GoEmerchant launched its services in 1995 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. It is considered a small-scale merchant service provider. It first started with providing eCommerce solutions to businesses and later expanded into several other methods of business payment processing.
GoEmerchant now provides full-fledged POS, mobile and online transaction-based payment solutions to businesses. GoEmerchant has impressive compatibility with most reputed shopping carts and payment companies around the globe.
While the company has been reasonably successful in the payment industry, there are signs that it is a reseller for First American Payment Systems. The latter has had a very high number of complaints and countless client grievances against it in the past. While the track record of GoEmerchant does not reflect the reputation of its parent company, merchants need to know that there is a connection between the two names.
GoEmerchant Fees
Based on the connection between GoEmerchant and First American Payment Systems, the reseller would offer a three-year-long contract with a $495 early termination fee. But upon research, it can be seen that GoEmerchant has the authority to waive off these fees and give merchants terms that better suit them. There is a possibility that merchants can receive a month-to-month contract with no cancellation fees, so merchants should carefully review their agreement before signing it.
GoEmerchant offers a payment gateway and virtual terminal as well. Through the gateway and virtual terminal, merchants can customize their online presence as per their needs. Merchants can opt for recurring billing, integration with shopping carts, eCheck services and a lot more. But all of this comes at additional processing, gateway and technical support fees. The provider does not adequately disclose the pricing structure for these offerings.
Other fees that may be incurred on availing GoMerchant services depend on the nature of products and services that the merchant demands. As the fees and pricing of GoMerchant are not adequately described anywhere, it cannot be ruled out if they charge PCI compliance fees. However, if their pricing model resembles that of FAPS, their parent company, then they would charge $120 in the name of PCI Compliance. Based on the information by merchants and the internet, it can be determined that their pricing structure costs more than the industry average.
Services and Equipment of GoEmerchant
GoEmerchant offers all the essential services and products necessary for a business to survive in the market. They offer gift cards and loyalty programs for the merchant’s customers in addition to features.
GoEmerchant Services
Through GoEmerchant, merchants can take all types of in-person, online and mobile payments. Merchants can accept most credit and debit cards using the point-of-sale terminals offered by the provider. Besides cards, merchants can take payments using EBT, Apple pay, magstripe and EMV.
The provider offers an integrated payment system with a hosted payment page and a virtual terminal for online payments. Merchants can take orders through the internet, mail or phone based on the convenience of their customers and businesses. Merchants can set up recurring weekly, bi-monthly or monthly billing for subscription-based services.
GoEmerchant allows merchants to set custom fields, send e-receipts, process payments and a lot more through its mobile payment solution. The device has end-to-end encryption of data that protects cardholder information, reducing the risk of fraud. Merchants can easily connect a card reader with their smartphones or tablets for easy swiping of cards on the go.
Equipment Offered by GoEmerchant
While there is not much information by GoEmerchant about their hardware offerings, there are reports that they are compatible with Magtek and Ingenico machines. GoEmerchant does, however, offer an iPad-based POS system for merchants. The functions of a full-fledged POS system with the portability of a tablet are very convenient. The tablet also offers an employee time clock.
The POS system can be further customized to adapt to a restaurant environment. This adds features such as splitting checks, adjusting for tips and printing orders directly to the kitchen. The whole apparatus consists of a tablet stand, credit card reader, cash drawer, barcode scanner and a receipt printer. The iPad used in the system needs to be bought separately.
Concerning Factors for Merchants
There is a low complaint total against GoEmerchant services. While this is a good sign, it can probably just be because people mistakenly file complaints about their services against FAPS instead. This is common with several processors partnered with large-scale providers in the industry. The complaints against the processor accuse it of including hidden fees, withholding funds, and making it difficult for merchants to cancel their services. Common complaints against the provider are;
Misleading Rate Quotes
One major problem merchants have with the processor are its misleading advertisements. They advertise a rate quote of “as low as 0.89%” on its mobile payments page. This is misleading because it excludes surcharges of mid and non-qualified merchants. These surcharges make up the majority of the percentage in merchant transactions.
Use of Resellers
Resellers are a significant pain point for the payment industry. And they operate independently from the company; they do not share the same enthusiasm for customer benefit as the company might. Resellers are often known to hide portions of the fees and terms of the contract from merchants before they sign up. While GoEmerchant’s compensation program does not encourage resellers to mislead their clients, it is still a problem for merchants.
Conclusion
GoEmerchant is a standard payment processor that offers clients the basics to run a business. It does not have the bells and whistles that a large-scale payment processor does. While the complaint total is low, it is safe to assume that most of their complaints are registered against First America Payment Systems. The complaint volume of FAPS is astonishingly high.
It is essential to understand that GoEmerchant is connected to one of the worst reputed merchant service providers in the market before you consider an agreement with them. It is best to look for other options in the market if you are looking for a cleaner reputation and more transparency in terms and fees.
