Instabill provides high-risk, international, and offshore merchant accounts to businesses that operate in high-risk ventures and in high-risk locations. Instabill acquires merchants for a number of global banking operations and uses secure PSI-compliant gateway systems. They can arrange for acceptance of up to 160 major currencies and all major credit cards.
Founder and CEO Jason Field established Instabill in 2001 to assist merchants in obtaining high risk and offshore credit card processing solutions. Today, Instabill, located in New Hampshire, is one of the industry's leading high risk merchant account providers for not only e-commerce businesses, but also for MOTO and retail businesses.
What we liked about Instabill on the front end is that they're up front about risk factors. If you, as a merchant, don't understand these risk factors, Instabill lays them out in black and white on their "Determining the E-Commerce Risk Factor for Your Online Business" page. They also are quite frank about who they deal with, including offshore merchants, adult entertainment businesses, third-party merchant accounts, and other risky ventures.
Instabill works with a number of banks around the world to accommodate international clients, so Instabill is a merchant acquirer on an international scale. Instabill does offer two gateways and eCommerce options, as well as offshore accounts that accept multiple currencies and that need alternate jurisdiction (such as online casinos).
Instabill is very clear about the various accounts that they offer. They are not clear on pricing, but we're giving them leeway on this count - they're upfront about the fact that there are fees for certain services, but dollar amounts need to remain hidden until the company knows more about the merchant. All we know is that they offer rates as low as 2.2% - an advertisement in their website sidebar. Don't forget, however, to add in some other fees that we'll mention below.
Below is a detailed review of InstaBill Merchant Services offering. The review is broken down into the following categories.
Depending upon the type of business you own, some of the following features may or may not be important to you. To learn more about any given feature, just click on it.
Instabill can offer a number of features, and we'll mention them here. The merchant needs to inquire to learn whether or not the equipment provided can offer those features (like QuickBooks integration).
| Software Compatibility: | |
|---|---|
| Intuit Quickbooks | Yes, add-on |
| Sage 50 | No |
| Microsoft Dynamics GP | No |
| Hardware Compatibility: | |
|---|---|
| Windows / Blackberry | No |
| iPhone / iPad | Yes |
| Android | Yes |
| Alternative Transaction Types: | |
| Phone Orders | Yes |
| Internet Orders | Yes |
| Wireless Orders | Yes |
| Mobile Orders | Yes |
| Snail Mail Orders | Yes |
| American Express (AMEX) | Yes |
| Add Tips to Bills | Yes |
| eCommerce / Shopping Cart | Yes |
| International Sales | Yes |
| Recurring Payments | Yes |
| EMV Chip Cards | Yes |
| Contactless Cards | Yes |
| Loyalty / Gift Cards | Possibly |
| eChecks / Electronic Checks | Possibly |
| Welfare Benefits (EBT/SNAP/TANF) | Possibly |
| Security / Fraud Prevention: | |
| AVS Fraud Protection | Yes |
| PCI DSS Secure Transactions | Yes |
| Industry Specific: | |
| HIPAA Compliance (Healthcare) | No |
| Trust Account Debiting (Legal) | No |
| Fleet Cards (Petroleum) | No |
| Online Menu Orders (Restaurants) | No |
| Countries Served: | |
| U.S. | Yes |
| Other Countries | Yes |
| International | Yes |
Instabill can offer the widest range of international accounts we've seen, and they provide information about those accounts on the website. Some features may or may not be available in certain countries or in offshore accounts.
Almost every merchant account services company uses either Interchange Plus or Tiered Pricing (to learn the differences read here). Where companies allow us to disclose pricing information, we show the deals that our secret shoppers were able to achieve. When companies offer both Interchange Plus and Tiered Pricing, we try to get a quote on both options.
Instabill is very clear about some fees, and but they lack transparency on the most important items such as rates and discount fees. Their reasoning, which seems rational for a high-risk merchant processing service, is that they need to learn more about the merchant before they offer quotes. Don't expect overnight set-up service, because Instabill wants to know everything about you, the merchant, before they offer you a card processing solution.
With that said, Instabill claims they can pre-qualify you over the phone within five minutes. This pre-qualification doesn't waste anyone's time, because if your processing history, industry type, and expected monthly turnover don't fit within their parameters, you're out of luck. Really out of luck, frankly, because Instabill accepts a wide range of high-risk, offshore, international, and third-party merchant accounts.
You can learn about the "fine print" fees below. We learned in a phone call with Instabill's sales that they use both Interchange Plus and tiered pricing rates for their accounts. The acquiring bank for the merchant account has a lot to say about which one will work for them as well as for the merchant. Most U.S. accounts end up with Interchange Plus rates. Other businesses often end up with tiered rates.
Our Experience: Instabill is not for the run of the mill merchant. If you're in a high-risk business, though, these guys know the industry and how to work every angle to get your business processing credit cards. Just know that you need to be just as savvy and know what to ask for, because you may end up with something you don't want if you don't proclaim your preferences on the front end.
Instabill states that they have the following fine print fees, but they don't offer actual costs. According to Instabill, there's no way to figure those costs without initial consultation and inquisition. Instabill is heavily reliant on their partner banks to establish some of the following parameters:
| Fine Print Fees: | |
|---|---|
| Termination Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Setup / Application Fee | Yes, expecially for international clients |
| PCI Compliance Fee | Depends on Bank |
| PCI Inaction Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Gateway Fee | Depends on Bank |
| 1099-K Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Statement Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Online Reporting Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Monthly Minimum Volume Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Accept International Pymt Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Voice Authorization Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Monthly Min. Process Fee | Depends on Bank |
| Daily Batch Fee | $0.20 |
| ACH / Direct Deposit Fee | Depends on Bank |
| ACH Charge Fee | Depends on Bank |
| ACH Return Fee | Depends on Bank |
| FANF Fee | Possible |
| Chargeback Fees | Yes |
| Freebies: | |
|---|---|
| Initial Consultation | |
| Fine Print Fees: |
|---|
| Merchant Account Fee |
| Merchant Account Registration Fee |
| Refund Fee |
Instabill also establishes what they call a "Rolling Reserve Fund." Instabill states that, "While most US banks do not require a rolling reserve fund, many offshore acquiring banks do." It's our experience, however, that this practice isn't unusual for high-risk credit card processing companies in general, especially if they suspect the merchant is conducting fraudulent business. The banks hold the money for chargebacks or returns, and merchants usually can find that information in the fine print in program guides or in contracts.
Instabill is different from most credit card processing companies in that this fee isn't hidden in fine print. They offer this withholding information on their fees page. The reserve is a fixed percentage amount (usually between 5-10%) based on weekly sales volume. The merchant's acquiring bank places the money into a rolling reserve fund, and the merchant receives a payout of these funds usually about six months later.
| Processing Week | Sales Volume | Amount Withheld | Payout Week and Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2-7 | $10,000 | $1,000 | July 2-8 for $1,000 |
| January 9-15 | $15,000 | $1,500 | July 9-15 for $1,500 |
| Jaunary 16-22 | $20,000 | $2,000 | July 16-22 for $2,000 |
Our Take: Although Instabill doesn't offer actual numbers on their website for any rates or fees, they at least are upfront about the fact that risks are inherent with high-risk merchants, and that those merchants must pay to play. The merchant, then, takes the responsibility of learning about these fees and how much they are for each particular business.
Also, we initially overlooked the various international country accounts, which are listed in fine print at the bottom of most of Instabill's web pages. Be sure to check those pages out to learn more about the various guidelines provided for Australia, Panama, British Virgin Islands, Europe, South Africa, Costa Rica, and the European Union.
While your transactions usually take place electronically, the actual device that you use to swipe a customer's card is referred to as "the equipment." This equipment includes hardware and, often, software or apps for that hardware to function properly.
According to Instabill, they can provide a "large variety" of POS terminals. The majority of terminals they offer come from Verifone:
HARDWARE
SOFTWARE
InstaBill Merchant Services can handle payments from and for merchants in the United States, Canada and abroad.
I generally don't like long-term contracts or termination fees in merchant services agreements, because the ability to cancel keeps the credit card processor on its best behavior, including the willingness to make you happy if there's a dispute. Plus, this ability to cancel gives you the ability to move on if you find a better deal.
Instabill does not establish contracts itself. Instead, the bank that Instabill finds to fit a particular business will dictate contract terms. Instabill does help in this process, and may be able to instigate a contract that is less than three years and with no early termination fee. However, I believe that the termination fee is a given in this case, because most banks won't process applications for high-risk businesses without some sort of fallback insurance.
The merchant account services industry is multi-layered. Understanding how those layers fit together can be confusing (Read More in this Article). A good thing to know, however, is whether or not your company is a direct processor (good if yes) or, if not, then to know who they process with and whether or not that processor is reliable. The second thing to know is whether or not the service or sales staffs are in-house or outsourced. In-house staffs are preferable for you, as these staff members may have more access to sources that can resolve your issues.
Processor: Instabill is a merchant acquirer for banks located throughout the world. This company owns two gateways: One gateway is a "White Hat" gateway that offers simple retail processing for U.S. clients. The other gateway is for international and offshore clients and businesses.
Account Sales: Instabill is located in New Hampshire and operates on New Hampshire hours, no matter where your business might be located. Although these limited hours might prove a headache to overseas, international, and offshore business operations, that's the price Instabill customers will pay to have the ability to process credit cards. Their sales department seems fairly low key, but they do use third-party sales to bring in business. Be sure to deal directly with Instabill to establish an account and to avoid possible middle man fees.
Account Service: Instabill provides customers with phone support Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm EST. They also offer live chat and email support. If your business needs support after hours, a representative contacts you the next business day. In other words, merchants need to remember time zones when contacting Instabill by phone. Instabill accepts international calls, and merchants also can use the merchant support page on their website.
As part of our review process, we try to test merchant account service companies' claims by placing test calls and working through the customer service process.
3/4/2015; TIME: 1:30 pm EST
Call to Customer Support
I had plenty of questions for Instabill, mainly centered on contracts, rates, and features this company might offer. A receptionist answered my call on the second ring and patched me through to sales. Sales happened to be Jason Field, the owner. Jason is from the U.K., so he spoke with a British accent; but, I was able to understand him completely.
He answered all my questions about the company, although he didn't elaborate on a lot of issues. Basically, however, I feel that any high-risk merchant might feel at home with Instabill if he or she can live with the limited hours for support and the nebulous fee situation. Basically, the deal comes down to this: Each account will be different, depending upon the type of business the merchant owns. It's up to the merchant to know and understand this situation and to be able to ask a lot of questions and get answers that are in writing.
In other words, read your contract thoroughly before signing.
We scoured the web to find past and current customer complaints about this processor. Then, we investigated those complaints that seemed legit, and provide our verdict on how well the processor handled the issues. We found few complaints about Instabill, and most of them seemed to come from the same person in different formats and venues. Instabill did respond to some of the complaints, and even responded to the "anonymous" complainer who was using the same complaint over and over (with the same typos) on various websites.
COMMON CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
This was the sole complaint about this company.
Instabill is up front about their "Rolling Reserve Fund." While this may account for some fund withholding, we understand from Instabill responses to complaints that some merchants need to pay attention to their accounts, especially considering merchants are dealing with Instabill's processes as well as any acquiring bank regulations. Finally, there are those merchants who are selling illegal merchandise or services. There IS a limit to what Instabill will allow in their high-risk card processing.
COMMON CUSTOMER COMPLIMENTS
Many of the reviews we read raved about the great support they received.
High-risk merchants need to understand that they need to be honest about their businesses. Only then can a high-risk credit card processor help you. It appears that many merchants have discovered that Instabill does offer personable and personalized service. It's up to the merchant to learn how to communicate with their credit card processors, especially in a high-risk business environment.
WHO IT'S GOOD FOR:
WHO IT'S NOT GOOD FOR:
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| Customer Service | |
| Customer Reviews |
| Setup Fee | $500.00 |
|---|---|
| Monthly Fee | $50.00 |
| PCI Compliance Fee | $0.00 |
| Online Reporting Fee | $0.00 |
| Batch Fee | $0.00 |
| Gateway Fee | $0.00 |
| Chargeback Fee | $25.00 |
| Termination Fee | $0.00 |
| Contract Length | Varies |
DISCLOSURE: Advertising, Affiliate and Conflicts of Interest: Merchant Negotiators accepts advertising via the Google Adsense platform, directly from advertisers, and has common parent ownership interests with other payments related companies leading to conflicts of interest. Read our Affiliate / Conflicts / Advertising Disclosure for a more detailed disclosure.
About the Reviews: These reviews, and for that matter any reviews, are inherently subjective, and should be regarded as our opinion, not as a statement of fact. Selecting a merchant services provider is an important decision, and we urge you to use no single source of information as the basis of that decision.
About the Pricing: This pricing is an estimate based on limited available information. In some cases, the Processors' pricing information was provided directly by the company, in others, we obtained it from public information, through calls to the company, or through past or current clients of the company. Where, despite these efforts, we were unable to obtain any information about certain fees, we used estimates based on similar providers in the industry. While we're working, in some cases, with the company directly to get more accurate pricing, even in those circumstances, we can't guarantee the pricing's accuracy. Complicating all of this, is that for some companies individual salespeople are given authority to modify terms on a deal by deal basis. In any case, if you know of an error, please let us know and we'll fix it.
About the Calculations: With respect to your estimated savings, this is based on a lot of factors and some hard math. The reason we do it, along with the "Actual Gross Rate" calculation is that every Processor prices their product differently (e.g. interchange v. 3 tier v. 4 tier v. flat v. membership, etc.) and some make it intentionally complicated or opaque. Trying to convert their pricing structure to a consistent "Overall Cost of Processing" is the only way you, the merchant, can do an apples to apples pricing comparison and know whether an offer is actually a good deal. Our system isn't perfect but we're trying.
Conclusion: In sum, these rankings, ratings, and scores are inherently subjective, and should be regarded as our opinion and not as a legal statement of fact. Moreover, use these prices and estimates at your own risk, and make sure to verify the pricing you see here in any formal contract you receive. Finally, if you do find something wrong in our pricing, terms, etc., tell us and we'll try to fix it.
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