White Label Merchant Processing Services: Build Your Own Brand
If you've done any research at all, you've probably already realized that getting into the field of selling merchant services can be extremely profitable. Just about every serious business needs a merchant account, so the number of prospects that you could work with are countless and the market is ever-expanding as the economy recovers.
You might also realize, though, that becoming a registered ISO or starting a credit card processing company yourself can be expensive, but luckily this is not your only option when you're looking to break into this field. One of the best ways to get into the digital payments business is to start your career out as a independent sales agent. The upfront costs are minimal, and you can learn the business inside and out with a lot of room for growth. It's one of those coveted sales positions where you not only get commission at the time of the sale, but you usually receive residuals for the life of the account.
The key to success as a merchant services agent is choosing the right partner company to work with—this is an ISO whose products and services you will be offering to merchants. Since finding the best ISO agent program is so imperative to your future, take your time to consider who will be the best fit for you.
Top 5 Merchant Services Agent & ISO Programs
In order to help you get started on your quest, here are five of the best ISO agent programs out there that you can look into:
Looking for a company that has a lot of experience and support? This can be especially important when you're first starting out. You don't want to just be left in the dust whenever you have questions or if something goes wrong. They're very committed to offering the best service possible to not only their end-users, but more importantly to their sales agents. They'll provide you with the latest technology, varied offers to give to your clients, and top-notch service. They also offer extremely fast payments, and in fact will pay you every day instead of making you wait for weeks.
If you are a sales-oriented individual with vast experience in the world of credit card processing or you are a driven and motivated professional looking for a new challenge, Shaw Merchant Group might be a great fit for you. With one of the most competitive commission structures in the industry, SMG will see to it that you are rewarded for your efforts.
As one of the best ISO agent programs, SMG has a history of a favorable commission structure, superior products, and sales support for thier ISO partners. With so much commission at stake, you will truly feel like a partner in the SMG business plan.
With Shaw Merchant Group's white label program, you'll be able to market under your own brand, without paying costly fees! Your brand will be seen on the partner portal, marketing communications, merchant statements, and more.
Maybe you're looking for a very reliable company that has a history of great service and close relationships with their merchants and sales agents. In that case, you won't go wrong with PayProTec. They offer great customer support, as well as extensive online resources that you can use to build your business. When you sign up as a sales agent, you get a free website, a back-end portal where you can check your stats online, and the ability to look up trouble tickets and see any problems that your merchants are having. Like HarborTouch and a few others mentioned here, they also have a free terminal program.
Interestingly enough, they're not just paying lip service when they say that they care about their sales agents—they offer health care benefits and will reimburse half of your costs! This definitely helps to relieve one of the bigger headaches of being self-employed.
Part of working in any field is having a niche, but oftentimes you can find yourself partnered with a company that won't approve of the merchants that you want to work with. Nothing is more disappointing than having great personal connections and prospects, but needing to turn them down because they run a “high risk” business, such as a liquor store, an e-commerce business, or any sort of retail store that would be subject to a lot of charge-backs.
With EMS's program, however, you won't have to worry about any of that. They will deal with just about any sort of merchant, including high-risk applicants. In fact, they approve about 95% of the merchants who seek accounts with them. This is good news for your clients and for you—especially since high risk merchant accounts can be particularly lucrative.
Electronic Merchant Systems is a good choice if your merchant is an e-commerce business. They offer multiple gateways to make sure your client's shopping cart software will work perfectly with them. Give them a try, especially if your merchants tend to get rejected by other ISO's.
Shift 4 Payments is one of the largest providers of POS systems and payment processing services in the US. They handle over one hundred thousand merchant accounts across the nation, and billions of dollars worth of transactions. Part of the reason they are so ubiquitous in the payment processing field is no doubt due to their superior partnership program. They have smart, forward-thinking, and extremely competitive offers that make selling merchant services a snap compared to more “traditional” programs. For example, they helped pioneer the introduction of free terminal offers. In other words, you can provide the hardware to your client for no upfront costs to them, and still receive a handsome commission and great residuals afterwards.
“Free” is not a hard sell at all, so even if you choose another company, it's probably a good idea for you to make sure that your merchant services partner has a free terminal program. It's not always going to be a good fit for every merchant, but rest assured that more and more of your clients will be expecting free equipment.
Want to go with a leader in the industry? North American Bancard is a great ISO with a lot of options for the ambitious sales agent. For one, they have a proven track record of service and have been around since 1992. They offer some of the easiest-to-navigate merchant applications around, a great support team, and in-depth training so that you can sell more effectively and grow in your payment processing career. They were among the firsts in the business to offer lifetime residuals from every deal that their sales agents close. If you want a reliable company that will let you build the passive income side of your business, you should seriously consider NAB.
Naturally, you are probably going to want to research more than just a few companies, but these are truly some of the best and brightest in the industry, and it's not a bad list to start with. Before anything else, it's important to perform a self-assessment and decide what your needs and wants are when it comes to an ISO partnership. Really, this means asking yourself: What kind of ISO is going to best serve my clients? If you still have no idea, that's perfectly fine. You don't have to limit yourself to a single ISO, and in fact it's probably a good idea when you are starting out to try several different processors.
Grow Your Merchant Services ISO with White-Label Payment Solutions
As an independent sales organization (ISO), you can upgrade your business by providing merchant processing services under your own brand. You may dismiss the idea at first, probably thinking that you don’t have the infrastructure or expertise to set up your own payment processing company. However, with white label payment processing, all you really need is a good ISO partner.
How a White Label ISO Program Works
To offer payment processing services under your own brand, your ISO partner will provide you with an online application page that doesn’t identify their company. This “white label” solution is ready for your brand and includes your logo, colors, and contact information, so your merchants only identify the payment solutions with your company. It eliminates any confusion among your merchant customers about who their service provider and primary contact should be. Your brand is the only thing the merchant will see on your website, merchant portal, and marketing materials.
Your payments ISO partner becomes a silent partner, providing technology, payments functionality, and services. This puts you in more control, allowing you to deliver seamless, consistent customer experiences in all interactions – and enhance your brand’s reputation. With this white label payment solution, you won’t need to overcome negative perceptions a prospect may have about the company your working with. This is because you are creating a unique customer experience. Better still, you don't have to fall in line with another company's existing customer experience.
Once you start providing white label payment processing services, you will also find that you build stronger, longer lasting relationships with your merchants. They'll begin to view you as a payments expert and an expert in the other solutions you provide. You may even find you are able to grow your customer base, as merchants in every vertical or niche can benefit from accepting payments, enabling you to market to more types of businesses.
Remember: white label payment processing enables you to earn huge residual income.
Our White Label Program Will Save You Thousands in Fees
Put your brand on merchant statements and applications — build your brand with your sub-agents and merchants. Full white label payment solution with your logo and branding on applications, statements, online enrollment, merchant and partner portals.
We at Shaw Merchant Group have an awesome white label solution. There is no huge package of documents for you to fill out, no approval process by Visa and Mastercard and the sponsor banks, and best of all no annual dues. Here are some details on the “White Label ISO” program:
- Roughly 4–5 weeks to fully set up once we get the signed license document back.
- Executed addendum from you saying it’s OK for us to use your brand too.
- This program can run on our standard schedule A’s with bonus and free equipment and has no other obligations. from you other than the standard agent agreement.
- When we set up the DBA you will have access to EPX/BMO Harris for submitting merchants under your brand.
What do we brand?
- Paper Applications
- Online Applications (Simplified Enrollment)
- Partner.PaymentsHub for your back office.
- PaymentsHub for your merchants — It’s generic when your merchant logs in and then show your brand once inside.
- Merchant Support Email — TMS (ticket management system) which emails you and your merchant each time we speak with your merchant and shows the proper brand in the notice and as the from address on the email.
- Merchant Support Phone — Our call centers answer with a generic “merchant services” then once they have the MID identified, they represent your brand.
- Deployment Packages — Generic boxes and welcome docs inside with proper brand.
What we need:
- A letter authorizing EPX to register your DBA on your company letterhead.
- A high resolution image of your company logo.
- A certificate of good standing from the state you are registered in. It may not be called a certificate of 'good standing' in some states.
- The ISO Branding request form.
How to Become a Registered ISO for Merchant Services
Merchant processing is one of the hottest and most popular lucrative fields in business right now, and that leaves many wondering how they can make a name for themselves in merchant processing. Becoming a registered ISO is one of the best ways to make money in merchant processing and establish a vast network that continues to bringin passive residuals over time. With a successful ISO, you can truly be setting yourself up for a lifetime of success and income that continues to grow. However, the process of becoming an ISO for Merchant Services is not always the simplest one, especially for those that have never registered as an Independent Sales Organization before.
If you want to know how to become a registered ISO and start earning the money that comes along with this lucrative profession, then you are in the right place. We will walk you through some of the basic concepts that surround becoming an ISO and teach you the steps to becoming a merchant services ISO so that you can begin building a better income for your future. Follow along to learn the pathway that you must take if you are going to become a registered ISO.
What is an ISO?
Before you become a merchant services ISO and go through the lengthy process that it entails, you must first make sure that you have a good grasp on what exactly an ISO is and what it would mean for you to become an ISO.
An ISO is an organization that is responsible for selling merchant services, such as processing, to businesses. ISOs operate under larger companies, for which they sell their services. In addition to being a type of “agent” themselves, ISOs also have agents that work underneath them to help sell their products and services.
ISOs make money by earning a commission of processing services that are sold and they also earn money by providing services to the merchant accounts that are opened by their agents. ISOs are a hub of activity in the merchant processing world and since so many transactions run through them, it can be a very lucrative field to be in.
One thing that you will need to know is that an ISO is a legally registered business, so you will have to decide which type of business you want to register as. There are a number of options, each one providing its benefits and downfalls. Make sure that you have a plan of action for when you get to this stage of the process.
Is it worth it to become an ISO?
Being an ISO has a lot of similarities to being a merchant services agent, but there are some key differences. Both allow you to make money by selling merchant services and processing agreements, but being an agent is slightly more limiting than being an ISO. That’s not to say that being an ISO is easy, because it is not. There are months of work that go into being either of these designations.
However, there are some advantages that make it worth it to become a registered ISO if you want to make a splash in the merchant services industry. One of these advantages is that you will get to operate under your own business name. This gives you added credibility when conducting business with your customers and provides you with an easier marketing task. When you are an agent for an ISO or larger merchant services company, you are not able to use your own business name to market yourself. This can turn into a disadvantage if you are trying to create your own brand.
Another distinct advantage to being a merchant services or credit card processing ISO is that you can earn money in more ways than one. When you become a registered ISO, you will have the opportunity to have sub-agents below you that can earn money and residuals for your ISO. As a regular agent, you don’t have this ability and your income is limited to what you can sell with the time that you alone have. Being an ISO allows you to scale up your business and provide you with income around the clock.
All in all, becoming an ISO is a step that can really launch your career in merchant services and set you up for a much higher long-term income.
How to register
If you have decided that becoming an ISO is the right choice for you, then congratulations. Becoming an ISO is an accomplishment that can open a lot of doors for you. First, you’ll need to register and work through the legal and administrative hurdles that stand between you and becoming an ISO.
Pick a name
This step is very important and allows you to enjoy the benefit of being an ISO and branding yourself rather than being forced to operate a different brand.
Decide on your business type
Depending on your unique situation and circumstances, you will need to pick the business type that you will be creating. This is very important down the line.
Register with state
Make sure that you file all the necessary paperwork with your state.
Get your permits
This will vary from state to state, but you will at least need a business license to operate and start accepting payments.
Register with tax agency
Register your business with local and national tax agencies to ensure you are compliant with all tax regulations and obligations.
Create a plan
Create your business plan and organize staff, buildings, etc.
Find a sponsor
Find a reputable and high-quality parent merchant services company that you can operate under to provide your clients with good service.
Create a contract
Create and review the contract that you make with your sponsor company to ensure you are both on the same page and understand what you are obligated to.
Finalize your sponsor
Once you are comfortable with the contract, go ahead and finalize your contract to cement the deal.
Start selling!
Now that you’re an ISO, the sky is the limit. Find sub-agents, close deals, and market your ISO as its own unique business.
How to Start a Payment Processing Company
One of the most lucrative fields that you can get into as a salesperson is selling to other businesses and especially selling merchant services. Unlike most end consumers, business owners keenly understand the value of investing wisely in long-term solutions, and not merely throwing away their money on something cheap. If you want to truly contribute value to other business owners, while making a decent paycheck every month yourself, one of the best ways to do that is to offer quality merchant services. You will be invaluable to your clients, and if you serve them well, they will continue to look to you for ways to make their business more efficient.
Why start selling on your own, though? Isn't that a lot more work? What are the benefits if you're already working in a commission-based kind of job? Well, here are a few of the major ones:
More Control
Even if you're working in a field where you get a relative amount of independence, like in sales, you still don't have complete control, and your whole work life revolves around satisfying someone else's numbers. You may have your own personal selling style, but the overall strategy that the company follows—the direction in which “the ship” is being steered—is not determined by you, but by someone else. This may not be such a bad thing for some people, but it also means that your livelihood is ultimately in someone else's hands. What if the owners of the company that you work for make a dumb decision that spells the end of the business? You will have to suffer the consequences anyway, even though it wasn't your fault.
More Cash
Of course, if you own your own business, you have the potential to make a lot more money than someone who doesn't. If you're an independent contractor, at the end of the day, the people above you are raking in the most money. Sure, as a merchant services representative, you might make a hefty percentage of that, but the fact of the matter is that your potential for financial growth is stunted. If you have a business that you control yourself, it is basically up to you how much money you want to make, and you keep more of the fruits of your hard work.
The Potential for Scale
The thing about a normal job, even a merchant services sales job, where you're working for someone else, is that you rarely have the possibility to scale things up. In other words, you can't “replicate” yourself by hiring someone else to do some of your tasks, and this can greatly reduce your long-term income potential. When you run your own merchant services business, you can choose to run it in many different ways, but one way is to outsource the work slowly until your business can practically run on its own. For true residual, passive income, this is the kind of situation that you will want to be in. This is what makes it possible for you to work because you want to, and to make money even in your sleep. You just can't do this when you work for someone else.
Now, you may be thinking: How to start a payment processing company? Maybe you've been a salesperson for awhile—maybe you've even been selling POS equipment and other important retail tools—but you're not sure how to make that leap into selling for yourself.
Well, unless you've invented and designed your own solutions, you're going to have to start by forming a partnership with a company that you believe in. They're going to have to make a product that you can really get behind because, if you're building a business for yourself, most of your money is ultimately going to come from the back-end, from repeat customers. This is why it is so important to take a step back and think about quality above anything else. By all means, find a program that is lucrative, but don't ever sell a product that you wouldn't feel enthusiastic about using yourself. In the end, this is what is really going to create repeat business.
What traits do you look for in a merchant solutions company, then? Don't be taken in by any fancy bells and whistles. Basically, these are the things you are going to want to see:
A History of Reliability
Again, there's no sense in selling shoddy services or products. Look up reviews of the company and decide if they are any good. Research their products and make sure that they are user-friendly. Find a way to use them if you can. The easiest products to sell are the ones that are actually good because they basically sell themselves time and time again.
Generous Revenue Share
Since this is going to be the core of your business, you are going to want to find a merchant services partner that gives you a good cut of the sales. If you're doing all the work of finding and maintaining leads, then you need a fair percentage of what that customer is paying.
Residual Income
Part of what makes selling merchant services and POS services so lucrative is that there is often a monthly fee involved or else the merchant services company takes a percentage of the user's sales. As a partner, make sure that you have access to a significant portion of that long-term income as well. This is what is going to pay you month after month, even long after you have made the initial sale. This is where most of your money is, really.
Lots of Options and Flexibility
The company you work with should have lots of different options when it comes to revenue sharing, that way you will be able to build a strategy out of the one that best suits your business.
How to Become a Credit Card Processing Agent
If you’ve been considering becoming a merchant services agent for a credit card processing company, you probably already realize that it can be a very lucrative career path. Even better, it’s the kind of work that allows you to make your own decisions and get out of the stuffy office to meet people face to face. As a merchant service agent, you’re basically your own boss and you act as the middle man between the credit card company and the client.
Does this sound like something you could get into? If so, then you’re at the start of an exciting and profitable path. However, as with any other kind of work, there’s always a learning curve, especially if you want to be the kind of agent that clients seek out again and again. In other words, there are certain traits that successful merchant services representative have that help them rise above the rest (and make more money).
Have a Plan
The first thing that you can do for yourself in any endeavor is to have a plan. When you’re a sales agent, you’re basically running a business like any other, though this can require a period of adjustment for those who are transitioning from the lifestyle of an employee.
The fact that you have your own business is both a blessing and a responsibility. Yes, you have more freedom, but having a plan and carrying out every aspect of it becomes much more essential when you have no one else to turn to. Your credit card processor will certainly help you, but the direction that you want to take things is up to you.
What do you need to plan, specifically? Well, the most important thing you will need to decide ahead of time is how you will approach your market. Where will your revenue come from? Will you target people online? Will you do cold calling? Will you perform outreach to businesses in person?
Whatever the plan, choose one or just a few approaches to focus on. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Plan your focus and work your plan until you start getting some results (or not) and then pivot to another focus accordingly.
The point of the plan is to give you some sort of direction, so that you’re never lost in that no-man’s land of wondering what you should do next.
Leverage Your Social Network
Since finding a credit card processor can be an important step for a business owner, they often rely on referrals when they choose an agent to work with. Knowing this, make sure that you’re on everyone’s radar.
etwork and get to know people. Find people to spread the word about the services that you’re offering. You might even offer people pay for the referrals that they send you. It may sound a little weird at first, but it’s not that different from what you’re doing yourself relative to the credit card processing company. Either way, you probably won’t have trouble getting referrals from past clients for free if you’ve made them happy.
Just make yourself known in the community. Offer to help even when there’s no clear benefit for your upfront, and soon enough you will find merchants getting into contact with you. Trust is an extremely important element that cannot be underestimated, and you cultivate that through your connections and through offering people genuine value.
Pick the Right Partner
The decision of which ISO agent program to choose to work with is something that you should consider carefully. Not all credit card processors are created equal. Some might not offer very good customer service, or they might not have a good variety of plans and options, or they may simply not be willing to take on the type of clients that you want to serve.
You have to take many different factors into account. First and foremost, take a look at what the company has to offer your end users. Do they have free terminal plans? Are their fees exorbitant or fair? Play with the interface of the POS systems that they offer if you can. Are they easy to use? Do they use modern software and hardware that is lightweight and secure, or are they stuck in the last century? Try to find an ISO Program that offers equipment that is more or less future-proof, at least for the next few years. Look for a company that values change and is willing to adapt to the industry.
Get to know some merchants and merchant services agents who use the processor and get some feedback. Is the customer service good? Are they responsive and attentive? If you choose a partner that will be prone to abandon you, this can be a huge pain in the neck if something goes wrong, needless to say. Your merchants will be looking to you to keep their transaction systems running smoothly, and you need a partner who will be on your side.
Another thing to be clear on right away is whether or not they are willing to serve your future clients. The fact of the matter is that a lot of merchant services ISO’s will not work with businesses that they deem “high risk,” or businesses that tend to be subject to a lot of charge backs and fraud. Stolen credit cards and other issues are a sad reality of the economy, and in some industries these problems are more common, such as in ecommerce. A merchant services ISO may also refuse to work with a business that deals in “vice,” such as alcohol, tobacco, adult entertainment, and other similar kinds of markets. If you plan on working with clients in such industries, you need a partner who will support you.
If everything else checks out, you will have to go over your contract and fee schedule. Just as you don’t want the fees to be too high overall to avoid gouging your clients, you also want a fair cut of the fees for yourself. Make sure that your merchant services agent program will give you generous options for residuals and bonuses. At the same time, also keep your eyes peeled for any deals that seem way too good to be true. If you can fathom how the ISO is making money because it’s offering sales agents ridiculously good incentives, something is fishy. This is why it’s important to do your research thoroughly before signing up with a partner.
There are a few important things to watch out for in your contract, or else you may endanger your income. Make sure that there are no exclusivity clauses. If your merchant services ISO wants to force you into a exclusive relationship with them, find another one to work with. There is no reason that you should be able to work with more than one partner, and the freedom of being able to switch if one of them becomes irrelevant will make a huge difference for your business.
Something else to watch out for in the fine print are any quota requirements. If your partner requires you to open X amount of new accounts per month, or else you lose your residuals (even if your past clients are still with the company), then run far away. Find a partner company that allows you to rightfully own your residuals. This means that you keep them for the life of the account, regardless of any new accounts you open, and you should also be able to sell your residuals if you would rather have a lump sum.
Finally, find a company that will help train you on all of the equipment and software that they offer, and that will help you read all of the forms that you’ll be working with. You need to really know what you’re doing to be a success in this business—but we’ll talk more at length about that below:
Actually Know What You’re Doing
When it comes to any field—from credit card processing to underwater basket weaving—the number one thing that will make you successful is to serve your customers well. In fact, in a lot of ways, this is the only thing that really matters to your bottom line. Your clients have a problem, and you have to solve it well enough that they’re happy with what you gave them.
The only way that you can do that, though, is by knowing what you’re doing. Make sure to take advantage of all of the training materials that your credit card processor offers. Read the literature and even go to industry conferences and workshops if you can. You will learn huge amounts of information by listening to people who have already been playing the game for a long while.
When it comes to your income, it’s also important to know what you’re doing. Don’t just assume that your credit card processor is paying you what they owe. Learn to read your merchant statement and go through all of the details every month. If you’re confused, your ISO partner should help you. You can also recruit the help of more experienced sales agents.
Be Completely Honest
Trust is important in business. It’s what will keep people coming back. It is what will make people hesitate switching to your competitor. The only way to earn and keep people’s trust long term is to cultivate a reputation for honesty. This cannot be bought and you cannot use advertising tactics to get this. You can only earn it by being completely transparent and honest.
Don’t hide the bigger picture from your clients. Tell them exactly what is going on, exactly how much they are going to pay, and exactly what they can expect with the packages that you’re selling them. Teach them everything that they are willing to learn and show them as much as you can about the equipment and software that you’re giving them.
When a client feels that they can trust you, and they see that you went above and beyond what was expected, you have a loyal customer for life. Considering the potential value of long-term residuals in this business, the difference between being honest and trying to turn someone into a sucker for short term gains could be hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Being a merchant services agent can be a great way to earn a piece of the very large credit card processing pie. The industry will only be growing larger in the next few years, and more opportunity will present itself to those who are highly motivated. Having said that, this is a very competitive field, and you will greatly improve your odds of success by following the guidelines above.
The credit card processing industry is like any other business, and your focus should be first and foremost with the customer. Pick the right ISO agent program, use your social network, and make sure that you’re honest and that you know what you’re doing. After that, the rest should follow.
Building the Ideal Payment Processing ISO Agent Company
If you are ready to dive into the world of becoming an ISO for merchant services, then you are probably on the prowl for the best ISO agent program. The merchant processing industry is a lucrative one, but only when the ISO chooses the right partner to operate under. The ISO agent program that you choose to operate under can have a big impact on your earnings, quality of business, range of potential clients, payout frequency, and many other parts of your business that should be considered essential. This short guide will give you the information that you need to select the best credit card processing ISO program in the industry and will even give you a bit of information about who we feel has the best ISO agent program and why.
Why is it important to select the best ISO agent program?
It is important to pick out the best ISO agent program because the program that you choose will have some very drastic effects on the income that you are able to earn and other aspects of your business. If you want to set your business up for success in merchant processing, then choosing the ISO program that you are going to be operating under is a highly essential part of that process.
Each ISO agent program attempts to achieve relatively the same thing, but with different benefits and results that attract different types of clients and merchants. You should never assume that all ISO agent programs are the same and have the same benefits, rates, payouts, and other incentives to get you to use their program. Carefully screen the specifications of each program to actually find the program that is right for you.
Is it the same for everyone?
When it comes to finding the best ISO agent program in the industry, the truth is that there is no one answer that fits the needs of everyone. Each ISO program is different with their pay structures, marketing tools, and other resources that they give you to succeed in merchant services. So, the answer likely won’t be the same for everyone and will instead depend on what industry you’re in.
However, that’s not to say that some programs don’t rise above the rest. There are certainly programs out there that have displayed excellence time and time again, giving themselves an excellent reputation when it comes to payments, resources, and the other benefits that a particular program is able to offer.
While one program doesn’t usually fit all sizes, you can increase your chances of having success as an ISO by picking out a program that has repeatedly exceeded expectations and set the gold standard when it comes to ISO agent programs.
What to look for in a credit card processing ISO program
When you are in the process of selecting a program, there are some select features that you should be examining to ensure you find the right program for you. Here are some of the features that you should look for when screening potential ISO agent programs for your ISO to partner with and offer merchant services.
Payout
When you partner with an ISO agent program, you definitely want to make sure that they pay accurately and that they pay on time. Closing sales as an ISO won’t help you unless you are actually being paid your residuals and commissions that are due to you. Make sure that the company that you work with has a reputation for paying on time.
Residuals
A very important factor that you should take into consideration when selecting an ISO agent program to work with is what the residual rate is. These rates range from 50%-75% and are the backbone of your business. Earning residuals is often passive after the initial setup, so be sure that you are getting as big of a share of them as possible before moving forward.
Marketing Advantages
When you partner with an ISO agent program, you want to be sure that the program you select has the tools and resources to make you more successful in merchant services. This includes the access that they give you to their marketing materials, initiatives, promotions, and literature that you can use to sway clients into signing on with your ISO.
Who has the best ISO program in the industry?
If you’re looking to partner with the best in the business, then you can’t do much better than Shaw Merchant Group. SMG has continuously proven their excellence and the quality of our ISO agent program. This ISO agent program has many benefits including high residual rates, prompt and accurate payments, and the ability to help market your services and provide you with the resources you need to close more sales. Choose Shaw Merchant Group if you want to set up your ISO for success now and in the future.
Wondering what it takes to be a legend merchant services sales rep? We will tell you exactly the things you require! This guide is specially designed to help you take off your career and get so many sales that it might become hard for you to handle.
But all of this will require you to work hard, give your 101%, put in several hours a day, and have patience. If all of this seems feasible, then congrats, you are the perfect candidate for merchant services sales jobs. Now you just need to work on the five important tips we have mentioned below, so let’s start:
1. Work On Your Business Plan:
Being a merchant services sales rep has many perks, and one of them is freedom. You are your own boss; you don’t have to answer to anyone. However, this freedom means that you need to work and think like a business owner, and that’s why you need to have a business plan. Yes, having a good credit card processor on your back is helpful as you will get merchant services sales training, but you will have to embark on this journey on your own. So to ensure you have a solid plan for taking your business to the height of success, you need to answer the following questions:
- How will you approach the market? (Your method for getting clients)
- From where will you get your revenue? (Will you only be selling merchant accounts or the technologies like POS terminals as well?) • Will you leverage the internet to get leads?
- Will you use cold calling to promote your product(s)?
- Will you personally reach businesses and pitch?
- How will you pitch to get as many clients as you can?
These are a few major points you need to include in your business plan. We suggest that you just focus on a few approaches at the start and measure the results. Selling credit card processing service is something that needs a strategy, implementation, evaluation, and continuous fine-tuning.
Soon you will know which approach is working for you and where you lack, you can focus on the ones that are giving you results and get more education and training for the ones that need improvement.
2. Build Your Network of Referrals:
Finding a reliable credit card processor is an essential yet challenging step that merchants need to take. If they know that there is someone who can help them connect with a credible processor, they will come running towards him, and YOU CAN BE THAT SOMEONE! All you need to do is increase your social circle and hand out merchant services sales jobs to people in your network.
You can tell them to refer businesses that need credit card processing service to you, and in return, they will get a commission. The referrers will send businesses your way; you will educate them about the credit card processor and seal the deal. Yes, you will have to share some of your earnings, but you don’t have to share the bonus that you get. Plus, you wouldn’t have gotten those sales anyway, so something is better than nothing. Your business needs sales at the start, whatever your approach is.
Besides this, you also need to have a circle of merchants. Start approaching merchants and offer them your help for free. You don’t have to sell them the plan; you need to sell without selling! Just connect with different merchants, join their conventions or conferences, or whatever events they have. Network with them and if anyone approaches you for help, lend them a hand without asking for anything.
When your expertise and continuous support come into notice of merchants, they will definitely suggest you to anyone who needs credit card processing in their circle. This is called the word of mouth marketing, and it is extremely powerful, nearly 92% of people believe in suggestions coming from friends/family more than advertising.
3. Pick The Right Merchant Services ISO Program:
This is the most crucial part of your journey that can either make or break anyone’s career. Not all credit card processors offer equal opportunities, benefits, or services to both merchants and agents, which is why you have to be very careful when selecting one. Here are a few key points to consider:
- Their Offerings to Merchants: They should offer value to the merchants with things like free POS terminal, fair fees, and the latest, smooth and easy-to-use POS software. These are the things that attract merchants, which means you have more chances of closing the sale.
- Gauge Their Customer Support: Talk to the merchants and agents working with them, make sure they have a good customer and agent support. Nothing is worse than a processing company leaving its agents hanging when there is an issue that needs to be solved.
- See if They Work in High-Risk Industry: You might start small and play it safe by dealing with low-risk businesses, but as your business grows, you will be dealing with high-risk industries like cannabis as well. Make sure that the processor works in such industries, so you don’t have a limited group of merchants to work with.
- Discuss Your Contract: You need to work with a company that offers a good share of the fee to its agents along with different bonuses. Also, look out for too good to be true kind of deals because if they are offering something that doesn’t leave them any money, then something can be fishy.
- Should Not Be Exclusive: They should not require you to only work with them and not any other processor. This will limit your earning potential. You should be able to work with others along with them or switch to others if they are not working out for you.
- Should Not Have Quota Requirements: There should not be a requirement that you need to make X amount of sales each month to keep your residuals even if the past clients are still working with them. Find a company that allows you to keep the residuals regardless of the number of accounts you open.
- They Should Train You: The partner should offer the necessary training you need to know how to use all the equipment and software so that you can better educate the merchants. They should offer merchant services agent training and also teach you to read all types of forms that you will be dealing with, so you know what you are doing. Working with a credit card processor offering all of these benefits will ensure a safe and successful career for you as a merchant services sales rep.
4. Know What You Are Doing:
No matter which kind of field you are working in, your number one priority is to serve your customer the best way you can; this is the secret to success that everyone asks about. If your clients have any problem, you need to go running to them, fix the issue, and leave them happy. This is what will make you a successful merchant services sales rep.
So to be able to do this, you need to leverage all the pieces of training available, read every educational material you can find, and also utilize online resources like YouTube, Lynda, and Udemy to learn the things that are not covered in the company’s curriculum. You need to be on top of your game in both selling and customer support. Also, attend various workshops and conferences related to your field, connect with experienced agents who have been selling merchant services for years. Consume any knowledge bombs they drop like a sponge. Be a merchant services nerd if you have to but get an excellent grip over how things work. This will help you in ways you cannot imagine now because knowledge is power after all.
5. Always Be Truthful:
They say honesty is the best policy; I say AMEN TO THAT! Honesty is what will make people keep coming back to you. The world is already full of liars and cheaters; finding someone businesses can lean on is difficult. So if amid all of this dishonesty, you come with your truthfulness; merchants will come running to you.
However, you cannot advertise that you are authentic and credible; you need to prove it. So for that, you need a lot of patience and a lot more honesty. Tell your merchants everything right off the bat; who you are, what you are offering, how much will they be paying, the good and bad about the processor, and anything else that might come as a surprise later on.
When your clients see that they can actually trust you and that you went out of your way in helping them, they will not only prefer to work with you; they might ask their merchant friends to tag along – a win-win situation!
Over to You:
You see, becoming a pro in selling merchant accounts is not as hard as it might seem. You just need to have a plan, a network of referrals, a good processor, a wealth of knowledge, and honesty. These ingredients will soon make you one of the most successful agents in the industry.
So if you want to stop thinking and do something, then join a credible merchant processor now, work on yourself and reach the heights of success – the sky is the limit!
How to Sell Merchant Services
If you want to enter into the massive merchant services sales industry, then we would like you to stop right there. Before taking the plunge, there are a few things you should know. You need to have a clear idea of this industry and whether a credit card processing sales job is even your cup of tea or not.
We will help you know some simple yet important facts about selling credit card processing in this guide and will also provide you with useful tips to jumpstart your career as a merchant services agent. So with that said, let’s get started:
Why is it important to know?
Before we move towards knowing some important facts about the merchant services sales programs, the question that might come to your mind is, why bother knowing these things? Well, to be honest, there are a lot of factors involved when it comes to getting merchant services sales jobs, it’s not as easy as approaching the merchant, pitching the service and closing the deal.
Things can be both easy and difficult, which is why you need to set your expectations straight. So instead of jumping into a river without gauging its depth, it is better that you know how deep it runs. Therefore, we will tell you both the good and the bad of the merchant services sales industry.
These advantages and drawbacks will help you understand what to expect from it and whether it is the right field of work for you or not. So follow along and learn some of the most important things about selling credit card processing.
Benefits of Selling Merchant Services:
There are plenty of benefits in the merchant services careers, which is why many opt for this route. If you are persistent and work very hard, you will enjoy a high income and many benefits that come with it. Here are a few advantages of working in the credit card processing sales industry:
Excellent Earning Potential:
The basic need for everyone is the money, the sole motivating factor that makes you want to work for hours without looking at the clock. Well, the good thing is that this job is based on commissions. So you will be paid for the amount of work you put in and not like corporate jobs where you give 12 hours daily for a fixed pay.
However, if you ask an accomplished merchant services agent, he will tell you that the money doesn’t come easy and is certainly not handed to you on a silver platter. To make a killing in the industry, you need to work very hard, build a network, and be persistent.
There are also several bonuses offered by credit card processors for achieving X amount of sales that add to your overall earnings. So once your business takes off, you can then enjoy a vacation on the beaches of Bali while sipping your fresh piña colada.
Flexible Schedule:
The best thing about working in the merchant services sales industry is that you are your own boss. There is no one looking at you with a microscope waiting for you to make a mistake. You can work on your own terms and in your timings as long as you are getting sales because sales pay the bills in this game.
You can approach any business you want, wherever you want and whenever you want to make your pitch. There will be no one calling you and asking you why you haven’t reached the office yet; your dining table is your office.
Tons of Surprises:
If you are someone who cannot deal with a monotonous routine and the same kind of office-based work, then this is the job for you. You will start your day not knowing what’s in store for you because you get to meet lots of new people in this line of work.
Different merchants will need different tactics and pitches for the deal to close. So you will have to adapt to the situation, work any problems that may arise, and learn something new every day. If you are someone who loves this kind of work, then you will definitely have higher job satisfaction.
Drawbacks of Selling Merchant Accounts:
Remember, nothing, and I repeat nothing is always rainbows and sunshine. Not even rainbows and sunshine are always there on the sky. So you cannot expect the merchant services sales job to be a walk in the park. There will be some drawbacks, just like there are with all types of jobs. If you are someone who is ready to face challenges and come up with new ways to achieve their goals, then you might not be affected by these downsides very much. That being said, let’s see what they are:
Repeated Rejections:
Yes, this will happen. Every sales job comes with complimentary rejections, which an agent has to accept. Selling merchant services is no different. You will likely face two types of merchants when it comes to rejections. The first ones are those who already have a credit card processing provider, and they are satisfied with it.
The second ones will be those who just don’t want this facility or those who don’t have time to talk to you. You can persuade these people to an extent, and some might convert. I know getting rejected is tough, but you will have to take it like a man and move one to another merchant, there are plenty of them out there.
Soaring Competition:
Yes, there are thousands of merchant services agents out there just like you. But don’t let the high competitive environment bring you down. If you have the key ingredients of becoming a successful credit card processing agent then nothing will stop you from getting ahead of the competition.
Plus, you have to be a bit creative in selecting the location to target, maybe a new mall, or a complex? You will have to figure things out as you go and not leave any stones unturned in getting ahead of the competition.
Things You Can Do To Have a Strong Start as Merchant Services Agent:
Now that you know the good and bad sides of the merchant services sales industry, it is time we give you a few pointers on kick-starting your career.
- Establish Goals: Being a sales agent means you need to manage yourself because there is no one at your back, making plans for you. You need to set targets like closing X amount of deals in Y number of days. And then work with all your strength and capabilities towards achieving the targets. Once you do, reward yourself with something you like.
- Strong Networking: Being a new agent means no one really knows you. So you need to get yourself out there and have more exposure. Visit potential merchants, have a chat with them, help them out with anything related to credit card processing for free, and slowly and gradually build trust. Once they know you are knowledgeable and helpful, they will either get your service or refer their fellow merchants to you.
- Understand What You Offer: Speaking of knowledge, you should first increase it to be able to help and educate merchants. Credit card processing is a vast sea, and you need to cover its every aspect. Learn about the services, equipment, and value you are offering so you can better communicate with the potential merchants and pitch them more effectively.
- Follow Up: No matter how the dealing with a potential merchant went, always follow up. After contacting a merchant for the first time, don’t let them forget who you are or what you offer. This doesn’t mean you start visiting their home, but rather, say Hi every now and then. If, after some time, you feel your efforts are going somewhere, keep pursuing otherwise move on to a different merchant.
- Offer Excellent Support: One of the main things that you will sell is support and not the service itself. When things are a bit technical, like credit card processing, people purchase the person selling them and not just the product/service. This means that they will buy trusting your word, and you will have to be there for them whenever you are required. This will not only retain your current merchants but also build your credibility in the industry.
Parting Words:
Many jump into the credit card processing sales industry hoping to build successful merchant services ISO; however, only a handful of them manage to do so. Do you know why? Because the ones that fail expect a lot at the initial level. And the ones that win just keep their heads down until they can live with their heads high. There is a difference in IMPOSSIBLE and IMPOSSIBLE. You just need to be persistent, work hard, and have patience; you will make a successful career a possibility one day.
© Shaw Merchant Group, LLC. Our goal is to gather accurate, updated information and assist you in your research. We recommended that you check with your service provider or financial institution directly and get independent financial advice before making any commitments or business decisions.
Company logos, names, and trademarks mentioned on this site belong to their respective owners.
All merchant related services and products are referred to North American Bancard for first right of refusal. All information generated on this site is shared with NAB. North American Bancard is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Walnut Creek CA, of BMO Harris N.A., Chicage, IL and The Bancorp, Philadelphia, PA.
