A merchant account provider headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, Card Concepts was founded in 2009, offering e-commerce and POS solutions to most business types. The provider is an ISO/MSO of Wells Fargo Bank and a Global Payments reseller. The company’s ideology revolves around exhibiting equal support without differentiating between small and large-scale companies and giving its best to every client. It assures merchants of being ‘big enough to serve them and small enough to care.’
Card Concepts aims to offer advanced security features to protect businesses from fraud while demanding the lowest rates. It prioritizes its clients, helping them minimize their expenses and increase revenue. The company’s services are reserved for B2B, online, non-profit, wholesale, MOTO, card-present, and mobile businesses. Its credit card processing solutions reach multiple industries, including healthcare, retail, bars, SAAS, education, hunting, moving companies, personal services, property management, and marketing agencies.
The provider promises a reliable and all-in-one POS solution to eliminate all the hassle of long checkout lines and ease the hurdles of payment processing. It focuses on bringing a full-fledged package to your doorstep, ensuring all complications are looked after and loopholes eliminated. Here is a Card Concepts Merchant Services review concerning the benefits its offers as well as the disadvantages merchants may face after signing up.
Features and Services
With Card Concepts, merchants are offered secure and simplified payment processing with flexible solutions, secure transactions, and fast checkout. They are provided with seamless online store solutions and effective mobile processing, helping merchants manage their businesses remotely. The company purveys check services, payroll management, customized loyalty programs, chargeback prevention tools, and ATM services.
The provider accepts all major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal, and allows ACH check transactions. Merchants are facilitated with efficient payment gateways, mobile card readers, and POS equipment. Moreover, the company accommodated NFC payments, EMV processing, and e-check conversion.
E-Commerce Solutions
Facilitating online purchasing is a great way to reach customers, as many people prefer to shop and pay for items from the comfort of their homes, interacting with anyone. Online selling is convenient and not restricted to a time duration. People can place an order anytime, and merchants can receive orders without manually entering the data.
Card Concepts enables merchants to set up an online store that they can customize to match their brand’s theme and sell their products globally. With the company’s efficient payment gateway and virtual terminals, they can get funds deposited to their accounts automatically and effortlessly. Customers can enjoy the seamless checkout experience and save the information for future purchases. Moreover, merchants can track shopping habits to display items and promotional offers based on individual preferences.
POS System
Card Concepts Merchant Services reviews show that the company provides the Elev8 POS system, automating tedious tasks and allowing merchants to accept all payment types at the lowest rates. Merchants can customize the look of the equipment and personalize it to fit their business requirements and size. The POS accelerates the checkout speed and offers built-in loyalty programs, automatic sales reports, inventory management, calendar and schedules, and invoicing.
The Elev8 POS offers a cloud-based back office to manage one’s business anywhere and access real-time sales data. Merchants can minimize human error and avail themselves of features like bookkeeping, customer data management, and employee tracking.
ATM Services
Card Concepts Merchant Services reviews portray that the company provides a range of ATM services, enabling merchants to gain more footfall at their stores and increase sales, making their business more profitable. They can design an ATM solution to complement their business requirements and reduce credit card processing fees. Touch screen interface, competitive rates, and comprehensive reporting are some of the company’s most beneficial features.
Check Services
Merchants can avoid unnecessary trips to the bank and avoid bad checks with Card Concepts’ check-handling services. The company ensures that all checks are paid with its check guarantee services. The guarantor pays the check amount to the merchant if it bounces, enabling them to accept check payments without worrying. Furthermore, merchants can accept electronic checks at the POS, like regular card payments, and use the check conversion feature to avoid issues of saving a paper check.
Fees and Agreement Details
The company does not offer insight into its contract details or pricing. Considering it is a Global Payments reseller, it is likely that its rates and contract terms are similar. Several Card Concepts Merchant Services reviews indicate that merchants are offered variable contracts depending on their business type, size, and processing history.
An average Card Concepts agreement charges $500 or liquidation damages for early termination. Merchants are offered a tiered pricing plan and a 48-month non-cancelable equipment lease with undisclosed terms. They pay a per-transaction swiped and keyed-in rate of 1.00% to 4.99% and a similar virtual terminal rate.
Marketing Practices and Customer Support
The provider hires independent sales representatives to market its services but does not display deceptive rates. However, it does not provide all the necessary information, and there are a few complaints regarding hidden charges and undisclosed fees.
The company has reserved a toll-free domestic support line available during business hours and an offshore tech support number reachable 24/7. Merchants are offered live chat support, a knowledge base, and a support form on the official website. Card Concepts outsources its customer service to Global Payments, but the service is not competitive with top-rated payment facilitators.
Card Concepts Merchant Services Reviews and Complaints
Out of the 50 online reviews, there are very few complaints against the company, which is quite impressive. There is no evidence of an FTC report or lawsuit against the provider, and merchants have not accused it of fraud. However, the complaints indicate that merchants have difficulty reaching customer service to address their complaints. Moreover, most consumers will likely direct their complaints toward the partner company.
The company is not accredited with BBB and rated A+ on the review platform with zero complaints in the past three years. However, merchants have valid reasons not to trust this rating.
Disadvantages
The company does not offer competitive rates and deprives merchants of complete transparency. Its customer service is below average and fails to satisfy the large clientele. Furthermore, the company equipment lease terms are ridiculously expensive and impractical. Here are the most common drawbacks of signing up with Card Concepts;
Expensive Rates
Card Concepts Merchant Services reviews prove that its pricing is too expensive for most merchants and not competitive with the top-rated payment processing companies. The provider charges liquidated damages or a high termination fee, depending on the circumstances, which is a red flag. In both cases, merchants must pay a hefty amount to cancel a contract they no longer want or remain stuck in it for a long time. Putting conditions on contract cancelation is usually a tactic to either force merchants into using a company’s services or gain a large chunk of undeserved money.
Undisclosed Information
The provider does not disclose most of its pricing and contract intricacies. Merchants are not offered knowledge about its monthly, batch, monthly minimum, and gateway setup fee. They are not provided insight into its payment gateway, PCI compliance, and equipment lease rates. The official website only displays basic information about the company’s services. It does not clarify the contract details and necessary information new merchants require to determine if it fits their business requirements.
When a provider fails to provide full disclosure, it increases uncertainty in merchants and implies a sense of unreliability. Businesses prefer a payment facilitator that can be honest with them and lays out all the pros and cons, leaving it to merchants to decide for themselves.
Insufficient Customer Service
The most common complaint against the provider concerns customer support. Since the company outsources services in that area, it only has partial control. Subpar customer service causes mistrust in merchants when they can not reach the provider to resolve their issues. Furthermore, the company does not provide email support, and merchants are not offered a dedicated account manager to assist them at all times. Card Concepts’ customer support options are limited compared to the good-reviewed payment processors of its size.
Deduction
This Card Concepts Merchant Services review deduces that the company is only suitable for some business types that can afford its rates and do not require complete disclosure and efficient customer service, which is impractical. The provider offers a reasonable range of services and an excellent POS system with useful features. However, its equipment lease terms are unreliable and non-cancellable, which is a huge setback.
Merchants are advised to compare the company’s rates and opportunities to the top-rated service providers and look for a better-fitting and affordable payment facilitator that promises complete transparency and dependable customer service. Businesses signing up with Card Concepts should inquire about all the important details and negotiate to get an interchange plus pricing model. They are advised to look for a way to eliminate the loopholes and mold the agreement to their benefit.
