Media Kit for MerchantNegotiators.com
Thank you for the opportunity to introduce you to MerchantNegotiators.com.
We believe that the process of obtaining merchant account services has been fundamentally broken. The buying process is opaque, hide the ball pricing is standard procedure, and nasty “gotcha” contract terms are regularly included in agreements, even by the largest and most well established credit card processors.
To provide a solution to that, we’ve created MerchantNegotiators.com. We believe that it shifts much of the power back to the business owner. To accomplish this we’ve combined technology, industry expertise, and collective bargaining to make it easier for business owners to find a quality merchant services provider that offers the services they want, with better pricing and fully disclosed contract terms.
I invite you to take a few moments and review our Media Kit so that you can better understand why we believe this is such a valuable service for business owners.
For more information, please contact:
info@merchantnegotiators.com
Table of Contents:
- Features
- Mission
- Background
- Our Value Proposition
- How it Works
- Our Business Model
- Who It’s For
- Audience
- Opportunities
- Contact
What is MerchantNegotiators.com
MerchantNegotiators.com is a website that creates a better way for business owners to find, compare, and obtain Merchant Account Services.
Mission:
To improve the way business owners select credit card processing services.
Background:
Why We Built Merchant Negotiator:
I think all good companies should strive to solve a problem, and as someone who has shopped for merchant account services for my own small business (in fact every member of our team has), I can tell you, the industry is rife with bad companies with poor customer service, confusing “gotcha” pricing, and used car salesman-like haggling.
We felt like by using technology, industry expertise, and collective bargaining, we could shift the balance of power back to the merchant, and make it easy for business owners to find a good quality merchant services company that actually offered what they needed, at better pricing than the business could get on their own. So that is what we’ve tried to do.
My Personal Experience Shopping for Merchant Services:
I considered myself a reasonably financially astute guy, but when my wife and I were setting up her first business (my first time needing merchant account services) we signed up with the first credit card processing company I came across. Eventually, I got around to trying to figure out if we were getting a good deal.
After spending an hour on the phone trying to log in to my online reporting, waiting 20 minutes on hold for tech support to help me log in to see a statement, I was able to print out a statement. Then I spent another two hours trying to decipher the multitude of fees on our merchant services account statement. After all that, I still had no idea whether we were getting a good deal or a bad one.
So I called the company’s sales office. After having to leave a voicemail, and finally getting a call back 72 hours later, only to be told that they couldn’t explain the bill any more than what was on the invoice, I was annoyed and frustrated.
Like all of us when we call big companies, I complained but basically got nowhere. I next considered dropping our provider, but because I was shopping for my wife’s company (she’s a dentist), we knew we needed a merchant account company that could keep her HIPAA and PCI compliant, and finding one seemed difficult.
So, I did what a lot of us do in those situations… complained to my friends but otherwise did nothing.
Realizing The Size of The Problem:
Being a business owner myself means I know dozens of other people that own their own businesses. I started talking to them about my experience with merchant services companies, and realized almost everybody is in the same boat. Nobody knows whether they’re actually getting a good rate, nobody knows whether the company they’re using is a good fit, and most weren’t happy with the customer service they received. Despite this, everyone was hesitant to do anything about it because trying to find a better deal seems hard, and given that most business owners are juggling about 50 other problems, they had, like me, just put this on the back burner.
Action:
After stewing on the problem for a month or two, I decided to do something about it. I created MerchantNegotiators.com to shed light on this industry, use plain english to explain the differences between providers, to actually test whether these companies are following through on their promises and publish the results, and finally through the power of collective bargaining, to ensure that individual business owners get better pricing than they could on their own.
Our Value Proposition:
What MerchantNegotiators.com offers to merchants is the following:
Hyper-Detailed Fact-Based Reviews
We have created detailed reviews of 40 of the leading merchant account services companies (and we’re still adding more). Our reviews are as objective as possible, so that merchants can understand the basis for a rating we gave a specific company. Moreover, they include detailed pricing information, which no other review online offers. Finally, because we don’t simply parrot the sales language a provider is pushing, but actually test those facts via our secret shoppers, merchants can feel confident that the reviews are as accurate as possible.
Match Tool™
If the idea of reading through 8 pages of detailed reviews on 40+ different merchant account service providers seems like too big a job just to find a decent credit card processor, then merchants can use our Match Tool™. By answering a few questions about their business merchants can sort through all of the merchant account services in our network to find the few that offer everything they want.
Pre-Negotiated Haggle-Free Discounted Pricing
Once a merchant has narrowed the list of potential merchant account services companies to a manageable number via the MerchantNegotiators.com Match Tool™, they can see the pre-negotiated discounted pricing terms we’ve secured from the credit card processors. If they like the price and terms they see, they can submit their information and they will receive a contract from the processor with those same terms to review.
Transparent Contract Terms
In getting to be a part of our network, the Merchant Account Services companies have already agreed to our rules about transparency in contract terms and to provide discounted pricing that you don’t have to haggle to get. Thus, you’ll feel comfortable that you’re getting a good deal without “gotcha” contract terms. Moreover, if they do occur, we offer ‘Hidden Fee Protection’, which simply means that we’ll use our considerable leverage with processors on your behalf to get the fee removed.
How It Works:
Step 1: Find a Match
Tell us about your business, so that we can match you with providers that can service your company.
Question 1: Some processors focus exclusively on certain business sizes.
Question 2: Processors often specialize in handling one type of transaction, particularly online or mobile.
Question 3: Many industries require specific features that only a few providers offer.
Question 4: If there are specific features you want in a provider, select them.
Step 2: Pick a Processor’s Quote
MerchantNegotiators.com converts each processor’s price to a simple overall estimated monthly cost, so you can compare apples to apples pricing.
Step 2: Review your 3 matches and select a quote.
Step 3: Request a Contract
Once you pick a processor’s offer, you’ll be emailed a copy of the agreement with all of the same pricing and terms you agreed to.
Step 3: Submit your information to generate a contract which will be emailed to you.
Step 4: Review the Agreement and Talk to the Processor
The processor will contact you to answer any questions. Once you’re ready to sign the contract, they’ll walk you through signing and send you a welcome packet and any equipment so that you can get started.
Step 4: Congratulations, you’ve picked a Provider! Next you’ll receive an emailed contract and a call from the provider to answer any questions and walk you through the contract.
Our Business Model:
We make money using a non-traditional business model. It is explained below:
We Get Paid Over the Lifetime of Your Account:
A traditional affiliate model (not us), is one in which we would get paid up-front by the Merchant Account Services company that we refer you to. That creates an incentive for the affiliate to refer you to a high-priced provider with a slick sales team because it generates a bigger up-front fee regardless of whether you, the customer, is happy long-term. We flip that traditional model, and instead get paid a small percentage of the revenue you generate for the life of your account with that Merchant Account Service provider that you match with.
Our Model Means We Make Money, When You’re Happy:
The fact that our compensation is over the lifetime of your account rather than upfront means, unlike a traditional affiliate model, we only make money if you are happy enough with your provider to stay with them for a long time. You’ll only do that if you feel like you’re getting good customer service and good rates from a company that actually meets your needs. Thus, we get paid, when you’re happy for a long time.
Thus, we work hard to make sure you get matched with a Merchant Account Services provider that ACTUALLY meets your needs, and we pre-negotiate with them to ensure that you’re actually getting good preferred discounted pricing.
In short, When you’re happy we make money.
Who is this service a fit for?:
We believe that anyone who wants to purchase merchant account services, or just confirm that they’re existing provider is giving them a good deal is a good fit to use MerchantNegotiators.com.
Size:
We’ve successfully helped companies ranging from sole proprietors, to non-profits, to multi-million dollar companies with a number of locations.
Industry:
We’ve reviews providers that specifically cater to every major industry, as well as generalists. Whether you’re in healthcare, petroleum, food services, law, high-risk, non-profit or anything in between, our Match Tool can find a Merchant Account Service that meets your needs. And if we can’t, tell us, and we’ll start looking for a company that can.
Good or Bad Negotiators:
When one small business owner tries to negotiate with a Merchant Account Service on price they typically get either a flat no, or a reduction in one fee, and an offsetting increase in another fee. In sum, most get nowhere, and the most tenacious only get a small concession.
When we go to a Merchant Account Services company, we offer them the ability to get their pricing in front of thousands of potential customers each year, but only if they play by our rules. Thus, we get better discounted no-haggle pricing and transparent contract terms. And they agree that if they don’t play by the rules, they’ll get kicked out and lose out on hundreds of potential customers. In sum, we don’t claim to be the best negotiators in the whole world, we just have significantly more leverage than an individual merchant, so we get a better result when we pre-negotiate on their behalf.
Our Audience:
The audience of Merchantnegotiators.com consists mainly of US and Canada based business owners and their representatives who are interested in obtaining Merchant Account Services.
Opportunities:
Media Outlets:
Let us talk to your audience.
We’re available to talk about the industry at large, questionable industry or vendor practices, deceptive contract terms, how broken / inefficient / frustrating the existing system of obtaining merchant account services is, how to improve it, small business advocacy, news, developments or technology in the merchant account and credit card industry or even our company specifically. We want to get the word out about our industry, and our company, and if you’re willing to let us talk to your audience we’re able and willing. Whether that means writing guest articles, participating in written or video interviews, or anything else, give us a shout.
Merchant Services Companies:
MerchantNegotiators.com offers qualifying merchant account service providers the ability (with certain requirements and restrictions) to participate in our network. As a participating member, you have the opportunity to receive inquiries from interested, informed, and well qualified merchants. Please read the Providers page for additional details.
Contact:
For more information, please contact:
info@merchantnegotiators.com
