Charge.com is a supplier of merchant accounts that has been operating successfully since 1995. The firm’s payment gateway services are provided by Authorize.Net, which the company resells. It enables in-store payments and online shops and other enterprises to take credit card payments instantaneously over the internet, phone, email, or fax. Moreover, you’ll discover everything about this merchant account provider in this Charge.com Review 2024. Let’s get started!
What Does Charge.com Offer?
Charge.com is largely in the business of providing merchants with credit card processing supplies and solutions. Still, they can also provide e-commerce solutions for businesses with that need.
They provide many payment processing options, including a free terminal or swiper, application services, an online terminal, e-commerce solutions like shopping carts, SEO services, online administration and monitoring, and SSL certification.
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Charge.com Origin, Headquarters, and Owners
The firm is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., located in Walnut Creek, California. The address of the company’s headquarters is 9715 W Broward Blvd, Plantation, Florida 33324-2351. Charge.com cites Greg Danzig as the company’s president and chief executive officer.
Important News in History
In 2005, the firm was acquired by Pipeline Data, a subsidiary of Cynergy Data. Pipeline Data and Cynergy Data are no longer in business. Pipeline declared bankruptcy, and Cynergy was acquired by Priority Payment Systems. It is most likely that Charge.com is now a subsidiary of Priority Payment Systems.
Services Offered by Charge.com
Charge.com, much like the other merchant account providers, Charge.com provides several different goods and services that may assist you in the operation of your company and the processing of credit card transactions. These include the following:
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Gateway Terminal
In addition to providing help for ecommerce retailers, the firm also provides a free payment gateway as part of its services. The payment gateway seems to be supplied by Authorize.Net, even though the website does not mention this fact. It is not free; rather, you will not be required to pay the standard setup price of $49 that Authorize.Net levies.
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Credit card Processing
Charge.com provides its customers with a free credit card terminal as part of their account. However, the company’s website does not provide any information on the different types of offered features. Do not for a second imagine that your terminal will be provided free of charge; in all likelihood, you will be required to pay a monthly account fee that includes the cost of the terminal. We propose that you acquire your terminals outright for most enterprises since this is nearly always the choice that will be considerably less costly in the long run.
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Merchant Solutions
It would seem that Applied Merchant Systems is being used as a back-end processor by Charge.com. When issues emerge, there is a propensity for merchants to pass the blame between the merchant account provider and the processor, even though this is a common practice in the business that provides merchant accounts. This may lead to confusion for merchants.
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Mobile Processing
Charge.com claims that it supports mobile processing, although the website for the firm does not give a great deal of information that is helpful on how it accomplishes this goal. Both iOS and Android smartphones may be used with this system (as well as Blackberry and older cell phones). There is no mention of the required gear or software, and the Mobile Credit Card Processing website seems to be aimed at purchases made by mail order and telephone. You will be better off going with Square if you are searching for a mobile solution centered on the use of smartphones.
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Check Payments
You will be able to process checks over the phone, through fax, and over the internet using the free software included with each of Charge.com’s merchant accounts. Although there is no charge for using the program itself, the check processing rates are not made public.
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High-Risk Solutions
On its website, Charge.com makes several pitches directed at high-risk businesses. Be aware that to be authorized for an account, you will probably be paying higher fees and transaction rates in return for getting approved if you run a high-risk business and have had difficulties getting approved for an account. You won’t have as much wiggle room when it comes to negotiating the terms of your contract, either.
Pricing & Fees
A copy of the standard contractual terms for the company involves a 36-month service contract with:
- An Early Termination Fee (ETF) of $495
- A monthly declaration fee of $25
- A one-time service charge of $35 if the merchant’s keyed-in exchanges constitute more than 15 percent of its overall money transfers in any given month and a subscription payment of $25 for governmental compliance.
- An annual PCI Compliance cost may go as high as $185 (but never goes above $300), which is much higher than the standard rate for the industry.
You will be required to charge a fee of $25 per month to any merchants who want to use the gateway services offered by the firm.
Final Verdict
Unfortunately, Charge.com is a prime example of the issues that have contributed to the poor image that the merchant account business has earned. We uncovered deceptive marketing practices, onerous contractual requirements, and inadequate customer service during our investigation. One thing is quite evident, Charge.com is a business that you should steer clear of at all costs. This is the case because, even though Charge.com asserts that its services are far superior to those offered by competitors, the company defines an industry standard that is riddled with inaccuracies. It conceals, on purpose, all of the relevant information regarding its own business.
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