What kind of businesses does Merchant Account Associates accept?

We accept retail, professionals, trade shows, mail order, telephone order, Internet based, home-based, and some adult related businesses.

Do I need a business license?

You need to have documentation showing you have registered your company name with the Internal Revenue Service or state government - such as a business license, trade name registration, DBA certificate.

Do you accept international merchants?

We currently do not accept Canadian merchants. And unfortunately, we currently cannot accept merchants from other nations outside of the US, unless they have a US-based subsidiary.

Do you accept high risk merchants?

Yes, We currently do accept high risk merchant accounts. We work with an approve of several high risk verticals including credit repair companies, collection agencies, adult, and cannabis related businesses. We have approved vendor status with some of the more popular high risk processors including relationships with HighRiskExperts, PsBill, Travel Merchant Service and MerchantProcessor.com.

What if I have less than perfect credit?

We have an industry-leading approval rate of 98%, so even if you have bad credit you are likely to get approved. We do not charge an application fee until a merchant is accepted, so a rejection means you lose nothing.

What credit cards will I be able to accept?

Our program is generally geared to those who want to accept Mastercard and Visa. However, we do offer American Express and Discover-ready account privileges. There is no set up fee for American Express, while Discover Card charges a $25 set up fee.

What are the monthly fees for accepting American Express or Discover Card?

Discover charges a discount rate and transaction charge, set by Discover itself. American Express charges a transaction charge, but instead of a discount rate, for $5 a month American Express allows merchants to process up to $5000 per year, resulting in an effective discount rate of just 1.20%. American Express determines a discount rate for your specific business for amounts processed over this amount.

What is the discount rate?

Every bank charges a discount rate. The discount rate is the percentage of each transaction that the processing company charges to handle your transactions. Our discount rates are exceptionally low, starting at just 1.59% for retail (swiped) merchants and 2.15 to 2.45% for mail/telephone order and Internet merchants.

Will I receive a statement?

Yes. A monthly statement is mailed out with the information on all deposits into your account, your total sales volume, and the charges for the month. There is a Monthly Statement/Toll Free Help Desk Fee of $8.

How will I receive my money?

Your money will be deposited directly into your current business checking account. All funds are available within 48 hours.

What is the Address Verification System?

If you sell via mail/telephone order or through the Internet, you never want to send a product to a false address and risk a chargeback. The Address Verification System (AVS) lets you enter the customer's home address and compares it to the address on file with their credit card company. If someone uses a stolen card, and wants products shipped to a false address, AVS will detect this for you.

How do I apply?

Just fill out the free, no obligation, online contact form (or call our toll-free number). We will contact you within 24 hours (not including weekends and holidays) and let you know what program you have qualified for, and answer any questions you might have. If you would like to go ahead with your application, we'll send you a simple hard-copy application package. When you receive it, you will sign where indicated, and return it along with the requested documents.

How long does the approval process take?

Once all of the necessary paperwork is received, most accounts are approved in 72 hours. Once approved, we will immediately inform you of your acceptance and deliver the terminal equipment or software.

Is there a toll free service phone number that I can call if I need help?

Yes. In fact, service and support are one of the cornerstones of our business. You will have live, toll-free merchant assistance available to you 24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year.

Contact us here for more details.

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