Best for
Merchants with higher than average tickets that are searching for the best possible rates on payment processing services.
Specializes in
Transparent Merchant Services specializes in providing a unique pricing structure to its merchant customers, which makes it an attractive option for merchants who have higher average tickets and are in need of the cheapest possible payment processing options.
Pricing Summary
Setup Fee: N/A
Monthly Fee: Variable
Swipe Rate: Interchange Plus $0.09 or $0.19
Keyed-in Rate: Interchange Plus $0.09 or $0.19
Early Termination Fee : None
Contract Terms:
Transparent Merchant Services is a merchant account provider and payment processing company that is based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
This company offers its merchant accounts through Base Commerce, LLC, a registered ISO/MSP of Synovus Bank.
Transparent Merchant Services lists Dustin Sparman as its managing partner.
Transparent Merchant Services works with Base Commerce, LLC to offer merchant accounts and payment processing services to its merchant customers. This company was founded in 2008 as a sole proprietorship.
Transparent Merchant Services may have also done business under the name Vantage Payments. The company offers standard payment processing services to many different types of businesses under a flat-rate pricing model, and a surcharge option is also available.
This company offers both a payment gateway and various POS system options to its merchant customers. It is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Dustin Sparman is listed as the company’s managing partner.
Head Quarters
4701 N 68th St. Suite 114, Scottsdale, AZ 85251.
Year Founded
2008
CEO
Unknown
Employees
Unknown
Merchant Provider Risk Tolerance
Excellent for high volume merchants who are looking for the best payment processing rates.
No early termination fee.
Uses a flat rate pricing model with another available.
Multiple payment processing options to choose from.
Customers who pay in cash save money.
Contract terms are unknown.
Low risk tolerance.
Higher costs for credit card paying customers.
Payment options depend on the hardware and software chosen.
Monthly fee is variable.
Hardware & Software
Transparent Merchant Services offers several options for payment processing equipment. Merchants can opt for:
Ingenico POS systems
Walker mobile card readers
The Poynt 5 POS system/smart terminal
Transparent Merchant Services also offers an online payment gateway for ecommerce merchants, or any merchant that chooses this method of processing payments. However, it is not clear from their website which one(s) they use.
Value Added Services
Other than its surcharge program, it does not appear that Transparent Merchant Services offers any additional services for its customers.
Transparent Merchant Services has a surcharge program that allows merchants to pass the cost of processing payments on to their credit card-paying customers while giving cash-paying customers a discount.
Supported Payment Types & Services
Merchants that choose Transparent Merchant Services for their payment processing company and merchant account provider will be able to accept many different forms of payment. Not all of the following will be available for all hardware and software options.
Payments from all four major credit cards
EMV chip payments
Mobile wallet payments (Apple Pay and Google Pay)
Checks and electronic checks
ACH payments
Debit card payments
Discloses All Important Terms
Yes
Public Pricing Available
Unknown
Transparent Merchant Services offers four different plans to merchants for payment processing. They are as follows:
Surcharge Program - 3.7%, no cost to merchants because this fee is passed on to credit card customers.
Pro Plan - $64.97 per month + $0.15 per transaction for up to 500 transactions a month.
Elite Plan - $99.97 per month + $0.09 per transaction for 500 or more transactions per month.
Enterprise Plan - $199.97 per month + $0.05 per transaction for 2,500 or more transactions per month.
Merchants that choose Transparent Merchant Services will also receive the PCI ToolKit, Conformance to assist with PCI Compliance. Many processors charge up to $30 a month for PCI Compliance, but this carries a cost of $99 per year.
Pricing Model
Interchange Plus
Swiped Rate
Interchange Plus $0.09 or $0.19
Keyed-in Rate
Interchange Plus $0.09 or $0.19
Mobile Payment Rate
Unknown
Virtual Terminal Rate
N/A
Monthly Fee
Variable
Payment Gateway Fee
N/A
Batch Fee
N/A
Early Termination Fee
None
PCI Compliance Fee
$99 Per Year
Equipment Lease Terms
$9.95 Per Month or Free
Address Verification Service (AVS)
Unknown
Application Fee
N/A
Account Setup Fee
N/A
Gateway Setup Fee
N/A
Annual Fee
N/A
Monthly Minimum
N/A
Statement Fee
N/A
Transparent Merchant Services offers a month-to-month contract for its merchant customers, and there is no early termination fee required for merchants who choose another company.
POS equipment is available through Transparent Merchant Services on a few different plans. Merchants that process more than 300 transactions per month may receive free hardware. It is also available for purchase at $249 or on a lease at $9.95 per month.
Contract Length
Unknown
Early Termination Fee
None
Transparent Merchant Services states that the company is able to inform merchants about their approval status within 48 hours after receiving a completed application with all documentation. Merchants opting for a payment gateway may be able to start accepting payments right away.
This company has a phone number and email address on its website for customer support as well as a Live Chat option.
BBB Rating
Transparent Merchant Services states on its website that the company is accredited with the Better Business Bureau, but the BBB lists it as unaccredited. It does have an A+ rating with the BBB and there have been no complaints filed within the last three years.
Other Online Reviews
There are no complaints about Transparent Merchant Services’ products or services elsewhere online, and this company does not have any pending class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints.
BBB
A+ and This Business is not BBB Accredited. (0 Reviews; 0 Complaints)
N/A
No Reviews
Yelp
1 Stars / 1 Reviews
Total Online Reviews
Unknown
Total Online Complaints
Lawsuits
Unknown
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