to consider other options. And in doing so, be sure that new potential service providers offer a level of service that prevents these situations in the first place. Identifying technical problems with your payment device(s) that could have been prevented is unfortunately all too common for business owners and is a definite sign that you may need to seek help with your payment services from a new provider.

2). First Statement Charges Do Not Match Original Offer

Another common sign that you may want to seek help and an evaluation from a new provider is that the once proclaimed “great and unbeatable offer” that you received from your current provider suddenly reflects various hidden, back-end or excessive charges. These can range from manual transaction fees, monthly services fees and recurring payments to equipment leasing, just to name a few.

Keep record of the original contact as means to compare the original services accepted against future bills. Review the contact again and highlight all-important key points, especially the cancellation of service clause to maintain your proactive edge. When in doubt, never hesitate to contact your service provider for clarification and correction requests to unreasonable fees or services you did not authorize. And in going through each of these exercises, if you find inconsistencies in fees, it is likely time to reevaluate and seek help from a specialist or new provider.

3). Unexpected Rate Increases

Even if all services align with the original contact, there may be unexpected rate increases. A few examples might be if your monthly minimum requirement is not met or your business had excessive chargeback fees this month and the service provider deemed that these charges were subject to additional fees or downgraded rates.

Once you have identified the need to seek help and explore other options, the best approach to avoid these situations with a new provider is to ensure that any new contract you sign also protects you and the pricing your business has been quoted, or to simply seek a service provider that does not enroll you into a contract at all. Many business owners are surprised to find that there are options for service providers that not only guarantee rates and fees for a period of time, but also offer contract free processing. Do your homework, ask a lot of questions and if you are still unsure, seek help from a specialist or another knowledgeable source that you feel you can trust.

4). Customer Service & Technical Support Are Missing in Action

Lastly, it’s a clear sign that it is time to replace your merchant service provider if its customer service/technical support seems out of reach. Whether this comes to light after you manually troubleshoot the equipment yourself, or simply are not able to get help understanding your statement, a lack of service and communication from your provider should be an immediate red flag that you should seek help with your payment services. While establishing a direct connection with the same customer service representative or technical support agent may help, you must first establish communication to do so. If you choose to seek out new services after identifying this as the problem, be sure to ask about things like dedicated account agents, after-hours support and other available resources.

The right service provider for your business is one that guarantees continual prompt and accurate 24/7 support from an experienced staff to steer your business clear of delayed assistance when you need it most.

To learn more, contact Staples^® Merchant Services for a free assessment.