Merchant Advocate Reviews & Complaints
Company Overview
Merchant Advocate is a merchant account contract negotiation service headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. Founded in 2007, the company negotiates on behalf of U.S. businesses to guarantee lower rates and higher quality service without having to switch payment processors. Merchant Advocate does not appear to be affiliated with any specific merchant services provider or acquiring bank, as the company generates revenue by taking a percentage of the savings it produces for each client. The company advertises MLS Club Los Angeles FC, MLB's Boston Red Sox, Outfront Media, Scotts Lawncare, and Harley Davidson as clients it has helped save money on merchant services.
Merchant Advocate's Comprehensive Analysis and Reporting
To achieve these potential savings for a client, Merchant Advocate starts by conducting a comprehensive analysis of a business's current credit card processing expenses. This includes examining the statement line-by-line to identify any areas where the business could be overpaying. The company then provides a detailed report that explains these potential savings to the business owner.
Negotiation and Monitoring Service by Merchant Advocate
Merchant Advocate then negotiates with the existing processor on behalf of the business to lower rates and remove any unnecessary fees. If the negotiation is successful, Merchant Advocate continues to monitor the account to ensure that these savings persist.
Merchant Advocate's No Savings, No Fee Guarantee
The company operates on a “no savings, no fee” basis, meaning that they only charge a fee if they are able to secure savings for the business. This aligns their incentives with those of their clients, and it provides businesses with a risk-free way to potentially lower their credit card processing expenses.
Location & Ownership
Merchant Advocate is located at 281 NJ-34 #101, Colts Neck, New Jersey 07722. Eric Cohen is the CEO and founder of Merchant Advocate.
Merchant Advocate Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
Total Online Complaints | <10 |
---|---|
Live Customer Support | Yes |
Most Common Complaint | N/A |
Recent Lawsuits | No |
Limited Complaints Found
There are only a handful of Merchant Advocate reviews available online currently. One review directly accuses the company of being a scam, although it’s uncertain if the complainant is referring to Merchant Advocate or a similarly named entity, “Merchants Advocates Group,” based in Dallas, Texas. Despite mentioning a partnership with EVO Merchant Services, we found no corroborating evidence online. As such, we consider this incident isolated for now. If you have your own experience with Merchant Advocate, please share it with us in the comments below.
Legal History and Penalties
No class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints have been filed against Merchant Advocate. Clients with grievances who prefer a non-litigious approach can explore reporting their concerns to relevant supervisory organizations.
Customer Support Channels
Merchant Advocate provides phone and email contact information directly serviced by the company, aligning with expectations for top-rated merchant accounts known for excellent customer service. This indicates a positive aspect of Merchant Advocate’s operations.
Merchant Advocate Customer Service Information
- (888) 890-8822 – Toll-Free Support
- (732) 862-1129 – Fax
Other Support Options
- Support form
- Customer service email address at [email protected]
Merchant Advocate Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
BBB Reports | 0 |
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Clean Complaint Record
Merchant Advocate has been an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau since 2008. As of this review, the company has an “A+” rating with the BBB and has had 0 complaints filed against it in the last 36 months. The company has also not received any informal reviews on its BBB profile, although it should be noted that these reviews are not subject to verification by the BBB.
An “A” Performance
Since it is our philosophy that “A” ratings should be reserved for companies with 0 complaints, we agree with the BBB’s rating in this case. However, business owners should note that there are good reasons to be skeptical of BBB ratings.
Merchant Advocate Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
Cancellation Penalties | N/A |
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Monthly & Annual Fees | N/A |
Processing Rates | N/A |
Equipment Leasing | N/A |
Pay a Percentage of What You Save
Merchant Advocate operates on a model where their compensation is derived from a fraction of the savings they achieve for each client monthly. This approach involves negotiating better terms with a client’s existing provider rather than transitioning them to a different service, demonstrating a focus on enhancing current contracts over merely acquiring new sign-ups for a parent entity. Merchant Advocate also commits to ongoing monitoring of a business’s rates throughout the contract term, aiming to prevent any increases in costs by the credit card processor. There is no evidence from reliable sources to suggest that Merchant Advocate fails to fulfill these promises.
Handling the Negotiation For You
For businesses uncertain or inexperienced in negotiating terms, Merchant Advocate offers a valuable service. It’s important for business owners to recognize, though, that Merchant Advocate receives a share of the savings as compensation. This partnership can yield net savings, but with a portion allocated to Merchant Advocate for their negotiation efforts.
Business owners searching for competitive services are advised to explore our curated list of the top merchant services.
Merchant Advocate Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
Uses Independent Resellers | No |
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Telemarketing | Possible |
Misleading Marketing | No |
Discloses All Important Terms | No |
No Sales Complaints
Merchant Advocate appears to primarily market its services through its website, through partnerships with various professional associations, and through traditional advertising. It is possible that Merchant Advocate engages in outbound telemarketing or hires independent agents, but the nature of its “no-switch” business model rules out any possibility of sneaky “slamming” tactics. The company does not list specific details of its assessment or negotiation practices in its official materials. However, there are no client complaints that describe underhanded tactics from Merchant Advocate. This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
No Deceptive Rate Quotes
There is no indication at this time that Merchant Advocate uses high-pressure or deceptive sales tactics to market its services. We will therefore award the company an “A” rating in this section for the time being.
Our Merchant Advocate Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Merchant Advocate rates as a reliable merchant account negotiating service for credit card processing needs according to all available information. As payment for its services, the company appears to collect a portion of the savings it negotiates, leaving the merchant with some net savings. Businesses that feel comfortable negotiating terms themselves may benefit from simply contacting a low-cost merchant account provider on their own.
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Juan Joann
Merchant Advocate has been an absolute game-changer for my business! Their expertise in reducing credit card processing fees has resulted in significant savings for us. As a small business owner, I was always looking for ways to optimize our expenses, and Merchant Advocate delivered exactly what we needed.
Their team was attentive, thorough, and incredibly professional throughout the entire process. They took the time to understand our unique requirements and tailored their solutions accordingly. The best part is that we didn’t have to go through any complicated procedures; they handled everything seamlessly.
I can’t recommend Merchant Advocate enough to fellow business owners who want to streamline their finances. Thanks to them, we’ve been able to reinvest the saved funds back into our company’s growth. It’s been a pleasure working with them, and we’ll continue to trust them with our financial optimization needs in the future.