Merchant accounts, set up and supported by people who know payments

A merchant account is a holding account that sits between a card transaction and your bank. When a customer pays, the funds pass through the merchant account on the way to your business bank account. It is what lets you accept cards in the first place, and it is tied to an agreement with a processor and the card networks. Without one, a business cannot settle card payments into its own bank.

1. 1Apply. The business applies and is underwritten so the processor and card networks understand the risk.
2. 2Process. The business takes card payments through a gateway and terminal or online checkout.
3. 3Settle. Approved funds pass through the merchant account and are deposited into the business bank account on a set schedule.
4. 4Support. When questions or chargebacks come up, the account holder has a partner to call.

Some businesses are best served by a merchant account in their own name, with their own agreement and relationship. That may be the case when a customer has unusual processing needs, when they want direct control over their processing, or when a software platform prefers not to take on the role of payment facilitator. We will give you an honest view of whether a merchant account or a PayFac-as-a-Service model fits better.

• Finding the right setup for how a business actually takes payments.
• Application and approval support.
• Card present, online and recurring payment needs.
• Settlement and funding on a clear schedule.
• Chargeback and dispute support when they come up.
• Ongoing support when questions come up, which they do.

We have helped businesses get set up with merchant accounts since 2004, from a single storefront to software platforms onboarding many at once. We start by understanding how you take payments, then find the setup that fits, and we stay on the other end of the phone after you are live. If a merchant account is not the right shape for you, we will say so and point you at what is.