Barclaycard Merchant Services is a UK-based merchant account and card provider headquartered in London. Established in 1996, the company is equipped to serve businesses of all risk-profile and sizes. It caters to e-commerce, B2B, mobile, wholesale, MOTO, retail, electronics, gas stations, SEO & SEM services, convenience stores, and marketing agencies. Here is a detailed Barclaycard Merchant Services review listing its pros and cons to help merchants get a better perspective.
Barclaycard lists its sister company Barclays Bank as its acquiring bank. In 2020, the provider announced to act as the acquiring partner for FreedomPay, a Philadelphia-based e-commerce payment facilitator. Unlike most service providers, Barclaycard Merchant Services is not an expansion of a U.S.-based company but is one of the prominent merchant account providers operating in the UK.
The payment processor accepts alternate payment types and facilitates high-tech features and equipment to enable businesses to evolve with the industry.
Equipment and Services
Barclaycard enables clients to provide the best shopping experience to their customers. It provides them with multiple financial services and payment options to ensure they are always equipped to handle any situation. The company is chiefly focused on payment and data security. It facilitates a power-packed set of fraud-prevention tools to ensure a secure payment processing environment for everyone. Here is an overview of the services accessible to Barclaycard’s clients;
Business Card Benefits
The provider has partnered with Visa and MasterCard to facilitate additional benefits on their business cards. Merchants who pass the eligibility criteria are offered a variety of cards per their requirements. According to Barclaycard Merchant Services reviews, each card carries a distinct set of rewards, insurance plans, and benefits.
With the Select Cashback credit card, a business can redeem 1% cashback with no caps on all spending. The Premium Plus card is suitable for companies requiring regular travel. Merchants can get a 2% FX fee discount. The Select Charge card offers interest-free credit for 38 days on timely payments.
Payment Processing
Barclaycard’s payment optimization service ensures that legitimate payments are instantly approved. Users can accept all major credit and debit cards for in-person, online, mobile, and NFC payments and allow multiple currencies for international customers. The provider purveys tailored packages for each client to initiate individual growth strategies for their business. Before a company joins Barclaycard, the technical experts analyze its needs to set up a system that supports consistent growth.
E-Commerce Payments
The account provider offers a range of payment gateways for online payments based on the business size; Smartpay Checkout gateway for small, Smartpay Fuse for mid-sized, and Smartpay Advance for large enterprises. With the company’s data insights, users can enhance their potential and face the hurdles head-on. Barclaycard Merchant Services reviews show that its online payment solutions can integrate with several websites and software providers. Merchants are offered the versatility of subscription-based and recurring payments.
MOTO Payments
Businesses can accept phone payments without requiring a physical mobile card reader with the provider’s mail and telephone payment solutions. Consumers can add up to five users and accept multiple payments by logging in to their accounts. This mode of payment is ideal for remote and home-based businesses as it offers the flexibility to process transactions on one’s phone, tablet, or computer.
Card Readers
Barclaycard facilitates Smartpay Touch (an all-in-one POS card reader,) Smartpay Anywhere (a pay-as-you-go card reader,) and a Barclaycard Flex (a simple mobile card reader) to process all payment types conveniently. These card readers are pocket-friendly and can be taken anywhere the business goes. Merchants can track sales, reviews the admin’s activities, and export daily reports. They can also accept digital wallets such as Apply Pay and Amex.
Merchant Cash Advances
Users needing cash for business purposes can access instant funding through the company’s business cash advance. According to Barclaycard Merchant Services reviews, the provider has partnered with Libiris, which speeds up the decision allowing businesses to receive funds in their account within 48 hours. Depending on their preference, consumers pay back 5% to 20% of their daily transactions, automatically debited from the settlement.
Rates and Contract
Barclaycard does not list exact pricing figures or contract terms on the official website. It is unclear if its rates are competitive with the affordable service providers. However, gathered from the reviews, here is an overview of the company’s fees and agreement;
Contract Terms
The payment facilitator binds its clients to variable contract conditions. An average Barclaycard agreement lasts 18 months with undisclosed cancelation penalties. The company’s equipment lease terms remain concealed.
Pricing Model
Merchants are subjected to a flat-rate pricing model with 1.25 transaction charges and variable monthly fees for all payments. Countertop, portable, and mobile card terminals demand £15, £20, and £25 monthly fees.
Processing Fees
In light of the Barclaycard Merchant Services reviews, clients are charged 2.6% plus VAT for mobile payments. There is a one-time £60 setup fee and £0.75 on each refund.
Barclaycard’s online payment rate has two categories; Growing Plan and Established Plan. The Growing Plan costs £0.10 transaction fee with £20 plus VAT monthly fee. This plan binds clients to a 12-month agreement and is offered to businesses processing less than 5000 transactions per month.
The Established Plan offers customized rates with a £150 joining fee. It is suitable for merchants processing above 5000 transactions each month.
Consumer Support
Barclaycard offers general email and phone support to its clients. There is an FAQ page and a knowledge base on the official website. Consumers have reported these support options as inadequate.
Marketing and Sales
The provider trains an in-house sales staff and relies on traditional advertisement and partnerships to promote its name. There are very few complaints against Barclaycard’s sales practices. However, the company fails to disclose important information.
Lawsuits
Over the years, Barclaycard has been involved in several lawsuits with card issuers and banks. Yet, no class-action lawsuit or FTC report was filed against the company by its employees or consumers.
Barclaycard Merchant Services Reviews and Complaints
The provider has received over 40 online complaints left at multiple customer protection websites, most of which concern poor customer service. Some complainants have accused the provider of misleading clients. Other negative reviews involve complicated account cancelation policies, withholding of funds, and expensive termination charges.
Sub-Standard Customer Service
Customers reaching the Barclaycard helpline have complained about long waiting times and unanswered calls. Numerous merchants experienced illogical excuses when they approached a customer support member regarding an issue. The provider stalls the clients until they run out of patience but rarely bothers resolving the complaints. Merchants have to call several times for a minor issue only to be left on hold.
Complicated Cancelation Policies
The company does not disclose its cancelation penalties, but Barclaycard Merchant Services reviews reveal difficulties closing the merchant account. Users have posted that the provider keeps ignoring their account termination requests, and it is impossible to reach a reliable representative. Even when the agent promises to investigate the matter, the company keeps charging them monthly fees without considering their cancelation requests.
In some cases, Barclaycard forces unexpected charges on the client to disable them from closing the account. Users have also complained about ridiculously high termination fees.
Funds Withholding
Barclaycard is reputed to suddenly close a merchant account and freeze the funds over an unreasonable excuse. Several customers have stated that the company withheld their funds after one chargeback. Some have complained about receiving threats that their account will be closed. Upon calling, the representative assures the client that their account will not be terminated. They are advised to ignore the threats, yet the account gets canceled within a few days. The company fails to provide a solution for this inconvenience.
Employee Complaints
There isn’t a long list of employee complaints against Barclaycard Merchant Services. Most reviews indicate a decent enough work environment and cooperative people to work with. However, some employee reviews hint at poor technical support. The company fails to update its system; employees are forced to deal with regular tech issues.
According to complaints, Barclaycard trains its sales and consumer support team to take more calls instead of resolving the issues raised by the caller. This leads to exhausted representatives timed for the number of calls they receive. Consequently, the complaints pile up without getting resolved, infuriating more clients.
BBB Ranking
Since the company is a UK-based account provider, it does not maintain an accredited Better Business Bureau profile. Therefore, there are no Barclaycard Merchant Services reviews on the consumer protection website to favor or oppose the company.
Conclusion
As deducted from this Barclaycard Merchant Services review, the company is a mediocre credit card processor for all business types. Even though the company is vast enough to accommodate its large clientele, its customer service suffered gravely because of its haste to sign more businesses. Furthermore, the deceptive tactics, dragging cancelation policies, and unreasonable fund withholdings are enough reasons for consumers to be suspicious about the provider’s authenticity.
UK-based businesses are encouraged to consider a more reliable payment facilitator for their company.
