Tech Support Merchant Account

If you own a tech support business, you know that offering your customers the ability to pay online or via a credit card is an absolute must.

To offer cashless payments to your customers you need a tech support merchant account.

Because tech support businesses are considered high risk by banks and financial institutions, this can make getting a merchant account a little more challenging.

Some merchant accounts do not accept high risk businesses at all, and others do, but charge extra for the service.

Don’t despair. There are still plenty of merchant account providers that will work with high risk industries, including tech support.

Our Top Picks for Tech Support Merchant Account

Easy Pay Direct
Specializes in high risk businesses and has experience working with tech support companies.
Domestic accounts have zero early termination fees.
Variable contract terms.
High risk tolerance.
Single point of contact for multiple merchant accounts.
Public pricing is available.

summary

5/5

Best for

E-commerce companies, SaaS companies, "high-risk businesses", & established small/medium businesses ($500,000+ in annual sales)

Specializes in

Easy Pay Direct has unique gateway software and banking solutions to optimize payments for eCommerce, SaaS, information products, supplements, and CBD amongst other verticals.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee:  $99

Monthly Fee: $24.95

Swipe Rate: 1.59% + $0.17

Keyed-in Rate:  2.39% + $0.29

Early Termination Fee: $0 (domestic accounts)

Contract Terms:

1 Year 3 Years
eMerchantBroker
Full-service merchant account that specializes in high risk businesses.
Works with any size high risk business.
No setup fee.
Variable rates depending on the merchant's volume.
Merchants are notified whenever a fraud or chargeback occurs.
Checks are allowed to be accepted from customers.

summary

4/5

Best for

eMerchantBroker is best for any size business that is considered high-risk. It's considered one of the top payment processors for high-risk businesses that would otherwise have difficulty finding a standard merchant account provider. 

Specializes in

eMerchantBroker specializes in credit repair, collections agencies, adult websites, travel and timeshare, firearms and guns, bankruptcy and bad credit, online and in-person smoke shops. They also work with electronic cigarettes and other companies that fit into the high-risk merchant account category.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: $0

Monthly Fee: Undisclosed

Swipe Rate: 3.00% + $0.15

Keyed-in Rate: 4.00% + $0.25

Early Termination Fee: Up to $595

Contract Terms:

1 Year 3 Years
PaymentCloud
Works with a multitude of industries from low risk to high risk.
No setup fee.
No monthly fee.
Every business has a dedicated account manager to serve them.
Merchants have access to around the clock seven day a week support.
Account setup within twenty-four hours.

summary

4/5

Best for

High-Risk Merchants

Specializes in

High Risk

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: None

Monthly Fee: None

Swipe Rate: Unknown

Keyed-in Rate: Unknown

Early Termination Fee: Unknown

Contract Terms:

Why Do I Need a Merchant Account?

Cashless Payment Processing

Any business operating in the 21st century knows how important it is to offer multiple payment methods to their customers.

Anytime you accept payment other than cash, you need a merchant account to help you process those payments. This includes ACH/check, credit or debit cards, online payments, mobile app payments, gift certificates, and gift cards.

A merchant account acts similarly to a bank account for cashless payments. They process your cashless transactions, deposit funds, and then release them to your bank account.

Software and Hardware

A merchant account can also provide physical equipment such as a POS system, or credit card terminal.

Merchant accounts will also provide virtual terminals you can install on your preferred tablet or mobile device.

You can also set up a payment gateway on your website to allow for online payments. This opens up the door for recurring payments or subscription services as well.

Easy Accounting

Because cashless payments are all processed digitally, a record is automatically created of every transaction. This digital trail makes keeping track of your accounts extremely easy.

Digital records can be easily uploaded into software like Quickbooks for accounting purposes.

Increase Sales and Revenue

Merchant accounts give your business tremendous versatility. Payments can be made in person or online, in your office, or on the road.

Offering more convenient payment methods to your customers will increase sales and revenue.

Security and Fraud Protection

Cashless payments can increase the risk of fraud or hacking. Merchant accounts can fight back against this with enhanced security protocols.

Look for merchant accounts that are fully PCI compliant. These enhanced security protocols will keep your customers’ data secure.

Analytics and Data

Many merchant accounts come with software to help you understand your financial and customer data. So much data is collected with every credit card transaction it can be hard to make sense of it all.

Analytics can help you understand who your best customers are so you can cater to your needs and create more repeat customers.

Reward Your Customers

A merchant account can help you create gift cards, loyalty programs, subscription services, or coupon codes. These incentive programs can be a great tool to bring in new business or reward loyal customers.

Drawbacks to a Merchant Account

Merchant accounts charge for their service, but the price is almost always worth the many benefits a merchant account brings to your business.

If you’re a tech support business owner, you may want to consider getting a merchant account that is known to work with high risk businesses.

Why is Tech Support Considered High Risk?

Tech Support is one of many industries that earns a high risk label from banking institutions.

Although getting labeled as high risk may sound scary, it’s very common.

Tech support businesses have several factors that place them in this category. All of these challenges can be easily overcome with the right business strategies.

Card-Not-Present Payments

Any business that offers online or card-not-present payments is considered high risk, and this includes tech support businesses.

Card-not-present payments include any credit card payment that happens when the actual credit card is not present. This would include online or mobile app payments, which are extremely common today.

This factor alone places a huge amount of businesses in the high risk category. This is one of the biggest reasons tech support businesses are considered high risk. Much of their business takes place online or over the phone, meaning it's almost impossible for them to operate without online payment methods.

Chargebacks

The tech support industry is known for a high amount of chargebacks.

Chargebacks happen when a customer disputes a credit card claim on their statement. The credit card company will try to cancel the payment.

Even a legitimate credit card claim may be disputed if the customer was unhappy with the service provided.

Frequent chargebacks are an indication a company may have poor customer service or unclear policies.

If a business has too many chargebacks, this can make it less likely credit card companies will want to do business with them.

Merchant accounts can help with frequent chargebacks by reaching out to the customer and trying to resolve the issue before they have the chance to file a complaint.

Fraud/Scams

Tech support is one industry that has been taken advantage of by scammers.

Fraudulent tech support companies have a history of illegal activities such as stealing information or misleading customers.

Some tech support businesses may resort to spam by engaging in cold calling or mass emailing.

Legitimate tech support businesses do not engage in spammy tactics such as cold calling or emailing. They don’t hack customer data or trick customers into installing unwanted software on their machines.

Don’t Despair

Despite the challenges in the industry, you can find the right merchant account provider for you.

With your merchant account, you can reduce instances of fraud and chargebacks, protect sensitive customer information, and see your revenues soar!

Types of Merchant Accounts

Payment Aggregators

Many new businesses are attracted to the simplicity of payment aggregators such as Stripe, Square, or PayPal.

Also known as third-party payment processors, a payment aggregator operates one merchant account that is shared among multiple businesses.

Payment aggregators charge a flat rate per transaction fee. Account approval and setup are very fast, and funds can be accessed very quickly.

However, payment aggregators also have a very low tolerance for chargebacks and can freeze or terminate accounts without warning. Because of this, they aren’t always a good choice for high risk businesses.

Merchant Accounts

A merchant account provider typically has a longer, more detailed application process. Approval can also take longer; usually at least two days.

The reason for this is that they can set you up with a merchant account that is perfectly suited to your business model.

With your dedicated merchant account, you can reduce instances of fraud and chargebacks. The merchant account provider does this by reaching out to customers who dispute charges to resolve the situation.

Merchant accounts generally charge variable rates per transaction. For businesses with high transaction volume, this can result in lower overall transaction fees as they can take advantage of lower variable rates.

Things to Consider Before Choosing a Merchant Account

Security

Tech support companies deal with sensitive customer data. They may have access to personal information such as usernames, etc.

Customers must feel that their information is secure to entice them to do business with that company. A merchant account provider can help provide enhanced security to ensure customer information is safe from hackers or data miners.

Price

All merchant accounts charge a fee per transaction. This could be a flat-rate fee or a variable fee.

In addition to transaction fees, there are often additional fees you may have to pay.

This could include items like:

  • Set-up fees
  • Annual fees
  • PCI Compliance fees
  • Early termination fees

Review the policy carefully to make sure the pricing structure makes sense for your business. Avoid unnecessary fees that can be tucked into a contract like an early termination fee.

Customer Service

As a tech support business, customer support is essential to thriving in the industry. If you don’t have the customer support you need from your merchant account, this will slow you down in providing excellent support to your customers.

24/7 live customer support is preferable for businesses that operate primarily online.

Additional Tips and Considerations

Make Sure Your Legal Structure is Sound

Most tech support businesses operate online and serve their customers online. Although you may be based in one state, you may have to follow laws in other states or even international laws if your customers come from other countries.

Be sure your legal structure is completely sound and you have all your permits to be operating the way that you do. Ensure you have a plan to collect sales tax in all the states and countries you are operating in.

When you apply to a merchant account provider they will want to know this information, so have it on hand before you begin your application.

Get a Professional Website

Having a professional website will go a long way toward assuring your customers and clients of your legitimacy.

In this industry, reputation goes a long way. Even simple grammar and spelling errors on your website can make customers suspicious.

Go the extra mile to get a professional website with a professional logo to differentiate yourself from the competition. Consider including customer testimonials on your website to further lend to your credibility and excellence in the field.

Create Clear and Readable Policies

One of the reasons for customer chargebacks is poorly understood policies. If the customer is unsatisfied with the service they received that will mean they are more likely to dispute charges.

Dedicate a section on your website to spell out what it is the customer is getting with their purchase, how much it costs, and don’t try to sneak in any hidden fees.

Prepare for the Application Process

To make sure your application gets approved as quickly as possible, have all the information you need ahead of time.

This can include:

  • A valid ID
  • Three months of bank statements
  • Three months of processing statements
  • Your bank account information
  • Business license
  • Tax identification number
  • An explanation for any prior problems in your business credit history

Focus on Excellent Customer Service

In this industry, service is everything. Going the extra mile for your customers is what will set you apart from your competitors.

Final Thoughts

The tech support industry has been tainted with bad actors, earning it the label “high risk”.

There is plenty of opportunity in this field for businesses that offer superior customer service and pricing to their customers.

The right merchant account can help your business succeed by offering your customers the ability to pay with credit or debit, online or on their mobile device.

Not only that but a merchant account can reduce instances of fraud and chargebacks, as well as increase sales and revenue.

Although many new businesses are attracted to the simplicity of payment aggregators like Square, these providers have a downside.

Payment aggregators are very sensitive to chargebacks and can terminate or freeze accounts without warning.

This makes them a poor choice for businesses that expect to have high transaction volume or are prone to chargebacks.

A merchant account provider has a longer and more detailed application process so they can set you up with a merchant account that works specifically for your unique business model.

Our Top Picks for the Best Tech Support Merchant Account Providers

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