Located in Melville, New York, among the headquarters of many other renowned payment facilitators, National Bankcard is a merchant account provider established in 2007. A U.S.-based verified ISO/MSP of Compass Bank and an iPayment reseller, the company outsources its contracts from Total Merchant Services and serves both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar companies. It mainly caters to full and counter-service restaurants, retail stores, and mobile businesses.
National Bankcard prides itself on offering merchants the right tools to make well-informed business decisions. It ensures industry-leading services, tech-savvy equipment, and all available assistance to facilitate seamless transactions. The provider aims to eliminate every hurdle and interruption that is expected during a transaction, allowing merchants to provide a smooth checkout experience to their customers. Merchants are offered a variety of top-tier apps and analytics features to keep their business at the touch of their fingertips.
The company claims to purvey tailored solutions prioritizing its clients’ particular requirements. Whether its e-commerce, high volume, low risk, MOTO, SEM, or wholesale industry, National Bankcard has a complete package of unique solutions and efficient equipment to accommodate most business types. Here is a detailed National Bankcard review discussing its services and shortcomings to help merchants determine if the company’s claims are solid enough to trust for their business;
Benefits and Services
Merchants can process all major credit and debit cards and benefit from a complete line of enterprise-level Clover POS systems. They are offered feature-rich credit card terminals, mobile card readers, and an Authorize.Net payment gateway. The provider facilitates QuickBooks integration, merchant cash advances, gift card programs, and e-check services. Its chargeback prevention and fraud protection services ensure a safe checkout while keeping sensitive data away from the reach of potential fraud and breaches.
National Bankcard purveys recurring billing, online invoicing, and a seamless merchant interface. Consumers can speed up online sales by simplifying the complexities of turning their website into an online shop. With the company’s alternate payment acceptance services, users can receive countless payments instantly and increase their revenue. Apart from the rudimentary payment processing services, here are the solutions and features accessible to National Bankcard’s clients;
QuickBooks Integration
When reviewed, the provider facilitates automatic bookkeeping through Clover to eliminate manual data entry tasks. With QuickBooks, users can sync and transfer their sales records and financial transactions to a secure platform. They can send the data to multiple locations, organize sales and payment methods, and monitor tax liabilities. By accessing a personalized dashboard, businesses can keep records of each customer’s purchases and automatically add discounts, refunds, and tips to the invoice.
Online Reporting
Consumers are offered real-time reporting and analytics to be aware of the latest industry forecasts, view account activity, and access a transaction’s details and chargeback 24/7 anywhere on their internet-enabled device. This way, a business can get rid of potential disputes beforehand and increase efficiency in the workplace.
National Bankcard reviews show that the company ensures merchants are always well-informed about their remaining funds, can compare their performance with the rivals, and get industry insights to be ahead of the game.
Customizable Invoicing
With an automated dashboard, merchants can create personal notes, keep email reminders, and send customized virtual invoices to their customers. They can search, filter, and sort out these invoices in multiple categories and send automated emails for unpaid invoices. National Bankcard provides the ease of choosing a plan that fits a consumer’s requirements and collecting payments with faster invoicing solutions.
Merchant Cash Advances
According to National Bankcard reviews, the company claims to offer fast approvals for cash advances with a renewal option requiring minimal paperwork. Collaborating with Yesfunds, the provider helps businesses expand and get through tough times by lending them the cash they need to avail of investment opportunities or get out of a crisis.
Even consumers without a perfect credit score can receive $20,000 to 2,000,000 without providing any personal collateral. However, interest rates can be higher than the provider claims to demand.
E-Check Services
Electronic checks provide the security and ease that paper checks fail to compete; they are more secure, cost significantly less, and save days’ worth of time. With Clover Check Acceptance, users can eliminate chargebacks and fraud risk and get notified if a check is declined. They can convert paper checks into electronic checks and accept them with one picture at the time of sale.
App Market
According to National Bankcard reviews, customers can access over 200 easily downloadable apps compatible with the Clover POS system. These apps offer valuable features such as inventory tracking, employee management, and payroll administration. Retail stores, restaurants, and other business owners can choose the desired apps to simplify daily tasks.
The Clover app market allows consumers to utilize countless tools according to their requirements and access order management, appointment scheduling, and customer engagement. There is a variety of other features to help every business type.
Gift and Loyalty Cards
Merchants are offered a variety of personalized physical and digital gift cards to drive customer incentives. They can choose from the existing templates or use their own to keep their company’s essence. Digital gift cards can be claimed from any smart device, taking customers’ convenience to another level. Consumers can issue discounts and store credits from their smartphones, track sales reports, and manage card inventory without needing additional equipment.
Cash Discount Program
The provider facilitates the assistance and material needed to implement the cash discount program. Consumers are provided with pre-installed software in the equipment with real-time reporting to track transactions and sales. This program helps many small businesses overcome major hurdles by saving hundreds of dollars on processing charges.
Encouraging customers to pay with cash results in serious security risks. As hinted in the National Bankcard reviews, customers may resent being charged extra for credit card purchases and start shopping from another business. Merchants must remember the many drawbacks of a cash discount program before utilizing this payment acceptance method.
Rates and Contract
Even though the provider does not offer insight into its complete pricing and contract details, it has displayed a link on the official website to get a direct rate quote. National Bankcard reviews portray that clients are promised a free mobile card reader and credit card terminal. It does not charge a setup fee for online processing and offers a variety of rate packages to accommodate small businesses. Here is a breakdown of the company’s pricing;
Contract Length
A standard National Bankcard agreement lasts three years, and the provider claims to charge zero cancelation penalties. This way, merchants can close the account whenever they find the company incompatible with their business. The provider facilitates the freedom to choose without binding customers to a long-term agreement. However, merchants are advised to thoroughly read the contract and discuss the intricacies before signing up to ensure they are not being tricked.
Pricing Model
Merchants can choose between the tiered and interchange-plus pricing models, whatever suits their requirements. The interchange-plus pricing plan is more convenient and flexible. It offers transparency and costs significantly less in the long run. Tiered pricing is confusing and can be too costly for your business if you fail to determine the best package. Consumers are advised to request an interchange-plus pricing model.
Fee Structure
National Bankcard reviews suggest variable pricing dependent on a client’s processing volume, business type, and size. Sometimes, the agent setting up the account can be the reason for a price difference. The company interchange-plus pricing rate is undisclosed. Its tiered pricing rate for swiped transactions is 0.25% plus $0.19 for debit and 1,58% plus $0.19 for credit cards. Merchants pay 0.85% plus $0.19 and 1.99% plus $0.19 for keyed-in transactions.
Consumers are charged a $7.50 monthly statement, a $25 monthly minimum, and a $5 service fee. The provider’s per-month PCI compliance charges are $79.
Online Payment Processing Rates
An average National Bankcard agreement charges a virtual terminal rate of 1.00% to 4.99%. However, this is an average estimate, and the total fees are expected to be higher. Users are offered a virtual terminal through Authorize.Net for a monthly $5. There is also a monthly gateway setup fee of $8. Merchants are unaware of the batch and payment gateway charges.
Hardware and Equipment
Merchants are bound to a variable equipment lease ranging from $0 to $300, but its terms are undisclosed. According to the National Bankcard reviews, consumers with a RoamPay account for a monthly $4.99 and get a free mobile card reader. However, the terms and conditions for this free equipment are not mentioned. Merchants are advised to understand the terms carefully before accepting anything for free.
Customer Support
The provider only maintains a domestic phone support number available 24/7. There is a ‘get pricing’ button on the official website for potential customers for assistance and to get an estimate rate quote. Even though the number of complaints against National Bankcard’s customer service is not unusual for a company this size, these support options are inadequate to qualify as a reliable merchant service provider. A company with a large clientele needs an excellent customer service team available on multiple platforms to resolve maximum issues on time.
Sales and Advertisement
National Bankcard utilizes SEO/SEM, traditional advertisement, and independently hired sales representatives to promote its brand. Even though this combination of marketing methods can significantly boost a company’s image, relying on independent sales agents can result in an egregious number of complaints. Commission-based agents are often undertrained and lack oversight. Focused on signing up more clients to gain high rewards, they tend to neglect the client’s needs.
The provider has maintained a relatively low complaint rate in this matter. Yet, the tone of the few complaints it has received for sales practices is serious. Merchants have complained about being presented with unrealistic rates by the agents. Regardless of the number of complaints, not being transparent to the clients shows the company’s lack of professionalism.
Lawsuits and Fines
There are not many noteworthy FTC reports or class-action lawsuits against the provider. According to National Bankcard reviews, only a single suit of a severe nature was filed against it in 2006. A former employee accused the provider of forcing a hostile work environment on workers and neglecting the employee complaints regarding assault and harassment.
The company was charged with violating a civil rights act. According to the complainant, National Bankcard fails to force strict regulations, treat employees equally, and provide a safe work environment. The provider was found guilty of the charges.
Although this lawsuit does not concern how the company caters to its clients, an unprofessional workplace and a negligent employer reflect a company’s ethics and ideology. However small the number of complaints, charges like this are an obvious red flag when choosing a service provider for your business.
National Bankcard Reviews and Complaints
More than ten formal customer complaints are cited against National Bankcard on consumer protection websites. Considering the company’s size, it is a moderate number. The presence of more positive feedback than complaints implies that clients are satisfied with the company. However, most positive reviews are old and from people still at the initial stage of handing out their business to National Bankcard. Hardly any feedback was cited from clients with a long-term experience with the provider.
Consumers have posted the maximum number of complaints against the company’s habit of forcing hidden charges on its clients. Other complaints revolve around undisclosed fees, withholding of transaction funds, unapproachable customer service, and problems in account cancelation. Consumers have also shown frustration about being introduced to false claims and unrealistic charges by sales representatives. Businesses looking forward to signing National Bankcard as their payment facilitator should be aware of the following drawbacks;
Inadequate Customer Support
Even though there are not many National Bankcard reviews against the provider’s customer service team, the options reserved for consumers to address their queries are inadequate. The provider does not offer email and live chat support, and the only helpline available for consumers is insufficient to cater to the increasing number of clients.
There are multiple instances where a customer calls regarding an issue and is told to wait for a few minutes, but the customer service team never calls back. When a provider fails to assist its clients on time and resolve their complaints, it affects the client’s ability to offer the best services to their customers. Every business should expect a payment facilitator with an efficient support team.
Suspicious Sales Practices
The company raised unrealistic expectations by displaying misleading quotes on the official website. Consumers are led to believe that the company’s rates are as low as 0.25%, but they are unaware that this is only the qualified rate quote. The provider does not disclose the mid-qualified and non-qualified rates consumers will be charged for most transactions. Clients have also complained about being misled by the sales agents and not being given complete disclosures.
Hidden Charges
The most common allegation cited in the National Bankcard reviews is against hidden charges. Customers have complained about noticing suspicious charges in their monthly statements and a sudden increase in their monthly fees. Upon inquiring, the provider does not offer an explanation, and the dues keep rising. Hidden charges are a major headache as they can disturb a client’s budget, forcing them to pay for more than they are offered.
Concealed Information
The company fails to reveal all the necessary information and conceals its pricing and contract details. Merchants are not provided insight into the equipment lease terms and the conditions attached to the free terminal offer. They are unaware of multiple contract clauses and the exceptional charges applied to the appealing offers. Most clients realize a long list of fees they were not told about before signing the contract. The provider’s additional e-commerce rates are also undisclosed.
Funds Withholdings
Several consumers have experienced an unjustified withholding of funds for weeks, causing trouble at their client’s end. As stated in the National Bankcard reviews, the provider either troubles the merchant with unnecessary questions about the deposits or tells them to wait for the transaction to process. Even after weeks, the provider fails to offer any valid reason for the holds, disabling clients from smoothly conducting their business.
New consumers have complained about account holds, restricting them from accessing their funds in that account after two or three transactions. Since the provider does not initiate communication, clients are left without a solution to resolve the issue.
Employee Complaints
There are mixed National Bankcard reviews from its former employees. The negative feedback revolves around management issues, low pay, and a lack of growth opportunities. In 2006, a lawsuit was filed against the employer for negligent supervision, allowing harassment in the workplace. The provider failed to protect its staff and promoted an unreliable person (with a history of disorderly conduct) to the managerial post.
Former employees have also hinted that the company is a family-owned business with few advancement opportunities for outsiders. Some have complained about unprofessional behavior by some of the managers. As gathered from these complaints, the provider overlooks most of what happens on its premises, leaving it to the managers to handle workplace issues.
BBB Ranking
The provider has maintained an A+ rating on its BBB profile since its accreditation in 2007. Consumers have posted 18 formal complaints on the review platform. National Bankcard resolved 8 of these complaints. The other 10 reviews did not receive a satisfactory response. There are also 4 informal negative reviews on the company’s BBB profile.
The complaints cited on the BBB platform concern poor customer service, unjustified charges, unwarned withdrawals, and prolonged account cancelation. Incomplete disclosure, billing issues, and problems with products/services are commonly reported troubles on BBB.
Unauthorized Deductions
Users have complained about multiple charges on their statements for services they did not sign up for. The provider promises a certain fee but keeps deducting additional amounts without approval. Some clients from National Bankcard reviews wrote that the payment facilitator kept withdrawing monthly fees from their personal bank account for a card reader that it offered for free. Some complaints hint at a sudden price increase right after a client signs the contract. Resultantly, consumers experience unpermitted deductions unreasonably justified by the provider.
Difficult Account Cancelation
Another major drawback of choosing National Bankcard as your merchant service provider is the many hurdles it directs your way during account cancelation. Customers have complained about being subjected to countless charges after they decide to cancel their contract, disabling them from moving forward. The company has a habit of putting accounts and funds on hold without a concrete cause making it difficult for the client to hand out their business to a new service provider.
National Bankcard keeps ignoring clients’ requests to resolve the issues or free their accounts, leaving them hanging for months without a way out.
Impolite Customer Representatives
Countless negative National Bankcard reviews vouch against the company’s ill-mannered sales and customer representatives. One reason for an impolite customer service team could be the imbalance ratio between the number of complaints and the number of support options. Since the provider offers inadequate customer support options, the limited staff may have difficulty keeping up with the queries. The company needs to provide better resources for an efficient support team.
National Bankcard sales agents ignore clients’ concerns and lie to them. Some customers complained about being shouted at by a sales representative when they inquired about a refund. Instead of directing the complaints to the concerned department and helping clients resolve their issues, the sales agents hang up on them or elude them by giving false information.
Final Words
The provider’s zero termination fees and a range of efficient equipment make it a reasonable payment facilitator. However, as deduced from this National Bankcard review, unethical sales practices, inadequate support, false claims, and deceptive pricing quotes make it a substandard choice for a business. To be considered a reliable company, the provider needs to resolve the existing issues and up its game to avoid future complaints.
Merchants are advised to compare National Bankcard with other top-rated service providers to make an informed decision.
All images from National Bankcard
