National Merchant Center Review

Rates and Fees
50/100
Truth in Advertising
20/100
Consumer Reviews
20/100
Customer Support
20/100
2

Best for

Small to medium-sized businesses in need of processing solutions for both retail and eCommerce applications.

Specializes in

National Merchant Center supports businesses with retail and eCommerce payment processing solutions. They provide payment gateways and virtual solutions.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: $0

Monthly Fee: $10 (Service fee)

Swipe Rate: 2.69% + $0.19

Keyed-in Rate: 3.69% + $0.19

Early Termination Fee : $375+

Contract Terms:

3 Years
Visit National Merchant Center

National Merchant Center has been in business for over 24 years and is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA. They cater to small to medium-size businesses and offer Clover POS systems. They also offer wireless and virtual terminals, as well as a customer loyalty program.

National Merchant Center promotes its 24/7 customer service. They also offer chargeback and data breach protection services.

National Merchant Center has been accused of deceptive business practices with several complaints being filed against them in the past. More recently, there are no complaints found and National Merchant Center has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

National Merchant Center Overview

 

National Merchant Center was founded in 1997. Mr. Roman Balanko is listed as the CEO of the business. NMC's headquarters is at 2955 Main St., Ste 100, Irvine, CA 92614. They are a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA. The Better Business Bureau has accredited NMC since 2019 and currently shows an A+ rating with no complaints or reviews for the business.

NMC has a history of negative reviews online. They are believed to use aggressive sales tactics and employ independent resellers.

NMC specializes in payment processing solutions for retail businesses and extends the ability for companies to become ISOs themselves. Fiserv is believed to provide back-end services for National Merchant Center.

Quick Facts

Head Quarters

Irvine, California

Year Founded

1997

CEO

Roman Balanko

Employees

50

Merchant Provider Risk Tolerance

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Industries Served

  • Automotive
  • Beauty & Wellness
  • Clothing & Apparel
  • Convenience Store
  • Contractors
  • Electronics
  • Food & Beverage
  • Gas Station
  • Healthcare
  • Hunting & Outdoor Equipment
  • Moving Companies
  • Personal Service
  • Professional Services
  • Online Sellers
  • Restaurant / Bar
  • Retailers
  • Thrift Store
  • Wholesalers

Business Types Served

  • B2B
  • Ecommerce
  • Enterprise Merchant Accounts
  • Mobile
  • Mom & Pop
  • MOTO
  • Online
  • Retail / Card Present
  • Small Business

National Merchant Center Products & Services

 

Hardware and Software

According to its website, National Merchant Center promotes Clover products including the Clover Go, Flex, and Mini. They boast a large selection of applications to support these products.

They also offer wireless terminals and virtual terminals.

In its application, NMC offers a free terminal ($399 value).

They boast QuickBooks compatibility for seamless integration of their systems into businesses.

Value-Added Services

National Merchant Center promotes chargeback protection services that simplify payment disputes. They also offer data analytics and reporting to address chargebacks.

Another added service is data breach protection. They claim to provide support and mitigate losses in the event of a data breach.

National Merchant Center is PCI compliant and offers tools to businesses to be compliant as well.

NMC advertises to businesses to become an ISO to increase revenue. They provide sales training and support to agents.

Supported Payment Types and Services

National Merchant Center supports all major credit cards as well as gift card programs if desired. The Clover hardware has the ability to accept and store payments even when offline.

They also provide the ability to process checks and ACH payments.

National Merchant Center Payment Processing

  • ACH Check Transactions
  • Chargeback & Fraud Prevention
  • Check Services
  • Credit Card Processing
  • Credit Card Terminals
  • Debit Card Processing
  • eCheck & ACH Processing
  • EMV Processing
  • Gift & Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Card Reader
  • Mobile Payments App
  • Online Payments
  • Payment Gateway
  • POS Equipment
  • Recurring Billing
  • Virtual Terminal

National Merchant Center Billing & Invoicing

  • Dunning Management
  • Mobile Payments
  • Online Invoicing
  • Online Payments
  • Payment Processing
  • Recurring/Subscription Billing

National Merchant Center Advertising & Sales

 
According to some online complaints, NMC uses independent sales agents. They also use telemarketing-style promotions.

A review of currently available contracts indicates they may not be disclosing all rates and fees and may be using deceptive advertising practices to highlight the lowest rates.

Truth in Marketing

Discloses All Important Terms

No

Public Pricing Available

No

National Merchant Center Pricing, Rates & Fees

 

National Merchant Center appears to use Fiserv to manage its customer contracts. The Fiserv rates are applied by a tiered pricing structure. Rates are listed at 2.69% plus a $.19 transaction fee for swiped transactions. Keyed transactions are listed at 3.69% plus a $.19 transaction fee.

Pricing for virtual terminal processing is not shared publicly.

There is a monthly PCI compliance fee as well as a regulatory fee.

Overall, the fees exceed competitors.

Pricing at a Glance

Pricing Model

Tiered Pricing

Swiped Rate

2.69% + $0.19

Keyed-in Rate

3.69% + $0.19

Mobile Payment Rate

3.69% + $0.19

Virtual Terminal Rate

1.00% - 4.99%

Monthly Fee

$10 (Service fee)

Payment Gateway Fee

Undisclosed

Batch Fee

$ 00.20

Early Termination Fee

$375+

PCI Compliance Fee

$19.95 Per Month

Equipment Lease Terms

60 Month (locked)

Address Verification Service (AVS)

Application Fee

None

Account Setup Fee

$0

Gateway Setup Fee

Annual Fee

$75

Monthly Minimum

$20

Statement Fee

National Merchant Center Contract & Terms

The Fiserv contract used by National Merchant Center is a three-year agreement that automatically renews for one year.

National Merchant Center has hefty early termination fees as well as an annual fee. The termination fees are a minimum of $375 but can be greater depending on the term left and usage.

They provide equipment leases for a 60-month term.

Contract Length

3 Years

Early Termination Fee

$375+

National Merchant Center Setup & Support

 

National Merchant Center provides a quick, online application. They offer live 24/7 365 customer support with a phone number and email available to reach out.

There is no indication given to show that National Merchant Center offers support for setup such as training.

Setup Highlights

  • Documentation / Knowledge Base
  • Live Online (1-on-1)

Support Highlights

  • Domestic Phone Support (Business Hours)

National Merchant Center Complaints, Ratings & Reviews

BBB Rating

The Better Business Bureau does not list any active complaints against the National Merchant Center. NMC has been accredited since 2019 and has an A+ rating. There are no reviews available through the BBB website.

Other Online Reviews

We found several negative reviews online including on Yelp and other public forums. The content of these reviews varies. Several reviews suggest they were charged extra fees for services they did not agree to.

One review spoke negatively about their experience with the customer service department.

There have been lawsuits filed involving NMC by the Federal Trade Commission as recently as 2016. Some allegations suggest that monies were being moved and held illegally.

Ratings

BBB

A+ and has been Accredited since 2019. (0 Reviews; 0 Complaints)

Google

1 Star / 1 Review

Facebook

N/A

Yelp

1 Star / 1 Review

Reviews

Total Online Reviews

50+

Total Online Complaints

15+

Lawsuits

None

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