I am looking around for a good reliable stable Credit Card processing company, I have been checking out previous threads, however most seem outdated. What company should I give a look?

If you are talking US, our experience (support wise) is that VITAL Procesing Services is best, followed by the FDC/Nashville platform (FDC has a half dozen or so platforms).

NOVA is also a good one. I would stay away from FDC/FDR platform, PAGO and possibly Paymentech.

Good luck with whichever processor you go with...

What's wrong with PAGO?

Originally posted by dutchee
What's wrong with PAGO?
PAGO is fine provided everything works perfectly and you never need support. In the real world though, sooner or later something "unexpected" is going to happen and if you don't mind waiting three days to two weeks for a callback, you'll be fine.

Another limitation is not being able to process credits (refunds) for transactions that did not originally process through the PAGO system -- a common problem when switching to PAGO from another system. I know there are several other problems logged into our call tracking system but I don't have time to look them up and these are the only two that are still etched in my mind...

BTW, in regard to Paymentech in my previous posting: they have improved and I have removed them from my "stay away" list.

Originally posted by shift4sms
If you are talking US, our experience (support wise) is that VITAL Procesing Services is best, followed by the FDC/Nashville platform (FDC has a half dozen or so platforms).

NOVA is also a good one. I would stay away from FDC/FDR platform, PAGO and possibly Paymentech.

Good luck with whichever processor you go with...

Well, I think the question is a little broad and can be answered many ways. As opposed to suggesting internal banking platforms, i think vigor wants to know which gateway or service provider is best. While some of the above mentioned do supply merchant accounts and or processing, these are more commonly refered to as platforms. Platforms are used by the banks to communicate. Vital being the best.

Anyways, i would check out netbilling.com. They're compatible with all of the above mentioned with the exception of Paymentech.

I recommend speaking with Erin over there. She's highly knowledgable, and even if she doesnt have a solution that works for you, she'll be glad to point you in the right direction.

Moved to the E-Commerce Forum.

Just keep in mind that netbilling is only a gateway (like auth.net, LinkPoint, Verisign). You still need a processor as well.

When you are comparing merchant account providers it is important to not only consider the pricing but to also consider the service you get. After all, if you are comparing a price of lets say 2.39% to 2.3% thats only a .09% difference which translates to $.09 per $100 of business. But if that company has poor service and cant help you resolve issues or doesn't have a decent fraud detection system then it will be costing you more in the long run. I would recommend Corey and Russ at Merchant Accounts 4 Less sales@merchantaccounts4less.com (http://www.merchantaccounts4less.com). We used them and have been extremely happy.

Vital and FDMS Nashville are excellent

auth.net is great, providing you can find a reasonable gateway.
Check out cdgcommerce.com, only heard (and seen so far) great stuff with these guys. Granted the account's not approved yet, but my only drawback in dealing with them was having to call 3x to get someone (first two all support reps were busy).

Thanks for the recommendation Michael. Always a pleasure!

My pleasure Corey. You guys are great!

I think Michael makes an excellent point. Everything needs to be taken into account with something like selecting a merchant account provider.

The level of service and support is important. So is the kind of reporting that is provided. The way that chargebacks and risk issues are handled is also an important consideration.

On the pricing side of the equation, if you are a smaller merchant just getting started - not having to pay a monthly minimum or annual fee or worry about a cancellation fee is a big plus... if you are a larger or rapidly growing merchant, then the way that a processor handles "downgrades" is very key.

I think that there is an ideal merchant processor for every merchant - it just isn't always necessarily the same processor for everyone. So my recommendation is to talk to each company and see who fits your specific needs the best.

Best of luck in your search! :)

I'll have to second the support I received from Merchant Accounts 4 Less. Corey always seems to be online when I e-mail something to him & Russ walked us thru Cardservice with ease. We had dealt with another agent a long time ago thru Cardservice and after the sale, that agent was gone. Russ & Corey always seem to be adding to their services and a lot of my friends go thru them for everything, from web development and hosting to obtaining a merchant account.

And yes, Cardservice is very solid, that was why we went them. I have never had any problems with them and always very pleased with any results. Even though most of my calls should be directed to Cardservice, Russ and Corey always answer my e-mails.