Free Credit Card Processing

If you look hard enough, there are processors out there that will let your credit card transactions flow through them for “free.”

But the thing to realize is that there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

If you’re not going to pay for the credit card processing upfront, you’ll pay for it another way.

These free credit card processors won’t be at your side when your equipment goes down.

They don’t offer website design that makes navigation intuitive and simple. They might not have a monthly payment, but their per-transaction rates are much higher.

On the other hand, when you sign up with Easy Pay Direct, you’ll be assigned a Certified Payments Specialist. They are your single point of contact; they will work closely with you. And they will assist you in moving through the confusing labyrinth of credit card processing.

And as you start your business, wouldn’t you rather work on your individualized offerings, rather than taking the extra time to learn about software, hardware, point-of-sale systems, and merchant accounts?

At Easy Pay Direct, we already know all sides of eCommerce and “free” credit card processing — so you don’t have to.

Should your business be in a high-risk category, such as credit repair, travel, nutraceuticals, or any restricted products such as CBD, alcohol, tobacco, or firearms — then you’re in luck. Easy Pay Direct boasts the best account approval rate among all the other players in the credit card processing industry!

Easy Pay Direct has a network of banks to leverage. This will get you the best type of merchant account and credit card processing you need to run your business efficiently.

THE REALITY OF FREE

Most companies that offer free processing simply pass the buck. As we said, no free lunch. That doesn’t mean you pay those processing fees, but that doesn’t mean they completely disappear.

While you may not have to pay the fees on credit cards, you most likely will be responsible for fees on debit cards. Plus, the angle the processing company takes is to pass the usual fees on to the customer.

This is nothing new.

However, in the past, it was usually the business itself that tacked on extra charges. The most common was an extra charge to use a specific card, i.e. American Express.

The alternative for small businesses was to not accept specific credit cards.

Processing companies picked up on that trend and a few made the leap to passing all the credit card fees on to the customer.

They claim that it does not impact overall sales, but oftentimes it does inconvenience the customer, by forcing them to have to think about their payment type.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER FEES?

Free processing fees sound like a dream come true. Unfortunately, it might lead you to believe you won’t owe the credit card processing company anything.

This is simply not true.

Dive into your monthly statement and figure out just how much of your payment is processing fees. Guess what, it’s only a portion of what you pay.

On top of your processing fees, there is a long list of payments to the company for such things as account fees, chargeback fees, escrow fees, etc. Each processing company will have a different list and assortment of fees that will accompany your monthly bill.

These fees are generally in the small print of the contract, tucked beneath the extra-large statement of no processing fees. Some of the fees are negotiable, but not all.

At the end of the month, the processing company will make a profit. Just be aware that a percentage will still be billed to you.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Different sources will give you different examples of how free processing will affect your business and the bottom line of your monthly budget.

Most companies offering to pass the processing fees on to your customers will tell you it has no effect on your revenue, or that it may inspire more alternate forms of payment.

While this may be true on the surface, digging deeper paints a different picture. We are pressing toward a cashless society. This means if people have the choice between two similar businesses that accept credit cards, they will gravitate to the one that doesn’t take extra money out of their pockets.

In addition, there are more instances of disputes and business complaints. Even if you clearly state that the charge is being made, you will have a percentage of unhappy customers.

CUSTOMER RELATIONS

When building a business, the cornerstone is the customer. Without them, you don’t have a business. It doesn’t matter how great your product is if you have nobody to buy it.

To build this customer base, the customer needs to feel special and appreciated. Understanding the impact of passing extra charges onto them can be pivotal. Especially, when you do your research and realize that many of the free processing companies charge your customers more than you would pay through a normal processing company.

Many free processing companies charge the customers a flat percentage on par with the most expensive credit card fee.

This can be a difference of several percent.

And who eats this? Your customers.

TRAPPED

Another aspect of these free processing companies is their tendency to lock you into penalty-laden contracts that make leaving an unappealing option.

While the advertisements make everything seem like the best possible business option, there is quite a bit of evidence to point you in the other direction.

If you are considering a zero-fee credit card processor, it’s best to look closely at what you are signing on for.

One of the best alternatives is to talk to us at Easy Pay Direct and see what sort of contracts we can work out to best suit your business. We can lay out the options and help you make the logical decision to put your customers first and help your business thrive.

We’re only successful when you are successful.