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So you’re new to credit card processing?  Maybe you’re starting up a new business or maybe you finally decided you need to be able to accept.  Either way, we can help.

Remember, if you currently have processing, we’ll save you at least 20% off your existing fees.  However, if you have no prior card processing history, here’s an overview of our program for new to processing businesses:

·     Interchange pricing (true cost as set by Visa/MC/D)

·     1% against processing volume or $1 per $1000 in charges

·      $.30 per authorization

·     $5 per month for statement fee

This puts you on par or better than national programs like Square, Stripe, and PayPal. But you can do even better with a little bit of legwork.

Just like we offer a 20% savings under our Advo20 program, we will also offer a 20% off of any bid you from a bank or card processor. We don’t accept cut and paste data off a website, but we guarantee 20% savings on processing fees if you get a real bid from an actual provider of merchant services.

If you’re in a rush to get your account set up, go with the intro rate now and at any point in the future we will lower your rate if you provide the bid.

And don’t forget our Advo100 program where you can eliminate all fees by offer a cash discount to your cash-paying customers.

Either way, AdvoCharge has you covered!

AdvoCharge is an independent merchant service provider.  Essentially we are a broker, bringing you exceptional rates on card processing through our network and relationships with several different national credit card processors.  We have worked very hard to negotiate the lowest rates possible, and we pass those rates on to you.  Most agents within the merchant service industry align with just one processor, and thereby offer only the products and services of that one processor.  AdvoCharge, on the other hand, works with several different national card processors. While we tend to favor some processors over others, we work to determine what is the best processor for your business based on your individual business needs.

We establish a direct relationship for you to the processor, but we are there as a 2nd tier line of support that you don’t get with other processing providers.  You have full 24/7/365 access to the processors you are working with, but you also have AdvoCharge to contact if you are not getting the assistance you are expecting.  Additionally, we can help you integrate third party solutions that benefit your business.

AdvoCharge has worked tirelessly to negotiate lower and lower rates, which we pass on to our customers. We seek to develop long term relationships with our clients by offering the best rate that is locked for the life of the account, along with exemplary customer support through our processing providers.  We take the approach that many, many happy, satisfied customers with outstanding rates are far better than a smaller number of clients that pay us through very high rates.  As a result, we have very low attrition as few clients ever leave us once they see how much we save them!

We also work to keep our overhead lean and our team small and focused.  You’ll notice we don’t promote our phone number as we want the majority of incoming contact to be by email.  We’ve found that we can remain even more responsive by directing incoming information requests through email, as we are able to route these requests to the right party within our organization who can answer quickly.

Learn more about the Cash Discount or Dual Pricing program in greater detail on the Advo100 page.

See the previous FAQ “How does AdvoCharge offer such low rates?”  We are very quick to respond to questions or requests when you email us at save@advocharge.com.

We understand that many of you want to talk to a “live person” right away, but remember you will have 800# support with your processor once your new account is established.  We’re just the initial step to secure your outstanding rates which will save you thousands of dollars year after year.  Hopefully using email for your initial contact is worth the savings we generate for you.

We have discovered that very few processors will agree to match our rate structure (or are even able to match) because our rates are below cost for the majority of processors and agents.  And even if they would, wouldn’t you rather work with a processing provider that gives you a good, honest rate to begin with rather than one that when beaten down, decides to match our rates?  We are sure that even if they match, they won’t beat us – no one ever has!

We definitely can!  It’s a common misunderstanding that the merchant service industry is equitable and that a given processor has just one rate that they offer to all merchants.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  In fact, there are dozens of processors and thousands of agents in the industry that all have the right to set the price for a given merchant as they see fit.  Often times that means a wildly different rate structure for even very similar merchants.

The analogy of the airlines is a good comparison to the merchant service industry:  we’ve all come to expect that when we take our seat on an airplane that the price we paid is different from the price paid by the person sitting next to us or across the aisle.  Things like time booked before the flight, premier status, and airline promotion all influence that price.

The same is true in the merchant service industry.  Replace United or Southwest with Fiserv or TSYS and the same pattern arises.  The processing rate you pay is largely dependent on the agent or provider you work with.  Fortunately you’ve found AdvoCharge, and we have some of the very lowest rates in the entire nation, so even if you are with Fiserv now, we can take you right back to Fiserv, but with a major savings over what you were previously paying.

We strive to not only meet, but to exceed customer expectations. If for any reason you are unhappy with the service you receive from the processor where we set up your account, you are not bound by an early termination agreement and free to cancel the processor’s contract at anytime.  Unlike most processors, we’ve ensured that our clients have no cancellation or early termination fee with any of our processing relationships.  You really have nothing to lose and a whole lot to save by working with AdvoCharge!

Please note the processing fees are assessed in arrears, so you will be responsible for any service you have already received, but not for any fees beyond the point of your cancellation with the processor.  Some early AdvoCharge clients have unique fee-structure agreements with both the processor and AdvoCharge.  Those clients remain bound by the terms of those agreements, but then as it is now, in no way is there ever an early termination or cancellation fee with the card processors.

AdvoCharge ensures there is no set-up, annual or cancellation fee with the processing provider agreement we broker for you.  We want you to be happy with your rates, service, and support; not shackled because you have a high cancellation fee that you can’t get out of.

Some early AdvoCharge clients have a unique fee-structure agreement known as the Advocate Fee where AdvoCharge was compensated by a percentage of the savings we were able to generate with our low rates over the merchant’s previous card processing fees.  Those clients remain bound by the terms of those agreements, but then as it is now, in no way is there ever an early termination or cancellation fee with the card processors.

Signing up is simple and easy and takes approximately just 5 minutes. You will not need to print any documents because we have developed an intuitive online application with a virtual signature option.  Just click the Start Saving button below.  Complete some info on your business, upload a voided check for your deposit account as well as your current processing statement, and we’ll have you approved shortly.

Start Saving

Signing up is simple and easy and takes approximately 5 minutes.  Just click the link below.

Start Saving

You will not need to print any documents because we have developed an intuitive online application with a virtual signature option.

Start Saving

Generally, once an application is electronically signed, it takes a day to approve and then another 3-4 business days before the account is ready to accept payment.  We offer some of the lowest rates in the industry, and as such the underwriting time can be a little longer than the large aggregators like Square, Stripe, and PayPal.  But compare our rates to theirs and I’m sure you’ll see that the upfront wait will pay dividends many times over down the road.  To be clear, please do not expect to have an approved and processing account within 24 hours.  It will not work that fast.

All merchant accounts are setup with next day funding at no additional charge. The next day funding cutoff is 9:30 PM EST.  All funds settled after this time will be ready in your account after one additional day.

You will be able to accept all card types: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.  We can even accept the Chinese card, Union Pay. Additionally, for most businesses your American Express sales will qualify for next day funding and will appear on the same monthly processing statement. However, business that accept in excess of $1,000,000 in annual American Express sales will continue to be funded directly through American Express.

Underwriting makes determinations on a case by case basis. If you are not approved, AdvoCharge may have alternate options for account approval depending on your business type (see the FAQ titled “Are there any prohibited businesses to whom you cannot offer processing?”)

Absolutely! All three come free of charge with every merchant account.  If you need a plug in card swiper, we offer those at our wholesale rates direct from the processor.

A business checking account is required for all business entities. If your business is established as a sole proprietor, you personal checking account is sufficient.

Maybe – you need to have a terms of service and privacy policy listed on your website to qualify. There should be a phone number and address posted as well.  We can often get you approved on a conditional basis that is lifted once your site is completed.

Underwriting requires a completed online application including federal tax ID and/or SS# plus a voided check, but not necessarily a business license.  The voided check can simply be uploaded into our integrated application portal/center. Additionally, uploading a prior credit card processing statement is encouraged so that we can provide you with a post savings analysis after your first month of accepting credit card payments with AdvoCharge.

We set you up for all card types, and there is no need to speak directly with American Express or Discover beforehand. Additionally, both card types qualify for next day funding.

At this time we can only establish merchant accounts for those businesses based in either the US or Canada.  However we can offer Currency Conversion that allows you to accept payments in any of dozens of different currency types from your customers.  See the next FAQ (Do you offer currency conversion?)

Indeed we do!  Currency conversion allows a US-based company, particularly eCommerce retailers, to accept the local currencies from their customers in international markets where they promote and sell their products.  Here’s a list of currencies that you will be able to accept and convert back into US Dollars:

CURRENCY CODES

We sure do!  Level 2 and 3 processing applies to those business that accept payment from other businesses.  If you collect a little bit of additional information like invoice and tax rate, you can qualify for a special Interchange rate on those B2B transactions.  Level 2 and 3 processing can save you significantly over what you had been paying to accept credit cards that were issued to other businesses.  We can help ensure you are collecting the correct information to take advantage of these rates.

Absolutely! You will have access to 24/7/365 technical and customer support through whichever processing partner we establish for you.

The checking account you provide us with will be funded on a daily basis for all sales batched/settled the previous day. All weekend sales will fund on the following Monday.  You may also choose to have one account that receives funds and another where the fees are removed.  Some business like to separate deposits and withdrawals, and we are happy to accommodate.

You will be able to access and download your monthly processing statement through our robust back office portal that comes free of charge with every merchant account. If you enjoy having a monthly statement mailed to your home or business, that service is also provided upon request.

Every AdvoCharge merchant account includes free mobile processing, a virtual terminal that is accessible from any internet connection, and a comprehensive back office portal for monitoring all sales activity.

AdvoCharge accepts merchant applications from all business types. A very small percentage of accounts may fall into a higher risk category. Should your specific business fall into this category, an AdvoCharge representative will reach out to you once we are notified by underwriting.

While there are exceptions to every rule, for the most part we are unable to board merchants in the following categories:

• Adoption Agencies – for profit
• Adult Entertainment
• Bankruptcy Attorney
• Pornography
• Cigarette Sales
• Collection Agencies, Refinancing of Debt
• Counseling Centers (non-licensed)
• Credit Restoration
• Direct marketing – Travel related arrangement services
• Fortune tellers
• Gun Sales on the Internet
• Investor services/ Investment clubs
• Sale of Stocks, Securities, Options and Other Investments
• Protection Services
• Sexual Encounter Firms
• Internet Gambling

If you feel you have a legitimate business that could be misconstrued for one of the above listed business types, feel free to shoot us a note at save@advocharge.com.  Be sure to explain your business and tell us your projected processing volume and average sale amount.