Best for
Standard-risk merchants who would like to handle several aspects of their payment processing needs with the same company
Specializes in
Payment processing, POS systems, terminals & card readers, mobile POS, virtual terminal solutions
Pricing Summary
Setup Fee: $0
Monthly Fee: Undisclosed
Swipe Rate: 1.00% - 4.99%
Keyed-in Rate: 1.00% - 4.99%
Early Termination Fee : $295
Contract Terms:
Total Merchant Services is a merchant account provider that was acquired by North American Bancard in 2017. The company still sells various payment processing products under the Total Merchant Services name. Merchants can use this company to set up payment processing, POS systems, card readers, and other online, mobile, and brick-and-mortar payment solutions.
Total Merchant Services has roots that trace back to 1996. The company is a registered ISO / MSP of Wells Fargo Bank with headquarters in Woodland Hills, California. Joe Kaplan is the current CEO of Total Merchant Services.
The company’s products are a good fit for merchants across several industries, including those operating in:
Total Merchant Services favors a three-year contract with an early termination fee of $295. The company also charges various types of fees, including PCI compliance fees. Total Merchant Services uses a tiered pricing model but doesn’t disclose its rates publicly.
There are lots of negative reviews of Total Merchant Services online. Many of these criticize the company’s deceptive sales tactics and poor customer service. However, the company does still have an A+ rating with the BBA.
Head Quarters
Woodland Hills, California
Year Founded
1996
CEO
Joe Kaplan
Employees
200
Merchant Provider Risk Tolerance
Zero account setup fee.
No gateway set up fee.
Can support a multitude of payment solutions for various businesses.
Uses a tiered pricing model.
The company's systems are sold in bundles.
Early termination fee.
Three year contract terms.
Has a PCI compliance fee.
All rates are not publicly disclosed.
Customer service is rated poor.
Point of Sale Systems
Total Merchant Services offers merchants several POS solutions to choose from. The company’s systems are sold in bundles that include touchscreen tablets, EMV and NFC-enabled payment devices, and software. The software that you receive will help with inventory management and financial reporting, among other things.
Terminals and Card Readers
Total Merchant Services says that it offers free credit card readers and portable swipers. But it’s unclear what type of deal a merchant would need to agree to in order to take advantage of this deal. Regardless, there are several different types of terminals and card readers to choose from. Total Merchant Services has countertop terminals, wireless terminals, and mobile terminals available.
Payment Processing
You can also take care of your card-not-present payments with Total Merchant Services. The company offers several helpful features in this area, including virtual terminals, recurring billing, and a hosted pay page. Total Merchant Services enables merchants to engage in eCommerce with a single payment processing solution.
Discloses All Important Terms
No
Public Pricing Available
No
Unfortunately, very little is known about Total Merchant Services’ pricing. We know that the company uses a tiered pricing structure and we know that it charges various fees. But the company has not published any information about its rates for swiped, keyed-in, or card-not-present transactions.
Merchants may encounter a PCI compliance fee of up to $95 per year with Total Merchant Services. Your contract with the company may also include an early termination fee of $295.
Pricing Model
Tiered Pricing
Swiped Rate
1.00% - 4.99%
Keyed-in Rate
1.00% - 4.99%
Mobile Payment Rate
Virtual Terminal Rate
1.00% - 4.99%
Monthly Fee
Undisclosed
Payment Gateway Fee
Undisclosed
Batch Fee
Undisclosed
Early Termination Fee
$295
PCI Compliance Fee
Up to $95 Per Year
Equipment Lease Terms
Free Terminals and Readers
Address Verification Service (AVS)
Application Fee
Account Setup Fee
$0
Gateway Setup Fee
$0
Annual Fee
Monthly Minimum
Undisclosed
Statement Fee
From the limited information that’s available online, it seems as though Total Merchant Services favors a three-year contract that automatically renews. Merchants who wish to get out of the contract early would have to pay an early termination fee to do so. That means it’s important to verify that this company will be a long-term partner for you before signing up for one of its services.
Contract Length
3 Years
Early Termination Fee
$295
There are lots of negative reviews online about Total Merchant Services. Many of these reviews call the company a scam. Merchants complain about deceptive sales tactics, poor customer service, and even the withholding of funds. It seems that many of these complaints are tied to the deceptive practices used by independent sales agents. Despite all of that, Total Merchant Services still has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
BBB
A+ and has been Accredited since 2013. (14 Reviews; 43 Complaints)
1.3 Star / 16 Reviews
No Recommendations Yet
Yelp
1 Star / 19 Reviews
Total Online Reviews
300+
Total Online Complaints
100+
Lawsuits
1
If you're in the market for a merchant account provider, be sure to check out our user reviews, our merchant accounts guide and our top popular merchant provider picks