Are you planning to become a merchant service provider? When it comes to merchant services, there are thousands of merchant services agent programs for you to choose from. It is very exciting to become a merchant services provider. However, without the necessary information and details, it is very easy for you to fail. The merchant services business is both complex and lucrative. There are several merchant services ISO programs available. Choosing the one to suit your specific needs can be very tricky, but luckily we are going to give you expert advice and tips on choosing the best one. Some factors to consider in order to become a merchant service provider include the tools offered by the company you chose, technology use, and customer supports. This article paints a clear picture of what a great merchant services agent program should look like.
9 Characteristics of a Good Merchant Service ISO Program
The following are some of the key characteristics that define a reliable merchant service ISO program. A company with the following traits increases your chances of being successful in your credit card processing business.
Exceptional Customer Service
This is one of the most critical characteristics of a good merchant services ISO program. However, it is one of the most overlooked things when an agent wants to become a merchant services ISO and when seeking out an ISO partner. In the merchant services business, the worst-case scenario would be to receive complaints from your clients, and you are unable to get in touch with your merchant services agent program. This can really ruin your business. It is a great practice to look for merchant services ISO program that provides 24/7 customer support. In addition, the customer care representatives should be able to attend to any questions, both general and technical, within the shortest time possible.
Same-Day Funds Deposits
This is another important feature to look out for when choosing a merchant services agent program. Clients do not have to wait for long to get their funds deposited into their bank account when a transaction is made. The same day funding is a great incentive that will leave your clients happy and also help you when promoting your business.
Ability to Handle High-Risk Merchant Accounts
Though you might not be dealing with clients who have high-risk transactions such as travel agencies, CBD companies, bail bonds, credit collections, medical marijuana, etc. it is important for the merchant services ISO program you choose to handle high-risk merchant account. You might get clients who operate high-risk operations, and therefore the benefit of this is to ensure that the business of your clients is running smoothly without any payment glitches.
Great Discount Opportunities
The fees associated with credit card processing are quite high. These high fees have been causing businesses to scramble. The cash discount programs enable merchants to implement a service fee to customers who pay via credit card and issue discounts to those who pay via cash. The merchant does not have to pay a fee for each transaction they run, and therefore this saves them money. You should, therefore, ensure you find a merchant service agent program that offers discount opportunities.
Assistance on Marketing
When it comes to credit card processing business, marketing can be the hard part. However, with a great team behind you to offer marketing assistance, it becomes easy. For you to turn cold leads to warm leads, you will need an effective marketing team. They will assist in providing marketing information as well as design about merchant services.
Flexible Compensation Plan
Getting paid is one of the most important steps as a merchant services provider. It is critical to get compensated for the work and effort you put into your merchant services business. Look out for a credit card processing agent program that will help you realize your goals and meet your needs. Note: Pay attention to the agreement document to make sure you understand all the details.
Residual Income Tracking
A good credit card processing agent program will help you get residual analytics; this is very important for your business. The use of technology and the latest software to track residual income is a must for a good merchant services agent program that you are going to choose. You should be able to see, at a glance, these details: number of clients, average profit, average ticket, top 10 merchants, and more.
Infrastructure
For the success of your credit card processing business, it is critical to look for an ISO partner who readily avails the necessary infrastructure to you. The payment technology is very dynamic, and each year, there are new changes and improvements. There are several other payment methods that have come up. A good credit card processing agent program should give you access to these assortments of payment processing products. All these will give your clients payment processing options to choose from, which helps them to run their business smoothly. A good merchant services agent program should be in the capacity to support most of the following infrastructures:
Point of sale options to suit the need of your clients and buyers
Smart terminals Online payment processing
Mobile payments options
A gift card and loyalty programs
Check processing services
Multi Relationship with Various Banking Options
A great credit card processing agent program should facilitate a solid relationship with several banks. This creates options to resort to incase one bank declines an account. With this feature, you will have peace of mind and be able to easily close deals and get paid. Shaw Merchant Group Can Help You To become a merchant service provider and to succeed in it can be tricky, especially if you do not have the necessary information, but with the above expert tips, you will be a step closer to being successful. At Shaw Merchant Group, we pride ourselves as being the best merchant services agent program providers. We are ready to help you become a merchant services ISO and succeed in your credit card processing business.
Merchant services sales is one of the hottest and most lucrative sales industries on the market right now, and for that reason it is incredibly attractive. It is true that you can earn great money being a merchant services agent, but it often requires a strict training program and dedication to the craft. If you want to be successful in merchant sales, then there are some key pillars that you will need to be familiar with that will help you to succeed and thrive in merchant services sales. By following this crucial training structure, you can set yourself up for success in the merchant services industry.
Pursue a quality partnership
The first concept that you will need to be familiar with in your merchant services sales training regimen is that you should pursue a quality partnership and arrangement with a merchant services provider. As a merchant services salesperson, you will work under the umbrella of a merchant services provider that will be the backbone of your business. The partner that you choose will administer these services to the merchants that you sell to, so it’s very important that you find a merchant services provider that is reputable and can provide you with all the benefits that you need for success in the merchant services industry.
There are a few things that you should look for in a quality partnership with a merchant services provider such as prompt payment, good payment structure, frequent bonuses, large share of profits, quality support staff, solutions for every industry, and tools to help you succeed. A quality partner that can provide you with all of these things is one that can help catapult you to success in merchant services and enjoyment of a life that earns passive income. It’s critically important that you make the right decision when it comes to the merchant services provider that you choose.
Optimize your pricing structure
While sales is mostly about making connections with businesses and selling your products, there are a lot of other things that you can do to help yourself have success. One of the more subtle things that you can do is to optimize your pricing structure to provide you with more margin and more opportunities to increase your revenue. There are several ways that you can do this by offering upsells, sticking to strict limitations when offering discounts, and others.
While a change in your pricing structure might not make a large effect right away, when the effects are compounded over hundreds of transactions, you can notice a very large difference that will greatly impact the trajectory of your merchant services sales career.
The more options, the better
When you are going through the preliminary stages of training to be a merchant services agent, one of the most important things that you should be on the lookout for is a merchant services provider that doesn’t limit you by their payment processing capability or options. You should seek to work with a merchant services partner that provides you with a wide range of payment processing options such as debit, credit, cash, ACH, and others. When your partner offers these additional methods, you can offer them to your merchants. Merchants like to be presented with multiple options and flexibility, so if you can offer them flexibility in their payment processing solution, then they are more likely to work with you for their merchant services needs.
Providing good customer service
One of the most important lessons that you will learn in merchant services sales training is that customer service should be your main priority at all times. The customer is the most important party in the entire transaction and without happy customers as your merchants, you will find a very hard time succeeding in merchant services sales.
Providing good customer service is something that you will have to master if you want to get to the point where you are converting more customers and increasing your portfolio of merchants. To do this, you should be sure to always be attentive to customers’ needs, answer questions in a timely manner, and be able to get in touch with them whenever they need something from you.
However, you are not the only important person in the process when it comes to customer service. You should be partnering with a merchant services provider that also values the power of good customer service if you want to have success in merchant services sales. This means evaluating how well your merchant services provider is able to meet the needs of customers and what their reputation is for providing service to the merchants that they oversee.
If you can provide a good customer service experience to your merchants, then they are much more likely to continue coming back to you time and again for their processing needs.
Free terminals included
If you want to have success in merchant services sales, then you’ll quickly learn one of the secrets of the industry is to include a free terminal for your merchant. Not only do merchants love to have free bonuses included in their processing packages, but you’ll also be providing your merchant with a POS that is specifically designed to increase performance and efficiency while using your offering of processing solutions. With a terminal that is specifically designed to help your solution work in the best way possible, you can be sure that they are getting the best possible user experience that they could want.
This also helps your relationship with the merchant. Providing them with incentives is one thing, but they can take additional confidence in knowing that they are partnered with an agent that cares enough about their merchants to ensure that they have the proper equipment to get the job done the right way. If you want to increase your conversion rate and improve the quality of your relationships with your merchants, then offering a free POS system is a great way to do so and is now considered industry-standard.
How You Can Make 6-Figures Selling Merchant Services
Selling merchant services is popularly known to be very lucrative, but one of the most asked questions by many potential agents is how much money can you make selling merchant services? They want to know whether they will be able to make a sustainable income from selling merchant services.
There is no straight answer to this popular question because the amount of money you make is dependent on the effort and handwork you put in. Those who have succeeded in selling credit card processing have shown exceptional dedication and hard work.
If you are wondering about how to become a merchant service provider and become successful in it, then hard work and dedication must be part of you.
Showing you the potential income that you can make selling merchant services is the simplest way to answer this burning question; how much money can you make selling credit card processing services?
According to research, selling credit card processing services has the potential to earn hardworking and determined agents over $100k per year.
How You Can Earn $100k Per Year Selling Merchant Accounts
It is important to realize that merchant services agents get about $500 upfront for every new customer they sign up.
This amount is paid instantly after an agent manages to make a deal.
In addition to this, agents also receive a monthly bonus that on average is about $1250 per month. This money is known as residual income. According to experts, $1250 is low, bearing in mind that the credit card processing business doesn't count cash transactions.
Understanding Residual Income
If you are looking into how to start a credit card processing company, then you need to understand about residual income.
When the merchant clients you have signed up for the services use their credit card to receive payments, the processing company will receive a certain percentage of the amount received.
As long as the merchants are continuing to be happy with the credit card processing services, the processing company will continue receiving a certain percentage of the money transfers.
The agent who signed up for a merchant client is supposed usually will receive 50% of this income. This means that every time the merchant client is using their credit card, then the agent will be making money. This is what is known as residual income.
Now that you understand what residual income is, let us take a good example of how to start a credit card processing company and make over $100k in a year.
Assuming that the agent is capable of signing 15 new clients every month. On average, the agent will receive $50 per month as residual income from 15 clients, and this will be $750 a month. Of course these amounts skyrocket if the agent is selling the Cash Discount Program. This program wipes out all fees for the merchant client and produces 5X residual income.
If they are hardworking enough, they will manage to raise their monthly income to about $9000, which will translate to about $108,000 per year. This now answers the question; how much money you are able to make selling merchant services.
Tips To Help You Make $100k as a Merchant Services Provider
There are things that you need to put in place in addition to being hardworking in order to succeed. These tips will help you understand how to become a merchant processor and to easily make $100k per year. In order to make 6 figures in merchant services sales, you need to:
1.Set Your Goal Just: like in any other industry, business goals are very important. These help you to be disciplined and stay focused on what you do. If you wish to make $9000 per month, then set that as your goal and put it the effort to attain that. If you wish to recruit 15 merchants every month, then set it as your goal and work towards attaining that.
2.Join the Right ISO Program: The merchant services agent program you join will determine your success. Look for an agent that provides both the tools and support needed to successfully run your business. North American Bancard is one of the top-rated merchant services agent programs that you can join.
3.Understand Your Product: Ensuring that you understand your merchant products and services is important in helping you stay competitive. The merchant services agent program you choose should be in the capacity to provide firsthand information about the credit card processing business. This will help you to stay up to date in selling merchant accounts and in-turn, attract many leads.
4.Manage Your Time: As an independent sales agent, it can be very difficult for you to stay committed to what you do. Remember that you are 100% responsible for your daily tasks. For you to succeed in merchant services, it is critical to stick to your schedule. Divide your time to tackle things such as following up with your leads and finding new leads. If you find it difficult to manage time by yourself, you can use apps and tools to schedule your daily tasks. This will improve your productivity and bring you a step close to making more money.
5.Invest In Referrals: Referrals are very important in helping you grow your merchant services business. This is very effective when starting out as a merchant services provider. Set a strategy to use and follow up with clients so as to get most referrals from every merchant client you get.
If you offer exceptional services, then your referral list will keep on growing. You will be getting new leads every now and then.
With the above tips, it is easy for you to earn handsome amounts as a merchant services agent.
The ball is on your court; you now know the amount you can make from your credit card processing business. Remember that there is no limit to the amount of money you can make. Put in the effort, and you could possibly make a million dollars in your credit card processing business.
If you are looking for a fast-paced, rewarding, and lucrative career in merchant services, then now is the time to become a North American Bancard sales partner. North American Bancard sales partners enjoy a variety of benefits that set the program apart from all the rest. For those that want to make a difference in the industry and build a vast network of revenue-generating accounts, this partner program is the solution for you. Our suite of best-in-class products combined with premium sales support set you up for success in this very lucrative sales industry.
A Suite of Bonuses to Maximize Earnings Potential
As a partner of the North American Bancard Agent Program, you will have access to various benefits and bonuses that can be achieved through hard work and diligence. These available bonus programs will maximize your earnings potential and make it easier for you to achieve the salary that you want. With various bonuses available to all sales reps, you can create a robust and passive income that increases with time.
Summary of Bonuses:
Activation Bonus
Approval Bonus
Profitability Multipliers
Limited Time Promotions
Timely & Predictable Payments
When you work with North American Bancard, you will be able to predict when you are getting paid, and how much. This differs in comparison to other sales programs that make it difficult to know when you will be paid and in what amount it will be.
For maximum control and insight into what your seller metrics are, you can also access an intuitive and easy-to-navigate partner dashboard that will give you access to analytics, payment information, and a visual aid to help you learn about your residuals.
About Our Dashboard
In addition to payment information, there are other benefits of our robust partners' dashboard.
Sales Tools: To support our partners in the best way possible, our merchant dashboard contains sales tools that will help you to remain competitive in the market.
Portfolio Management: You can find all the merchants in your portfolio in the portfolio management section, allowing you to easily make changes to all aspects of your accounts.
Enrollment: With our dashboard, you’ll be able to easily enroll in promotions for yourself or your merchants. This makes saving money and earning more a breeze.
Benefits of Becoming a Partner
Joining the North American Bancard Agent Program comes with dozens of benefits. Here are some of the amazing perks that you can look forward to when you join our program and elite force of account managers.
High Earnings Potential
When you join the North American Bancard agent program, you’ll be coming on board a team that has shown, through decades of success and excellence, that this is one of the best ways to increase your earnings potential and break into a field that maximizes your salary.
If you want to earn a lot in a lucrative field, then this program is the right choice for you.
Signing Bonus
One of the main ways to earn income in the North American Bancard Agent Program is through our various selection of bonuses. Our suite of bonuses includes a lucrative signing bonus that is enhanced with each account you are able to successfully gain. We are happy to be able to offer these benefits to our partner participants and increase their income in a variety of ways.
Serve High-Risk Merchants
One of the most restricting factors that affect sales reps from other merchant services companies is their failure to serve high-risk merchants. High-risk merchants do have a place in merchant services and the North American Bancard agent program is able to serve these merchants and gain the lucrative contracts that they often present.
As a participant in this program, you will be able to share in the profits that come from working with these clients and expand your network of earnings potential exponentially. When you join our program, you’ll be opening up the world of possibilities to increase your earnings potential and grow your accounts under management.
Point of Sale Perks
Part of being successful as a merchant services agent is being able to provide your merchant with maximum benefits. Working with the North American Bancard partner program allows you to offer benefits, unlike any other partner program. We allow our representatives to entice merchants with POS systems to modernize small businesses and give them the tools that they need to succeed in this hyper-competitive business environment.
ATM Machines
If you’re looking to diversify your income and increase your earnings potential, then you will love being able to offer ATM services to your merchant clients. ATMs have long-proven to be a sustainable source of income and when you work with North American Bancard, you’ll be able to bring in a share of ATM revenue in your merchants’ places of business.
ATMs will always be in demand and the ability to offer them to your clients will enable you to build income streams that could last for decades.
Cash Advance Option (VAR)
In addition to all of the other services that North American Bancard is able to offer merchants, you will also be able to provide your merchants with cash advance short-term loans, which carry high-interest rates and create a mutually beneficial situation. North American Bancard DOES NOT offer merchant cash advance loans directly but reccommend agents seek out a merchant cash advance partner to offer this additional service. You will earn commissions on cash advance services and build even more trust between you and your merchants in being able to offer them funding for basic operations, expansions, and emergency situations.
Etice More Clients With Our EDGE Cash Discount Program
Of all the benefits of working with North American Bancard in our partners' program, perhaps the most important is the EDGE Cash Discount Program. The EDGE Cash Discount Program was created as a way to help the consumer, merchant, and account representative all save money and earn more revenue. Being able to offer the EDGE Cash Discount Program puts you ahead of other reps in your industry because of the benefits that it is able to offer to merchants.
Free Equipment: Merchants that participate in the EDGE Cash Discount Program will be able to get free equipment that makes the switch easier than ever. Build trust and establish credibility with your merchant by offering them free equipment to upgrade and modernize their POS systems.
Save Money and Profit (Same as Cash on Every Transaction): The main draw of the EDGE Cash Discount program is that it is able to help merchants profit the same on every transaction as they do with a cash transaction. Edge customers increase thier bottom line and help reduce thier overall payment processing expenses.
Marketing Materials: Marketing a program like the EDGE Cash Discount Program isn’t always easy, but we provide our reps and our merchants with all the signage and literature that they will need to easily explain the program to their customers and make them feel at ease. We provide you with the resources you need.
Mutually Beneficial: While implementing a dual price model and charging more for non-cash payments can seem painful at first, it is very benificial to the consumer in that they save money easily by paying in cash and supporting thier local business by making the transaction more affordable than simply raising all prices no matter what payment method is used.
If you are a merchant that is discussing the possibility of enrolling in a cash discount program to save you money on your processing, then you are no doubt wondering what to expect and whether it's a good decision for your business. Every decision that you make concerning your business must be made carefully. You care a lot about your business and you would never want to endanger it by making a decision too early or without enough consideration. If you want to truly get the most out of your merchant services experience, then you must at least explore the possibility of enrolling in a cash discount program.
However, you might not even know where to start. If you’ve never enrolled in a cash discount program, you probably don’t know what to expect or how the program could affect your business. We are here to provide you with some guidance and give you the information that you need to make an informed and well-timed decision for your business. In this overview of the cash discount program, we’ll provide a fair and balanced summary of the benefits of the program and also show you some of the potential downsides.
What is a Cash Discount Program?
If you run a business, you are probably familiar with cash discounts. However, cash discounts have become a dying practice. This is mostly because processing cost have put a burden on businesses and they would rather keep the extra margin from the cash to help fund operations. However, a cash discount program offered by a merchant services company is a completely different concept that has been helping to restore these programs across the country.
A modern-day cash discount program is the same in theory as the "cash discounts" of the past in that it incentivizes the customer to pay with cash to provide them with a cheaper price. However, it is much different in the way that the savings are applied. With a traditional cash discount offering, a percentage of the transaction would be deducted from the total when customers choose to pay with cash. This saves the customer and the merchant each a little bit of money, but nothing significant.
In a merchant services cash discount program, the rate is applied to any transaction that is being paid with plastic. The advertised price on your products and services will be paid if the transaction is paid in cash. This passes the cost to those that choose to pay with credit cards and saves the merchant money on processing.
Benefits of Cash Discount Programs
As you can ascertain from our summary of cash discount programs, there are quite a lot of benefits to like about cash discount programs and what they have to offer for businesses that use a lot of processing services. Here are some of the benefits that you can enjoy when you choose a cash discount program for your business.
Lower Cost
When you accept fewer card payments as a merchant, it will inevitably mean that you are paying less in processing cost. Processing cost don't sound like a lot at first, but they can certainly pile up and make a difference in your balance sheet. If you want to avoid processing cost as much as possible, then the best way to do so is to enroll in a cash discount program with your merchant services provider.
The main benefit of a cash discount program from the merchant's point of view is that it enables the merchant to pass on the cost to the consumer through a cash discount program. This leaves the merchant with basically no cost to pay in the end.
Easy Implementation
Many merchants shy away from these sorts of programs because while they would be beneficial for the merchant, many fear that they are difficult to implement. Without the right partner, this might be the case. However, if you choose the right merchant services partner, the implementation can be incredibly easy and painless. Most merchant service providers will provide their merchants with signage to explain the switch and guidance on how to change the process without angering customers. In addition, merchants might be able to gain access to free POS equipment to assist in the system change.
More Cash Payments
When you implement a cash discount program, it only stands to reason that you will start to incentivize more cash payments. More cash payments mean savings for your customer and more margin for you. Once the merchant's customers realize that they can save money by paying in cash, they will be incentivized to do so and it will ease the burden that processing and card payments have on your business. In addition, the business can charge just as much as it was before the switch for the products, except they will not have to adjust for processing cost.
Merchant Fraud Protection
With fewer credit card transactions going through your business, you will also be opening yourself up to less fraud and chargebacks. One of the most common issues with credit card payments is the fraud that often occurs in credit card transactions. When a merchant is accepting more cash than cards, the chances of fraud, and the cost to your business decreases with every transaction.
Drawbacks to Cash Discount Programs
Though there are many benefits of using a cash discount program, there are also drawbacks that prevent some businesses from making the leap. One of the most common reasons for hesitant businesses is the fact that not many consumers prefer to use cash in the modern era. Many transactions are done exclusively with credit cards, and many consumers even dislike using cash altogether. Forcing customers to use cash to get the cheaper price could put your relationship with them at risk. This risk can be mitigated by making it clear why the program is in place, how it benefits both consumer and merchant, and how easy the process is. With open communication, participating in a cash discount program should be a breeze for your business.
If you are ready to dive into the world of becoming a credit card processing ISO, then you are probably on the prowl for the best credit card processing ISO program. The merchant processing industry is a lucrative one, but only when the ISO chooses the right partner to operate under. The credit card processing program that you choose to operate under can have a big impact on your earnings, quality of business, range of potential clients, payout frequency, and many other parts of your business that should be considered essential. This short guide will give you the information that you need to select the best credit card processing ISO program in the industry and will even give you a bit of information about who we feel has the best credit card processing ISO program and why.
Why is it important to select the best credit card processing ISO program?
It is important to pick out the best credit card processing ISO program because the program that you choose will have some very drastic effects on the income that you are able to earn and other aspects of your business. If you want to set your business up for success in merchant processing, then choosing the ISO program that you are going to be operating under is a highly essential part of that process.
Each ISO program attempts to achieve relatively the same thing, but with different benefits and results that attract different types of clients and merchants. You should never assume that all ISO agent programs are the same and have the same benefits, rates, payouts, and other incentives to get you to use their ISO program. Carefully screen the specifications of each program to actually find the program that is right for you.
Is it the same for everyone?
When it comes to finding the best credit card processing ISO program in the industry, the truth is that there is no one answer that fits the needs of everyone. Each ISO program is different with their pay structures, marketing tools, and other resources that they give you to succeed in merchant services. So, the answer likely won’t be the same for everyone and will instead depend on what industry you’re in.
However, that’s not to say that some programs don’t rise above the rest. There are certainly programs out there that have displayed excellence time and time again, giving themselves an excellent reputation when it comes to payments, resources, and the other benefits that a particular program is able to offer.
While one program doesn’t usually fit all sizes, you can increase your chances of having success as an ISO by picking out a program that has repeatedly exceeded expectations and set the gold standard when it comes to credit card processing ISO programs.
What to look for in a credit card processing ISO program
When you are in the process of selecting a credit card processing ISO program, there are some select features that you should be examining to ensure you find the right program for you. Here are some of the features that you should look for when screening potential ISO programs for your ISO to partner with and offer merchant services.
Payout
When you partner with an ISO program, you definitely want to make sure that they pay accurately and that they pay on time. Closing sales as an ISO won’t help you unless you are actually being paid your residuals and commissions that are due to you. Make sure that the company that you work with has a reputation for paying on time.
Residuals
A very important factor that you should take into consideration when selecting an ISO program to work with is what the residual rate is. These rates range from 50%-75% and are the backbone of your business. Earning residuals is often passive after the initial setup, so be sure that you are getting as big of a share of them as possible before moving forward.
Marketing Advantages
When you partner with an ISO program, you want to be sure that the program you select has the tools and resources to make you more successful in merchant services. This includes the access that they give you to their marketing materials, initiatives, promotions, and literature that you can use to sway clients into signing on with your ISO.
Who has the best ISO program in the industry?
If you’re looking to partner with the best in the business, then you can’t do much better than the Shaw Merchant Group. The Shaw Merchant Group has continuously proven their excellence and the quality of their ISO program. This ISO program has many benefits including high residual rates, prompt and accurate payments, and the ability to help market your services and provide you with the resources you need to close more sales. Choose Shaw Merchant Group if you want to set up your ISO for success now and in the future.
Merchant processing is one of the hottest and most popular lucrative fields in business right now, and that leaves many wondering how they can make a name for themselves in merchant processing. Becoming a registered ISO is one of the best ways to make money in merchant processing and establish a vast network that continues to bringin passive residuals over time. With a successful ISO, you can truly be setting yourself up for a lifetime of success and income that continues to grow. However, the process of becoming an ISO is not always the simplest one, especially for those that have never registered as an ISO before.
If you want to know how to become a registered ISO and start earning the money that comes along with this lucrative profession, then you are in the right place. We will walk you through some of the basic concepts that surround becoming an ISO and teach you the steps to becoming a merchant services ISO so that you can begin building a better income for your future. Follow along to learn the pathway that you must take if you are going to become a registered ISO.
What is an ISO?
Before you become a merchant services ISO and go through the lengthy process that it entails, you must first make sure that you have a good grasp on what exactly an ISO is and what it would mean for you to become an ISO.
An ISO is an organization that is responsible for selling merchant services, such as processing, to businesses. ISOs operate under larger companies, for which they sell their services. In addition to being a type of “agent” themselves, ISOs also have agents that work underneath them to help sell their products and services.
ISOs make money by earning a commission of processing services that are sold and they also earn money by providing services to the merchant accounts that are opened by their agents. ISOs are a hub of activity in the merchant processing world and since so many transactions run through them, it can be a very lucrative field to be in.
One thing that you will need to know is that an ISO is a legally registered business, so you will have to decide which type of business you want to register as. There are a number of options, each one providing its benefits and downfalls. Make sure that you have a plan of action for when you get to this stage of the process.
Is it worth it to become an ISO?
Being an ISO has a lot of similarities to being a merchant services agent, but there are some key differences. Both allow you to make money by selling merchant services and processing agreements, but being an agent is slightly more limiting than being an ISO. That’s not to say that being an ISO is easy, because it is not. There are months of work that go into being either of these designations.
However, there are some advantages that make it worth it to become an ISO if you want to make a splash in the merchant services industry. One of these advantages is that you will get to operate under your own business name. This gives you added credibility when conducting business with your customers and provides you with an easier marketing task. When you are an agent for an ISO or larger merchant services company, you are not able to use your own business name to market yourself. This can turn into a disadvantage if you are trying to create your own brand.
Another distinct advantage to being a merchant services or credit card processing ISO is that you can earn money in more ways than one. When you become a registered ISO, you will have the opportunity to have sub-agents below you that can earn money and residuals for your ISO. As a regular agent, you don’t have this ability and your income is limited to what you can sell with the time that you alone have. Being an ISO allows you to scale up your business and provide you with income around the clock.
All in all, becoming an ISO is a step that can really launch your career in merchant services and set you up for a much higher long-term income.
How to register
If you have decided that becoming an ISO is the right choice for you, then congratulations. Becoming an ISO is an accomplishment that can open a lot of doors for you. First, you’ll need to register and work through the legal and administrative hurdles that stand between you and becoming an ISO. Here is how you register to become an ISO.
Pick a name
This step is very important and allows you to enjoy the benefit of being an ISO and branding yourself rather than being forced to operate a different brand.
Decide on your business type
Depending on your unique situation and circumstances, you will need to pick the business type that you will be creating. This is very important down the line.
Register with state
Make sure that you file all the necessary paperwork with your state.
Get your permits
This will vary from state to state, but you will at least need a business license to operate and start accepting payments.
Register with tax agency
Register your business with local and national tax agencies to ensure you are compliant with all tax regulations and obligations.
Create a plan
Create your business plan and organize staff, buildings, etc.
Find a sponsor
Find a reputable and high-quality parent merchant services company that you can operate under to provide your clients with good service.
Create a contract
Create and review the contract that you make with your sponsor company to ensure you are both on the same page and understand what you are obligated to.
Finalize your sponsor
Once you are comfortable with the contract, go ahead and finalize your contract to cement the deal.
Start selling!
Now that you’re an ISO, the sky is the limit. Find sub-agents, close deals, and market your ISO as its own unique business.
If you've done any research at all, you've probably already realized that getting into the credit card processing field can be extremely profitable. Just about every serious business needs a merchant account, so the number of prospects that you could work with are countless and the market is ever-expanding as the economy recovers.
You might also realize, though, that becoming an ISO or a credit card processing company yourself can be expensive, but luckily this is not your only option when you're looking to break into this field. One of the best ways to get into the credit card processing industry is to start your career out as a sales agent. The upfront costs are minimal, and you can learn the business inside and out with a lot of room for growth. It's one of those coveted sales positions where you not only get commission at the time of the sale, but you usually receive residuals for the life of the account.
The key to success as a sales agent is choosing the right partner company to work with—this is an ISO whose products and services you will be offering to merchants. Since finding the right sales agent program is so imperative to your future, take your time to consider who will be the best fit for you.
In order to help you get started on your quest, here are five of the best agent programs out there that you can look into:
Looking for a company that has a lot of experience and support? This can be especially important when you're first starting out. You don't want to just be left in the dust whenever you have questions or if something goes wrong. They're very committed to offering the best service possible to not only their end-users, but more importantly to their sales agents. They'll provide you with the latest technology, varied offers to give to your clients, and top-notch service. They also offer extremely fast payments, and in fact will pay you every day instead of making you wait for weeks.
Total Merchant Services
Want to go with a leader in the industry? Total Merchant Services is a great ISO with a lot of options for the ambitious sales agent. For one, they have a proven track record of service and have been around since 1996. They offer some of the easiest-to-navigate merchant applications around, a great support team, and in-depth training so that you can sell more effectively and grow in your payment processing career. They were among the firsts in the business to offer lifetime residuals from every deal that their sales agents close. If you want a reliable company that will let you build the passive income side of your business, you should seriously consider Total.
Naturally, you are probably going to want to research more than just a few companies, but these are truly some of the best and brightest in the industry, and it's not a bad list to start with. Before anything else, it's important to perform a self-assessment and decide what your needs and wants are when it comes to an ISO partner. Really, this means asking yourself: What kind of ISO is going to best serve my clients? If you still have no idea, that's perfectly fine. You don't have to limit yourself to a single ISO, and in fact it's probably a good idea when you are starting out to try several different processors.
PayProTec
Maybe you're looking for a very reliable company that has a history of great service and close relationships with their merchants and sales agents. In that case, you won't go wrong with PayProTec. They offer great customer support, as well as extensive online resources that you can use to build your business. When you sign up as a sales agent, you get a free website, a back-end portal where you can check your stats online, and the ability to look up trouble tickets and see any problems that your merchants are having. Like HarborTouch and a few others mentioned here, they also have a free terminal program.
Interestingly enough, they're not just paying lip service when they say that they care about their sales agents—they offer health care benefits and will reimburse half of your costs! This definitely helps to relieve one of the bigger headaches of being self-employed.
HarborTouch
HarborTouch is one of the largest providers of POS systems and payment processing services in the US. They handle over one hundred thousand merchant accounts across the nation, and billions of dollars worth of transactions. Part of the reason they are so ubiquitous in the payment processing field is no doubt due to their superior partnership program with sales agents. They have smart, forward-thinking, and extremely competitive offers that make selling accounts a snap compared to more “traditional” programs. For example, they helped pioneer the introduction of free POS terminal offers. In other words, you can provide the hardware to your client for no upfront costs to them, and still receive a handsome commission and great residuals afterwards.
“Free” is not a hard sell at all, so even if you choose another company, it's probably a good idea for you to make sure that your merchant services partner has a free terminal program. It's not always going to be a good fit for every merchant, but rest assured that more and more of your clients will be expecting free equipment.
eMerchant Broker
Part of working in any field is having a niche, but oftentimes you can find yourself partnered with a company that won't approve of the merchants that you want to work with. Nothing is more disappointing than having great personal connections and prospects, but needing to turn them down because they run a “high risk” business, such as a liquor store, an e-commerce business, or any sort of retail store that would be subject to a lot of charge-backs.
With eMB's program, however, you won't have to worry about any of that. They will deal with just about any sort of merchant, including high-risk applicants. In fact, they approve about 95% of the merchants who seek accounts with them. This is good news for your clients and for you—especially since high risk accounts can be particularly lucrative.
Like the name implies, eMerchant Broker is a good choice if your merchant is an e-commerce business. They offer multiple gateways to make sure your client's shopping cart software will work perfectly with them. Give them a try, especially if your merchants tend to get rejected by other ISO's.
For agents and resellers that work with merchants for their merchant services, it is known that the happier that you can make your client, the better. There are several ways that you can do so, but one of the most surefire ways to provide your merchants with as many benefits as possible when working with your merchant services company is to provide them with a cash discount program that helps to make the cost of accepting payments as inexpensive as possible. In addition to saving the merchant money on their transactions, you can also earn more as an agent by signing up your merchants for this program and earning incentives and bonuses that come along with it. If you’re looking for the best cash discount program from all perspectives, then you should set your sights on the North American Bancard EDGE Merchant Cash Discount Program. This innovative program contains plenty of benefits for the agent, merchant, and consumer.
What makes the North American Bancard EDGE Merchant Cash Discount Program the best?
There are a number of features that have helped to vault this cash discount program into the first position when you consider the best cash discount programs currently available to merchants around the world. Here are just some of the benefits that you and the merchant will enjoy when you decide to use this cash discount program.
No cost to the merchant
The main draw of this program is that it is going to help put more money in the pockets of the businesses that you are working with. Your merchants will be able to experience higher profits because the EDGE Cash Discount Program is designed to eliminate the processing fees for merchants to profit the same on credit and signature debit transactions that they do on cash transactions. If a merchantlooks at what they spend annually in order to process electronic payments, those savings will adsup.
With the EDGE cash discount program, merchants won’t have to worry about those expenses because they are being recouped in the higher price for signatue credit and debit puchases. This is a great selling point for your merchants because it enables them to recoup a cost that they would otherwise have to pay and saves thier business money. There is no cost to ebroll for the program, so they only have money to gain from enrolling in the program.
No contract
Another major benefit to the merchant is that there is no contract associated with the EDGE cash discount program. That means that even if merchants want to try it out for a few months to see the effects on their business, they can do this without fearing having to get locked into a long contract.
As an agent, this allows you to quickly and easily build trust with your merchants. You can show them the power that the EDGE cash discount program can have on their revenue without having to lock them into a contract or pressure them to do something they don’t want to do. With a free, no-cost, no-obligation program, your merchant will feel as comfortable with you as ever.
Free equipment
In addition to the no-obligation and no-cost contract with this trailblazing cash discount program, you'll also be able to offer your merchant free equipment to help make the transition easier for their business. This all begins at the POS system, which is the channel through which every transaction in the business flows. You'll be able to offer your merchant an updated POS system that has everything they need to make the switch to the EDGE cash discount program in a smooth and organized manner.
Apart from the POS system, you will also be able to offer signage and marketing materials to your merchants to help them advertise and raise awareness for the program. These materials help everyone to feel on the same team and help your merchants feel as if they have the resources that they need to succeed.
Easy to explain
One of the main challenges that merchants face when trying to change the way that they accept payments and charge their customers is the ease with which they can explain the change to their loyal customers. Merchants are not easily convinced to make a major change for fear of angering their long-term customers or confusing them. This giant hurdle is what holds many merchants back from moving forward or making productive changes.
With the EDGE program, you’ll have what you need to convince merchants that it won’t be a large leap when it comes to the trust and relationship between them and their customers. The EDGE program is a very simple, easy-to-understand program that won’t confuse buyers and will make merchants very happy.
How it works
To help our agents and merchants further understand the complete process of the EDGE cash discount program, here is a short guide of what you can expect to happen when the EDGE cash program is implemented.
Paying with cash
With the EDGE program, paying for an item with cash will be relatively unchanged. Customers will see the advertised price of the item, go to the register, hand the cashier their cash, and purchase their item. They will pay the lower price.
Paying with plastic
Paying with plastic will be a slightly different process than before. To encourage consumers to
use cash and recoup expenses associated with electronic payment methods, a second, slightly
higher price is charged on the item at checkout, increasing the cost of the purchase for the
consumer. In this situation, the consumer is able to use the convenience of plastic and the
merchant is able to recoup those expenses that are incurred when accepting cards to help their
business and increase their margin.
Starting your own small business is a fantastic way to build an income. Whether you already have a full-time job and you’re looking to develop your second income, or you want to become a full-time business owner yourself, there are many markets you can go into. One lucrative market you can enter is that of a merchant services agent, also known as a credit card processing agent. Within this market, how much you are able to generate is determined by the amount of work you put into selling merchant accounts. Leading sales representatives can generate over $100k per year using fantastic sales techniques alongside hard work and grinding.
Due to the competitive nature of the market, as well as unfortunate stereotypes that are commonly attached with salespeople, getting your foot into the door can be challenging at first. Many people may have felt selling mislead or even lied to by merchants in the past, which has made it difficult to become a credit card processing reseller. Here are some steps to help you in your journey to selling merchant services and developing the six-figure income you have always dreamt of.
Know the Ins and Outs of Your Business
When it comes to selling merchant accounts, you cannot undermine the importance of knowing your product. Within the market, there are very few merchants who are actually able to make sense of their merchant statement. Even those with experience within the industry may not completely aware of the details, which is a fantastic way to help you stand out from the competition.
By understanding the economics behind selling merchant accounts you are able to efficiently explain the cost-savings opportunity that you are providing. You will be able to answer any questions that are thrown in your direction, which will help to fill your potential client with confidence.
The second benefit of understanding your business is that you can understand the financial impact from your perspective. It is known throughout the industry that the best sales agents understand how much profit is built into each merchant account. This knowledge can be used in a variety of ways, especially when it comes to selling. You will be able to determine which deals are best and when you should choose to walk away. Understanding your business is the best way of understanding how to sell merchant services.
Develop Your Own Sales Plan
In order to produce the highest number of merchant services sales, you must build and refine your sales plan. Every top sales agent within the credit card processing industry has an understanding of how they go about their day to day business. They understand how they can increase their monthly income and how to sell. However, there is no 'optimal plan of attack'. Every agent builds up their own plan that works around their routine and style of selling. Some may choose to target certain parts of the industry, whilst others may make use of referrals or cold calls. Many agents will choose to do a mix of all three of these options to decipher the best results. Learn what works for you and then build upon this foundation to optimize your sales ability.
Build Long-Term Relationships with Local Businesses
Within the industry, building up long-term relationships is crucial so that you can become a successful merchant account reseller. Unfortunately, many sales reps will choose to make a sale, then move onto other opportunities to increase their revenue. There are several faults in this tactic and in the long run, it will work against you. Whilst you are scanning the market for the next sale, it is common for your clients to be approached by competitors within the market. Here, they will be offered cheaper rates, as well as other enticing deals. By building up long-term relationships with your client base, you can protect and build your portfolio. Your unique relationship with the local business will differentiate you from competitors and will become a key selling point when it comes to expanding your own portfolio.
Focus on Referrals
At the end of the day, cold calling is not the most efficient way to make a sale. For many people, it can be outright draining. At the start of your business there is no way around it. At the start of your career, it is simply something you will have to. However, it is not something that you will have to do forever. Referrals will become the most efficient and eventually the best way to grow your business. There are a number of ways in which you can get the most from referrals and become a successful merchant services agent.
Start by setting up a streamlined way in which you interact with your clients, allowing you to maximize your referral potential. Begin by informing your client that you will be back for referrals after you have proven the value of your services. This should be done from the very onset of your relationship, this way you can set the expectation. After your client has been working with you for around a month, show them the benefits that you have benefits you have brought. Once you have shown them the value you have to offer, you can ask for specific referrals. It is important to be as specific as possible. Ask for the doctor they use, the mechanic that fixes their vehicle or the vet who helps their dog. The more specific the question, the more specific the answer.
Summary: Whilst these steps won’t guarantee your success within the industry of selling merchant accounts, they will definitely set you up in the right direction. With the market expanding exponentially, getting started it vital to your success. Make sure that you truly understand everything about what you are selling, as this will provide you with the best foundation to set yourself up for success in the future. Once started, you can always choose to learn more as you advance and develop your business.
If you have been in sales for long, then you know what it is like to try to sell software and other solutions over the phone. It’s a tough industry and job that requires hard work, patience, and a winning formula. Calling someone is easy--convincing them to stay on the line is hard. If you are in merchant services sales and want to increase your phone sales and your overall revenue, then this short guide is a must have. In this short tutorial, we will cover some of the key tips to having success in merchant services and conducting merchant services sales over the phone with maximum optimization and earnings potential.
Difficulty of selling merchant services over the phone
When you think of selling merchant services over the phone, your mind might automatically turn to just setting appointments, touching base, and otherwise communicating with the potential customer over the phone. However, that’s not all that selling merchant services over the phone entails. Actually selling merchant services over the phone consists of every step of the process including consultation, implementation, and even signing the contracts. This all occurs from a remote location.
While this makes the business model somewhat convenient, it also makes having success in phone sales extremely difficult. In traditional sales, you have the opportunity to interface with your clients directly and speak with them. With phone sales, however, you will have to do all of this over the phone and digitally. The barrier is greater, and that is why so many fail when they don’t have a plan to address these issues.
However, it doesn’t mean that selling merchant services over the phone is impossible. Actually, hundreds of reps all over the country have success selling these services over the phone on a daily basis. Those with a good plan, sales skills, and some experience interacting with clients over the phone most definitely have a path to success.
Who isn’t right for selling merchant services over the phone?
Since you want to have success and selling merchant services over the phone takes a specific skill set, there are some merchant services agents that should avoid having to sell merchant services over the phone if possible. For beginners, it’s a good idea to get an in-person meeting when possible. Here are some of the characteristics that might make it difficult to succeed when selling merchant services over the phone.
Low experience with phone sales
If you are an individual that has little or no experience with selling merchant services over the phone, then some practice beforehand would be helpful. Selling merchant services can be difficult, and selling anything over the phone can be difficult. Together, they make for an increasingly difficult combination. Having success in merchant services over phone sales is entirely possible, but it is an ideal situation for those that at least have a bit of experience with selling over the phone.
No supply of leads
Selling without a good supply of leads is difficult for any industry, let alone merchant services. If you are going to sell over the phone, then you need to make sure that you have enough information to go off of. With a steady supply of leads that contain the information you need to make the sale, you will increase the chances of your success drastically. You should always make sure that you have a steady pipeline of leads before you begin your foray into merchant services phone sales.
Tips for success in phone merchant services sales
Now that that is out of the way, we can give you some actionable tips for having success with merchant services sales over the phone and giving yourself a leg up on the competition. Here are some of the most actionable tips and actions that you can take to have more success in phone merchant services sales.
Have a basis for the call
If you’re going to call a merchant looking to talk about how you can provide them a service, it’s best that you have a good reason for the call. If a merchant believes that you are only calling to sell them something that they don’t need, then they aren’t going to hang around on the call for very long and they will be immediately defense. However, if you can let them know that you have a solution for their problems or you are taking notice of an issue that they are having, you are much more likely to have success in converting them to a customer. Always make sure that you have a reason to be calling your merchant, otherwise they may believe that you are not worth their time.
Get to your value proposition early
If you do manage to get on the phone with a merchant, one of the most important things that you can do is to get to your value proposition early. Merchants especially have very little patience for people calling them to sell products and services, since they get it so much. So, it’s helpful if you are able to show them right away that you have actual value and benefits to offer instead of just trying to make a sale. If you can make your point and show why you are valuable very early on in the process, the merchant is much more likely to be receptive to your pitch for a longer period of time.
Keep your merchant on the phone
It’s very important to keep your merchant on the phone for as long as possible. The longer that you are able to keep your merchant on the phone, the greater the chance that you have at converting your merchant into a customer. That’s not to say that you should keep them on the phone without regard to their needs. You should ask questions and start conversations that lead the merchant to simultaneously stay on the phone longer and learn more about the services that you have to offer. When you are conducting phone sales with a merchant, be sure to do your best to have a lengthy conversation with them so that they can become more familiar with you and start thinking of you as a business partner instead of a salesman.
Take baby steps
When you are interacting with a merchant on the phone, it’s best to keep the asks small. By that, we mean that you shouldn’t go for the big sale right away. When conducting phone sales, it is best to take it in baby steps instead of trying to sell them on your most comprehensive solution that you have to offer. For instance, you should explain the benefits of an affordable and smaller-scale service first to allow them to see the benefit before going into the other options that you have to offer.
Go through the paper work as a team
When you do make a sale, your next task is to get them through the paperwork and make sure that they remain a merchant under your account. To do that, you should provide superior service and walk them through the paperwork process as a team instead of leaving them to fend for themselves. This cooperation and the help that you are able to provide them will lead to a long and productive relationship between merchant and agent.
Are you looking to get involved in the merchant services industry, but you're not sure how to start? A good approach might be to sign up for our merchant services agent program, and we will pay you based on quality leads that you bring to us. You can get as involved in the process as you would like, and depending on your contribution, you can receive lucrative commissions and even residuals. These residuals can continue to pay for the life of the merchant's account, as well.
For some salespeople, referring their existing clients and making a small commission per sign-up may be enough, while for others, the prospect of monthly residuals and working closely with merchants to maintain accounts may be more attractive. It depends on your goals, as well as whether you want to become deeply involved with the merchant services industry as a whole. Needless to say, on all levels, there is nearly unlimited income potential because the field of merchant services is vast and constantly growing. No matter what your circumstance, chances are that many business owners around you are in need of a merchant account, and we are willing to reward you handsomely for the opportunity to serve the leads that you bring to us.
Here is the breakdown of our credit card processing referral program and its different levels:
Very Little Involvement - If you're interested in a relationship that is more akin to affiliate marketing, where you find the leads, refer them to us, and then move on, then we have a program that can accommodate that. Whether you're a long-time affiliate marketer who is looking for a new niche, or you simply work with many merchants and would like a way to make some money from your contacts, this is an easy way to earn commissions without too much commitment. At this level, you do not need to contact merchants any further after you have made the referral.
Simply refer a merchant to us, and you will get $50 for every successful sign-up. The various techniques that you use to promote our services depends on you. If you run a website related to merchant services or that is targeted largely towards merchants and their needs, you could easily mention us and make commissions by referring your visitors. Similarly, if you run a newsletter or an online community, you can promote us to your audience and send them to our website using a custom link.
If in-person contact is more your style, you might try out passing around business cards with your custom link included. If you run a business-to-business enterprise yourself, you may find many opportunities to offer our services to your clients, allowing you to maximize your revenue.
Some Involvement - If you want the chance to earn some residuals, then this might be a good choice. Like the program above, you can earn $50 dollars upfront for every sign-up, but if you have 10 active accounts from merchants that you have referred, then you will be eligible to receive a portion of the revenue that they generate every month. As you can imagine, these residuals can certainly add up as you begin to accumulate more and more accounts.
Just as with the less involved referral program or credit card processing agent program, you may find leads from any number of sources, including leveraging an existing audience of yours or simply visiting local merchants and telling them about what we have to offer.
When you reach the point where you are receiving residuals, you may become much more interested in maintaining your relationship with the merchants to ensure that they stay on board. After all, the lower the account attrition, the better your chances of receiving continuous residuals. If that is the case, you might actually consider getting more involved, and perhaps even targeting local merchants specifically so that you can begin walking them through the process of signing up for our services.
High Involvement - Do you want to help the merchant set up his account step by step? Do you want to make sure that clients get what they need in order to keep the high quality accounts that you have worked to acquire? At this level, your commissions depend on how involved you want to get with the program, but it can be hundreds of dollars upfront per account, plus residuals. The more work you want to put into our clients, the more you will make in terms of commissions.
As you can see, we can accommodate all kinds of salespersons with varying levels of interest in our program. No matter what kind of approach you want to take, you are bound to make money with our high quality merchant services agent programs. We provide tools as well that will help you make the most of your partnership with us, including:
A back end that allows you to create custom links with your affiliate code which will let us track referrals that come from you. This makes it easier to credit you with the commission that you are due. You can paste this link anywhere that your audience will be able to see it, whether it is on your website or in your email newsletters.
Creative banner ads and other templates that can link back to just about any page on our site. Advertise specific products and services that we offer so that you can target the merchants who need them and increase your conversion rate. There's also no need to build your own graphics from scratch, since you can simply use ours.
Free marketing tools. We offer email templates that you can send to your marketing list, landing pages that you can use to convert traffic, and other custom marketing materials.
So whether you are a sales agent, a marketer, or merely someone who is in constant contact with merchants and would like to build another revenue stream, we have a solution for you. Send us your leads and we will reward you. Get into contact with North American Bancard Agent Program to learn more about our merchant account referral program.
When you are selling merchant accounts or looking for a merchant services agent program to work with, one of the major things that you will have to consider is whether you want to offer your customers free terminals or whether you want to offer them a leasing deal. As with so many other factors in this business, it really depends on the specific customer. You must spend some time examining their needs before you can decide which option to sell them. You will find that different merchants have different goals, as well as different amounts of capital that they can provide upfront.
You might also notice that, more and more, merchants will expect that at least their basic, entry-level terminals will be free to use. Lots of newer, innovative merchant service companies have taken to lending free equipment to their customers, as well as supporting the hardware and software for free, so you will want to take this into consideration as well.
Let's go over what these two options really are in a bit more detail:
Free Terminals - “Free” isn't exactly accurate here, since the merchant doesn't really keep the equipment. Basically, they are allowed by the service provider to borrow the POS terminal at no charge until they end their contract, and then the equipment is returned. You can think of this as being similar to how many broadband Internet companies loan routers or modems to their customers, which are then returned when the customer terminates their service.
This is an easy option for many businesses, especially those that are just opening their doors, because it requires essentially no upfront cost. There are sometimes monthly fees tacked onto this option, such as the cost to insure the machine, but for the most part, the merchant pays a lot less than they would have if they opted to buy their own equipment. Since POS terminals can be expensive, this is not a bad option for you to suggest to very lean startups.
Always make sure that a merchant services partner program that you are signing up with has some kind of free terminal plan, since a lot of merchants will want this. “Free” is also not a very hard sell, so you might find that it will be easier to close deals with a loaned terminal. Your job is first and foremost to sell your clients on the merchant account, and you will want to do everything in your power to make it easier for them to use it—that means making it easy for them to get the terminal that they need.
Leasing Terminals - With the popularity of free terminals, this has sort of fallen out of favor as of late, but it still has a certain amount of relevancy. Some merchants want to have their own equipment, and this could be for a number of reasons. Most commonly, a merchant may simply want to be able to switch service providers without going through the arduous process of re-learning how to use a completely new terminal.
Leasing terminals is not without its problems, however. Compared to simply buying a terminal outright, leasing one may actually be a raw deal for the merchant. Because they will be paying little by little for their equipment, they may not even notice that their money is trickling away over the course of months or years, and that they might end up paying five or ten times the market price for their POS system. It's nice to make small monthly payments, but as business owners, these merchants can't afford the delusion that those costs don't add up.
On the other end of things, leasing equipment can make lots of money for an ISO and a merchant services sales agent. Just as those monthly fees add up for the merchant, they can add up for the agent, and leasing equipment can mean a handsome addition to ones residuals. The bigger question is, however, should you sell merchants on such an unfavorable deal?
In general, the answer is no. Now, not all leasing deals are bad. Some equipment is actually quite cost-effective, especially modern, more simple POS systems that are based on popular mobile operating systems and touch interfaces. The leasing options from popular service providers are sometimes quite fair. However, there are still a lot of merchant service companies in existence that use these tactics to rip off potential merchants, and it's best that you avoid associating with them.
Your goal should be to build a long-term, sustainable relationship with your merchants. After all, this is what is going to give you sustainable, long-term residuals month after month. Being honestly concerned with your merchant's problems and offering them the best solution is also what will get you repeat business whenever it is time for them to buy added value products and services. You will want to cultivate trust, and it is difficult for a merchant to trust you if they feel that you have been trying to take them for all they have right from the beginning.
That being said, there is nothing wrong with selling a fair leasing option to a merchant if that is what they honestly want. By all means, listen carefully to the client's needs, and if you feel that leasing a terminal is a better fit than providing one for free, then give them what they need.
Regardless of what option you ultimately decide to give to your merchants, remember that no terminal is the least bit useful if your clients don't know how to use it. Make sure to partner with a company that not only offers various terminal options for your clients, but that has great training material and customer service to get your customers up to speed. After all, the sooner they are using your terminals to take in revenue, the sooner both you and the merchant service company can start seeing a new income stream. Make sure that your clients get what they need from the beginning, and you will be rewarded with few complaints, a strong reputation, and a consistent stream of residuals trickling into your bank account every month.
The best merchant services agent ISO reseller program is North American Bancard Agent Program. Choosing North American Bancard as your primary merchant services partner with earn you the largest commissions, give you access to the most powerful industry sales tools, and total sales support for you and your merchants.
If you have any sales experience, you probably already know that it can be an extremely lucrative field to get into. As a merchant cash advance agent, you are basically in charge of your income, and as you get better at serving your clients, you see more and more returns. This is no different when you're working with businesses instead of simply consumers. If you've ever sold POS equipment or other necessities to business owners, then you likely realize the huge potential for income that such a venture represents. Businesses always need more products and better technology, and if you can help them to succeed, chances are that you will be able to benefit lucratively when it is time for them to upgrade.
However, there is a little known opportunity in the world of credit card processing that many people are unaware of. As consumers, some us might have dealt with cash advances at some point in our lives. Did you know that businesses have a similar option, as well? In the case of small enterprises that need quick liquid cash to get things flowing, they can strike up a deal with their merchant account agents and get some cash immediately without the need to go through a lengthy approval process as they would with a bank.
This process is not a loan, exactly, but rather the merchant account company makes a short-term investment in the business by buying future credit card and debit card payments. In other words, they pay a certain amount upfront to the business, and when customers pay with a credit cards, a percentage of these transactions are sent directly to the merchant account company to pay them pack. It's not as risky as a normal loan because there is much less of a chance of the debtors defaulting; they would essentially have to go out of business to not be able to pay. The business owner is happy because he has the liquid cash that he needs without the need for any monthly loan payments to worry about; the payment processor company is happy because they receive what is essentially interest for their trouble and are practically guaranteed to be automatically paid back, and the sales agent is happy because he makes a portion of this. It is a win-win-win situation.
Now, you may not be a sales processor and you might not be interested in exploring the red tape that it might take to get into the position where you might provide people with merchant accounts. This is perfectly fine because, you see, you can simply work as a sales agent for a payment processing company and receive a cut of these profits. There's a lot of opportunity out there and plenty of companies are looking for sales representatives that can send leads their way. On your end, you would be getting a hefty commission for every one of these cash advances.
Let's take a look at a rough sample of the possibilities. For example, let's say that you start working for a merchant cash advance company and they offer you the usual 5 to 10% comission on the merchant cash advance ISO program that your prospect takes out. If the merchant agrees to a merchant cash advance of $30,000 dollars, you would be making $1500 to $3000 on just that single sale. As you can see, this is far more than if you were working selling, say, electronics or other expensive merchandise. Offering financial services greatly expands your income potential because you're working directly with businesses and directly with money. The best part is that there's less red tape for you to deal with in a case like this because you're not working for a bank. Merchant cash advances are simple, fast, low-risk, and don't require much paperwork at all.
If you thought that the initial commission seemed like a lot, most companies that you work with will allow you to receive even more cuts of the earnings. For example, you might receive another cut after the merchant has successfully paid off the merchant cash advance (usually a single-digit percentage). In addition, you might be able to lock in that particular merchant, where you receive a certain percentage of future credit card processing revenue simply because you were the one who brought in the lead. This merchant account residual income can really accumulate, and there's certainly nothing like making money even when you're not working.
In addition to these income streams, there's also an added opportunity in upselling products. The merchant services company probably has many other products that could be useful to your prospect, and you can make a handsome amount by simply offering these as well. After all, when someone buys from you once, they are much more likely to buy other services from you, so you should always try to upsell if the opportunity presents itself. These “added value” products could be anything from marketing services that the merchant service company might offer to POS equipment and other physical goods. Just focus on what problems you think the merchant may have and try to find a way to solve it. Put yourself in his shoes, and you'll be bound to make money.
Finally, when you work as a merchant cash advance agent selling cash advances and other products for a merchant service company, they will probably compensate you for helping them find other sales agents. Unfortunately, not everyone is cut out for sales, so there might be a high turnover. Because of this, a lot of merchant service companies are hungry for new recruits.. Again, this can be a residual income opportunity, where you can make a small percentage of what your recruits are making. This give agents incentive to help each other succeed.
With all these possible sources of income, sales agents can easily make thousands of dollars per month, even working part time. If you have experience in sales and you want to expand your horizons, or even if you just have an interest in sales and need a place to get your start, you should consider getting into selling merchant cash advances. There really is a lot of money there, just waiting to be taken by ambitious salespeople.
If I had to make a rough estimate, it seems to me that about 90% of merchant services agents aren't actually very familiar with their residual splits and how they work. This isn't a great position to be in and you don't want to be in the dark, so take a look at these tips to get a good grasp on the subject:
1) First of all, do you actually own your residuals for the life of you account? If not, then years of work on your part could just disappear literally overnight. You could have been working tirelessly to build up a huge portfolio, but it would all be down the toilet simply because you stopped selling for awhile. Many ISOs have these stipulations, where you're required to bring in new accounts every certain amount of time, or your residuals are lost. Does that sound fair to you?
So many agents fall for this racket. Don't do this, no matter how much bigger your part of the split will be. Over the long-term, it's just not worth it. You're trying to build long-term passive income here, not turn your work in sales into an ordinary job—that's a waste of a great opportunity. Make sure you ask about this before you choose a merchant services ISO program. Tell them to give you an exact play-by-play of what will happen if you decide to leave the business. If the answer is “You will lose your residuals,” then walk away. Also, if you can't sell your residuals, then reconsider as well, since this is an indication that you don't really own them.
2) Forget about the percentage of your split. This doesn't really mean anything. To illustrate this better, let's say you're playing monopoly and your friend wants one of your properties. He offers you 30% of his net worth for it. However, another player butts in and raises the stakes. He tells you that he'll give you 50% of his net worth. Finally, a third player screams over your other two arguing friends and declares that he'll give you 10% of all of his cash if you will sell him the property. How do you decide which deal to take?
Well, obviously, you don't have enough information to make a good decision, do you? Before you know which deal is the best, you need to know the net worth of each of the players! After all, if Player 1 and Player 2 only have 100 monopoly dollars to give you, then you know that what they're offering is a raw deal if Player 3's net worth is 5000 dollars. Even with only 10% of that, it's far more than what the other two players were offering.
The same goes with credit card processors. Ignore their bragging about how they will give you 70% or 80% or whatever inflated number. It doesn't actually mean anything unless you know how they calculate the profit in the first place. Always get some context for these numbers, or else they are just going to be completely useless to you.
3) Always keep an eye on costs and the fees that the processor is going to charge you, as this will have much more influence on your profit than the actual split. You can find out what these fees are by looking at the Schedule A that your credit card processing agent program will provide for you. You will also need to ask yourself a few things when considering cost. For example, do they add basis points before they calculate the profit? What are they going to charge you for the transaction fee?
Some processors give you a true interchange pass through, while others will mark up the fees a few basis points above interchange before they start to calculate the profit. With the former kind of processor, things are a bit more obvious. For example, if your transaction fees are $0.03 and you in turn set up your merchant's transaction fee as $0.09, the profit per transaction is $0.06. If you had a 50/50 split, then you would get half of that in the end. It's a case of simple arithmetic. However, if you're having to deal with a huge mark up of dozens of basis points first, a lot of that profit is lost, and even if you had a 90% split, it wouldn't be worth it.
By the way, stay away from “buy rate” programs, as they don't offer you good deals. If you have any doubts about this, then be sure to get into contact with me and I will tell you all about it. You might be tempted to go with one of these programs, but I assure you that after I break it down for you, you will change your mind. Always go with a revenue sharing plan, as it's much more lucrative in the long run, especially if you choose a good processor to work with. I've even heard of processors trying to set up these kinds of deals with merchant services ISOs themselves, which is very silly in my view. You're trying to run a business here and build your empire, so don't settle for a buy rate.
4) The pricing is not as important as the cost structure when you want to get accounts of a significant size. Aim for a low cost structure for your clients. If your processor is charging more per transaction than $0.04, then you probably won't be able to pass on a reasonable deal to your merchants, so think twice about going with a processor that is this pricey, even if you're making 80% of the split. Make sure to have more than one partner so that you have access to the lowest rates and the best deals, and this way you can give your merchants a variety of options. This is especially true for your larger merchants.
5) Finally, keep in mind that you shouldn't get too caught up in either the cost structure or how much of a percentage of the residuals that you get. Ultimately, making the sales is what will determine your success in the long run. You need merchants to make money, and you need to close a lot of deals. Any merchant services ISO program or processor that you're partnering with should know this and help you get the kind of training that will lead you down the right path. If you can't even close deals, then there's no point in worrying about your compensation—you won't be getting it anyway! Whether you make 50% or 90% of $0, it is still $0, and that's certainly not a handsome residual to be getting every month. So choose your associates wisely, as they can help you to succeed—or drag you down.
We're happy to help you on your endeavor, so we offer all kinds of resources, from informative material, to help with your marketing, to training. If you're curious or have any questions about how to move forward in this career, then don't hesitate to send us an email.
One of the most important pieces of equipment for any merchant is their point-of-sale system. As the location through which every transaction that the business takes in goes through, it is important that every merchant have access to a point-of-sale system that is robust, scalable, and has all the functionality that is needed. However, convincing a merchant that they need a POS isn’t the hard part--this is a known fact. Convincing a merchant that your POS is the right choice, however, can be very difficult. To help you get well on your way to selling POS systems as a merchant services agent and helping merchants realize the power of a good POS, we present to you 6 actionable tips that you can take into consideration and implement to help sell POS systems.
Why is finding the right POS system important for businesses?
If you have been working with merchants for long, then you already know how important POS systems are to businesses. With this knowledge, it is easy to understand why so much importance is placed on the process of selecting a POS system and utilizing it to its full potential. Each business is unique and while all businesses have the same basic need to facilitate payments, the best way to do so will vary by the business.
For merchants, finding the right POS system is absolutely essential because it will ultimately help to determine what a merchant can achieve with its POS system and whether they will have any limitations. In an ideal situation, the POS system that a merchant selects will not have any negative impact on their business and instead will serve as a reliable addition to their suite of technology that they use in their business on a daily basis.
Be an expert
If you are looking to convince a merchant that they need your POS system, then one of the first things that you will need to do is establish yourself as an expert and a person of authority when it comes to POS systems. This can be done in a variety of ways, but what a merchant really wants is to feel comfortable that you know what you are talking about and you know everything that there is to know about the POS system that you are offering.
If you are hoping to make a great impression on your prospective merchant, then make sure you familiarize yourself with your POS system as much as possible so that you can easily answer any questions that they have about your POS systems and their functionality. With the ability to answer any question that comes your way regarding your POS system, the merchant is far more likely to trust you and find you in a favorable light, which could lead to a purchase.
Nurture a relationship
The next very important part of the process if you want to have success with selling merchant accounts and POS systems is nurturing the relationship between the merchant and the agent. There are a variety of ways that this can be done, as well. You must remember that each merchant is unique and is going to require varying levels of customer service and support.
One of the first ways that you can nurture a relationship with a merchant is to get to know them and their business personally. Not only will this make them feel valued and heard, but it will also give you much more knowledge of their areas of need so that you can address them most completely, earn trust, and ensure that your POS system fits the needs and requirements of the merchant you are working with.
With these things in mind, your merchant should be kept happy and satisfied.
Address areas of need
If you truly want to satisfy your merchants and make sure that they are taken care of and are more willing to purchase from you again, then you need to make sure that you are meeting their needs. You should start each relationship with a full audit of what your merchant needs and make a plan for how you can address it.
With this fuel at your disposal, you can approach negotiations from a position of power and understanding to increase your chance of closing the sale and making your merchant confident that you can handle their needs effectively.
Stress versatility
There are a few properties that merchants look for automatically in a POS system. One of the most important of these is versatility. Many merchants deal with a wide variety of transactions, promotions, discounts, coupons, and other functionalities. With a POS system that provides all of these things, their business will be enabled to operate at its fullest potential. If you need to communicate all the benefits of your POS system, be sure to touch on all the versatility that it has to offer and how it can help the merchant achieve a wide range of goals.
Include services
If you want to entice your merchant to sign on with your POS, then there are a few things that you should be able to throw in without breaking the bank. For example, you could throw in maintenance and upgrades for free as an extra benefit to the POS system. This is just one example of a classic sales technique.
If you have a merchant that is on the fence about investing in a new POS system, be sure to make it known that there could be additional benefits to be had by signing on with your POS system.
Always follow through
In sales, you never want to promise or lead someone to believe something that might not come true. That is because as a merchant services sales representative, you want to be seen as someone that follows through on the promises and assurances that you make. Without your reputation for upholding the truth and following through on the promises that you make, you will find that it’s hard to keep a merchant signed on with your POS system.
Always be upfront about the capabilities of the POS system that you are selling as well as the potential limitations that it has. With this honesty in mind and a respect for the merchant, you are bound to have more success than if you were to try and hide the limitations of your POS system.
North American Bancard Agent Program is your premire merchant services sale partner to support you as a merchant services sale rep. Contact us today to get more detailes an start your merchant services business with us today!
Becoming a merchant services agentor an ISO is a major step, so it's important that you know the various pitfalls that you might face when working with credit card processing companies as an agent. Especially if you're relatively new to the business, you should keep alert that you don't give in to agreements that could crumble your business prospects over the longterm. Here are some major factors that you will want to consider when signing contracts:
Don't Take on Liability - Unless you are already a large and experienced company that can bear the brunt of this kind of risk, don't allow yourself to make agreements that hold you liable for losses. As an MLS, this holds even more true. Don't take on more responsibility than you have the cash reserves to manage, or you may find your capital or residuals drying up.
It's fairly typical nowadays for programs to not require you to take on liability, so there's no reason for you to attempt this if you don't have the means. Make sure to watch out for the fine print, though, and examine the contract for any statements that imply any conditions where an credit card processing ISO would have to take responsibility for any loss.
Make Sure You Are Paid Your Residuals Frequently - Don't deal with a processor that won't send you your residuals on time, every time. If you sell an account, you should receive your cut as soon as possible in accordance with the payment schedule, and you shouldn't have to face a waiting period to receive those funds.
Another thing to avoid are minimum payment thresholds. For instance, you may have to wait until your residuals have accumulated to a certain amount before you are paid. Yes, this helps to cut costs somewhat for the processor, but this is the money that is going to be flowing through your business, so you are going to need it in a timely manner. You are owed what you are owed, and you should receive it regardless of how much or how little it is.
Make Sure You Own Your Residuals - If you can't transfer or sell your residual income, you don't really own it. The bank or processor might own the merchant account, but you should own the residuals. These residuals are the lifeblood of your business, and without them, you won't have an asset that keeps paying you even when things slow down or you decide to leave the industry. Ideally, you should be able to sell them, keep them, use them as collateral for loans, or even pass them off as an inheritance. They should function like any other investment.
This issue can become especially dire if you find that you are unable to work or you pass into the next life unexpectedly. In such a case, you will need to be able to transfer that residual stream to new bank accounts.
Make Sure Your Agreement Isn't Exclusive - If you allow yourself to be taken in by a contract that demands your exclusivity, especially if you are new to the industry, then you have just entered an unhappy marriage of sorts. It might not be that you even dislike the processor that you're working with, but you are at a disadvantage if you can't see what else is out there. You never know when you'll be able to find a better deal or a more flexible company to work with. It's perfectly fine to have multiple relationships with many companies before you settle down with your favorite, and an exclusivity deal is going to hinder that, so make sure that you look over the contract closely.
Be Sure That Your Can Sell Your Residuals to Someone Other Than Your Processor - Again, if you can't sell your residuals or transfer them to someone else, you don't really own them. However, some processors have clauses in their contacts that compel you to sell your merchant account residuals only to them. This is obviously problematic if your processor isn't in the mood to buy.
Now, it's not out of the question if your processor demands the right to give you an offer before anyone else. Just make certain that aside from this, you can sell your residuals.
Think of the Future - Remember that companies always change, so you're probably going to want to consider a few things before you make an agreement. Where is this company headed? Are they likely to go through a merger or are they likely to be bought out by another company in the near future? This could potentially affect your residual income, so it's important.
Make sure that the agreement you make protects your residuals. If circumstances change, there are a few things that you can do, such as taking a buyout from your processor, taking one from a third party, or continuing under your current contract, which should be honored by the processor regardless of a merger. You may not be able to sell new accounts under the old Schedule A in such a case, but you should be able to continue getting paid in a similar fashion as before for the deals that you already closed.
They Should Not Force You to Buy Their Hardware - Your processor should not demand that you only buy equipment from them, and you should be free to choose your supplier. Now, it's perfectly fine if the processor gives you incentives to buy from them, such as heavy discounts, but you should not be forced to do this as per your contract.
Be Sure Their Reporting is Accurate - The rates of a given processor may be great, but that means nothing if they're actually charging you much more in hidden fees. You should be able to look up reports of what fees they are charging you and what residuals you are receiving, and the actual numbers that show up in your bank account should match this.
Go with a processor that offers the opportunity to look at reports online. This will help make everything more clear.
Never Pay to Become a Sales Agent- As in any other field, if you must pay upfront to join a sales team, then something fishy is going on. Don't fall for programs that charge you for training; there are plenty out there that offer similar amenities for free. There is simply no reason why you should have to do this, so be wary and steer clear from these kinds of processors.
Find a Company That Communicates Well - One of the most important things in any relationship—business or otherwise—is having good lines of communication. You should be able to have your questions always answered and your concerns addressed in a timely manner.
Also make sure that you have access to the management of the company that you're working with. This will help you get what you need much faster and it will also help avoid miscommunication. Going through all the members of the company's hierarchy can be like a game of “telephone,” after all, and things can get distorted.
Finding a processor to work with when you're starting out can be overwhelming, but it helps to know that there are many good ones in the industry. The key is to try many different companies and eventually find one that you can build a strong, long-term relationship with. If you're still having trouble finding the right one for you, though, feel free to get into contact with North American Bancard, and we'll help you out.
If you have past sales experience, that's often a plus, but a lot of the time there can be aspects of your past that will give you a disadvantage. For example, if you used to sell mortgages, you didn't have to worry too much about creating a sense of urgency, since people were already a little desperate because their new house was on the line. It's not too different if you're selling the actual houses either; if someone has sought out a real estate agent, they're looking to buy. The same goes with selling cars, since many of the people who are coming to you really need a new one and can't go very long without transportation. Your job would be a lot harder if you had to go up to random people on the street—or worse, random people getting out of their cars in a parking garage—and ask them if they needed a new car. Sounds ridiculous? Well, this is basically what your life is like when you're selling merchant services. This is why the mindset is completely different in this field.
Obviously, there are positive and negative aspects to this. Once you have convinced a merchant that he'd do better to change to your plan, making the actual deal is usually smooth. Just don't mess up, and you'll have a good closing rate. Another great aspect of this business is that once you convince a merchant that they need to change their processor, they will probably buy those services from you and not another random agent. This is all great, but unfortunately creating the sense of urgency that will get them to make a change is one of your biggest challenges.
Let's take a look at these guidelines that will help you create more urgency when selling merchant accounts to your prospects:
1) More prospects = more sales. You are going to have to accept that you will have to deal with a much higher volume of prospects than in other fields to close a decent amount of deals. If you used to sell mortgages, for instance, your conversion rate is probably high—maybe as high as 1/3 of your prospects. A big reason as to why this is comes down to the fact that your clients already have decided what they want to buy and are coming to you for help.
If you find a quality lead, the conversion rate is actually about the same when you're in merchant services, but the problem is that you will have to go through many people to find quality leads. You might walk into two dozen stores, but only find yourself able to talk to 20% of the owners, and only 10% of the stores you walked into had genuinely good prospects. A good prospect is someone who realizes that they could use your services and is eager to explore the options. This is why you shouldn't get discouraged if you find that you're having to visit tons of businesses just to make some progress. This is how the game is played.
2) Take it a step at a time. When you first make your pitch, you want them to reach a point of understanding that they need to make a change; don't rush them into make the full decision just yet. Your job at first is just to convince them that they would be better off with another service. Yes, you might be able to convince them of this and close the deal in the same session after you've had some practice, but these are still distinct steps. Just make sure that you don't make the assumption that the merchant wants a different processor—at the moment, they're probably not even thinking about it. You will have to convince them. The problem of course is that most merchants don't even think of this as a problem. They already put together their processing solution and they don't need to worry about it anymore, as far as they are concerned. They would rather put their attention elsewhere.
How can you overcome that default resistance and make them open to the possibility of switching? Well, you should show them that you're not trying to throw a wrench in their plans or rip them off. Let them know that you are only showing them how much they could save if they reconsider, and that they can use your service if they want to. Try to focus on convincing them that they need to switch more than that they need to go with you specifically. Tell the client straight up that you are not interested in signing them up that day. They should be under the impression that you are interested in getting to know their needs better, and that you are merely opening them up to the cost-saving possibilities of finding a better credit card processor.
3) Have some kind of bonus or offer. People like being just in time for “special” deals, and this can create a huge sense of urgency if it is available only for a limited time. Since you will have to get them out of that “analysis paralysis” mode and into a decision, it will help them to focus on closing the deal if you have some kind of time limit like that. As soon as you convince them that they need to make a change, you can start discussing your various juicy offers. Let's look at a few different routes that you could take:
Give them a Free Cash Gift – They may be a business owner, but chances are that they're pouring all of their personal resources into the business. It may not seem like much, but offering them something like a gift card or cash back when they make their account will certainly entice them. Make sure to start out letting them know that they won't have to pay any fees upfront if you work with a free terminal program or something similar, and then throw the free money on top of that to sweeten the deal. It doesn't have to be a huge amount of money—just 100 dollars will suffice—and you can easily take this out of your upfront signing bonus. Make it a point to mention this deal in your advertising. Basically, the merchant has nothing to lose here, and will actually make money upfront from the deal.
Give them a free terminal – Believe it or not, there are still merchant services ISOs out there that do not offer free terminals with their deals. This can be for a number of reasons, but generally-speaking you want to steer clear of these companies when you're choosing a partner. Make sure that there is an option to offer a free terminal to the merchant, since this removes a major upfront cost. Much of the resistance that you will encounter has to do with these upfront costs and whether or not the merchant has the liquid cash to cover them. Bring a terminal in personally if you can to show them an example of what they can have for free. Tell them you're offering it temporarily. Guarantee Them Monthly Savings – You need to first consult with them and look at how much they pay in fees to pull this one off. Tell them that you can save them a certain amount of basis points per month of the competitors. Find out how much processing they do, and multiply it by however many basis points you are claiming to save them. Just make sure that you don't work with very large merchants here, or else it could cost you too much money.
Once you have established how much they are going to save with you per month, make sure to zoom out and show them the big picture. Tell them how much they are going to save over the course of a year or two years. Discuss these big, long-term numbers instead of the tiny savings of 10 or 20 dollars that you might be able to pull off every month. These bigger numbers are certainly more motivating, and will get them to consider your offer much more readily, especially if some of the other offers above are included.
Hopefully, these tips have enlightened you at least a little bit as to how you can create urgency in your prospects. Do you still have questions? Let us know! Contact us anytime and we will be happy to help you.
When you're new to selling merchant services, lots of things can get confusing, but one of the most confusing things that you will have to deal with is understanding all of the statements that affect your residuals, and especially the fee schedules that determine your costs. Many times, this can be so cryptic that your partner company may actually spend some time and effort explaining the fees to you. At the very least, they should provide you with some kind of written material that demystifies things. Even still, things might not always be totally clear.
In order for you to have a better idea of your Schedule A as a new Merchant Services Sales Agent, let's break down the various sections so that you're not completely in the dark:
Authorization and Capture / Settlement Per Item Fee - A key part of your Schedule A, you'll want to pay close attention to this section specifically. These fees are associated with the front-end platform. Should the processor that you work with offer more than one front-end, this section might look a bit different, as they may break everything down further and have different costs listed for different front-ends.
First and foremost, you need to have your Schedule A on hand, so make sure that you ask your payment processor or merchant services provider for a copy. After that, you're going to have to figure out whether these three fees are depicted as one entire line or if they are broken down. Depending on your provider, they may be expressed differently. For example, you might find an “Authorization” line with a fee listed as $0.02, and that might seem uncommonly generous, but then there will be a “Capture” line that lists a fee of $0.07, and then a “Settlement” fee of $0.01, bringing the fees up to a total of $0.10. Other times, things will be combined already; for another example, you might see a line that reads “Authorize and Capture” with a fee of $0.06, and below that a “Settlement” fee of $0.02, making the total front-end transaction cost $0.08.
Since this is kind of complicated, you usually won't bother to break things down for merchants. As you explain things to them, just tell them about the total transaction fee and don't have them worry about the details. For you personally, though, these broken down fees will mean a lot more because they can certainly affect your residuals. To illustrate how your fees can make a huge difference in your profit margin, let's say you have a portfolio of 100 merchants and, on average, they perform 500 transactions per month per merchant. Now, let's say that you charge $0.10 for your transaction fee. With 50,000 transactions, that means you are grossing $5,000 in revenue every month. How much of that will you keep? Well, if you're being charged $0.05 total per item by your processor, then your margins are 50%, and you take home $2,500. However, if your fees per item are $0.08, then you're only making $1,000 per month in profit. That's quite a difference. As you can see, your profit margins will depend largely on your fees, so you need to stay on top of them.
Settlement Fees and Batch Fees - If you think that your Schedule A gets less confusing after all that authorization and capture stuff, then you're in for an unpleasant surprise. You might find that in addition to a settlement fee per item, there is also a fee per “batch.” The point of this fee may not be immediately obvious, but it's basically like this:
For instance, maybe one of your merchants performs 100 transactions via credit card one day. You would be charged a settlement fee that applies “per item” for each of these individual transactions. When your merchant is closing up for the day, however, and they settle by sending the batch of daily transactions to the processor, then there will also be a “batch fee.”
More than likely, your processor will have this fee on the Schedule A. Almost all of them do, so be sure to look at this section for how much you are being charged and pass the cost onto your merchant accordingly. As another example, your processor might charge $0.07 per batch (your cost), and you might decide to charge your merchant $0.25 per batch (your revenue). In this case, you're making $0.18 in profit whenever that terminal is settled at the end of the day.
Bank Identification Number (BIN) Sponsorship - You might find this section expressed a few different ways. All this really means is that your processor is keeping a tiny percentage of the profits (measured usually in a few basis points) before they give you your share. In case you were wondering what a basis point is, it's just 1% of 1%, or 1/100th of 1/100th (1%) if you want to break it down. So for instance, let's say your merchant processes $20,000. If the BIN sponsorship fee is 5 basis points, then your processor is keeping $10.00 before giving you your share of the profit.
Now, there are definitely more items on your Schedule A than just these, but they're the key lines that you should keep a close eye on, and they're the basic items that you will find with most processors. For information about other sections that may appear on your Schedule A, you should ask your processor for an explanation. In essence, these three line items are important because they are what is going to determine how much you charge your merchant. As with any business, you're going to have to deal with costs compared to your revenue, which is what determines profit—and the fees are basically your cost. You're going to use your Schedule A as a detailed list of your costs, and from there you can come up with a fair and profitable fee schedule for your merchants. That difference between revenue (the fees your merchant pays) and cost (the fees your processor charges) every month is what will give you your merchant residuals.
If you are looking to find out whether you actually own the residual portfolio that you are building, one of the best ways to do so is to ask the processor that you are working with to purchase some of the future residual. This is known as a buyout and it’s a very common step for agents to take when they are in need of quick cash from the sale of an asset like a residual portfolio. If you want to be able to take advantage of these buyouts, you need to be very familiar with what a buyout is and how it can be completed from your side. This guide to the process of selling merchant account residual portfolios can give you the knowledge that you need to conduct a transaction like this and get access to the funds you need
Background residual knowledge
If you are going to be selling your share of residuals, one of the most important things that you will need to know is the background of residuals and how they work in order to determine the price that you might get bought out at. Most agents already know how residuals work--you sell merchant accounts and in return, you get a share of the income. For many merchant processing contracts, the merchant’s share of the income is about 50%, leaving the merchant with the other 50%. However, it isn't always the ideal situation for the agent to wait for their income on a monthly basis and some prefer to cash out their earnings up front. A buyout between the agent and the merchant processing company gives them the opportunity to do this and pursue whichever avenue they might want with their lump sum of cash.
How much can you get for your residuals?
If you are considering selling your share of a residual contract, then you also probably want to know what your earnings potential is from selling your share in these often steady and lucrative agreements. Generally speaking, a processor will pay 15 months worth of residual payments on your part in exchange for your 50% of the residual share in the merchant processing account. This means that the lump sum that you would be getting is 15 times the size of the monthly residual that you would otherwise be gathering from holding the contract. There are benefits and drawbacks to this.
Benefits of selling your residual share
There are a few possible benefits to selling a share that you have in a residual contract that continues to feed you money. The first is that you need quick access to cash. If you do, then this is one of the best ways to do it. A buyout comes with no obligation to pay back or pay interest--it is your money that you earned and you get to keep it.
Another benefit of selling your residual share is that you might get something in exchange for nothing, so long as you are planning on leaving the merchant processing industry. If so, then it’s a win for everybody. You will get to be paid 15 months for a merchant processing contract residual that you would otherwise not be getting due to you leaving the business. In exchange, you will hand over the asset that you do have to the merchant processing account where they will continue to collect residuals on the account.
The final benefit is that the payout of a merchant services residual contract buyout is actually pretty competitive, compared to what you might otherwise get with a fast lending service or another service that doesn’t have your best interests in mind. The payout of a buyout is guaranteed and you get a good rate. So, if you are in need of an injection of capital for a venture, debt, or any other purpose, selling your share of a residual contract might be the right choice for you.
Drawbacks of selling your residual share
Just as there are benefits to selling your share in a residual contract, there are also downsides. One thing that you should be aware of if you are considering selling your share of a residual agreement is that you will not ever be able to get this contract back and earn the residuals for yourself. Once you have been bought out, the movement is permanent. The merchant processing company will not give you a chance to get back into it once your financial situation becomes less muddy and you want to get back in the game. That’s not to say that you can’t close new clients, but you won’t be able to work with the clients that you sold to the merchant processing company.
In addition, selling your share in a residual contract could be a bad financial decision. Though it’s tough to assess this because everyone is in a unique situation, the theory is that residual income is basically a guaranteed passive income stream, after the setup is complete. So, how much does a few hundred extra dollars a month mean to you? Without the share of the residual income, you are left with a lump sum, which isn’t so bad. However, it does leave a gap in future wealth generations and could make it harder for you to survive financially in the long-term.
When to use a buyout
As a young agent, there are probably multiple situations in which you feel a buyout of an asset might be the right decision for you. However, buyouts from residuals should only be used in some situations. One such situation is if the agent needs a sudden influx of cash to replenish savings or consolidate a debt.
Another reason is if an agent or ISO has a large upcoming business expense that they want to make sure they have the freedom to invest if they so choose. With this flexibility, merchant services agents and ISOs are well-positioned to emerge stronger than ever from any situation that they find themselves in.
Contact North American Bancard Agent Program to get a full evaluation or your merchant account portfolio. Get up to 40 times your monthly residual to buy sell your credit card processing accounts.
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