Schmooze, Inc. Review: Fees, Complaints & Lawsuits
A Nationwide Payment Solutions Reseller
Schmooze, Inc., founded in 2001, is a merchant account provider for businesses ranging from retail stores, hotels, and restaurants to e-commerce businesses. Schmooze, Inc. is a reseller of credit card processing services supplied by Nationwide Payment Solutions.
Schmooze, Inc. Payment Processing
Schmooze, Inc. processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include EMV readers and card swipers, POS solutions from posnow, mobile solutions, and access to virtual terminals and payment gateways (Authorize.Net and PayTrace).
Schmooze, Inc. Location & Ownership
The company is headquartered at 2536 Eastern Blvd., Suite 456, York, Pennsylvania 17402. Nationwide Payment Solutions is a registered ISO/MSP of Deutsche Bank AG, New York, and Ryan Wert is listed as the president of Schmooze, Inc.
Schmooze, Inc. Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
Total Online Complaints | <10 |
---|---|
Live Customer Support | Yes |
Most Common Complaint | N/A |
Parent Company Complaints
We are currently unable to locate many Schmooze, Inc. complaints, but we did find roughly 8 complaints filed against Schmooze’s closely affiliated parent company, Nationwide Payment Solutions. Some of these Schmooze, Inc. complaints accuse the company of being a scam or ripoff. A few of these complaints appear to have been filed by a group of former employees who claim to have been denied the residuals they earned, but these cases have been rebutted sufficiently enough by the company for us to discount them at this time. Around five additional complaints were filed by merchants. One merchant complaint expresses frustration with nondisclosure of the company’s mandatory PCI compliance policy, while another merchant appears to be confused about the duration of his contract. If you have your own Schmooze, Inc. review to make, please do so in the comments below.
Schmooze Lawsuits
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Schmooze. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
Schmooze Customer Service Options
Given the fact that the above problems seem to be limited to Nationwide Payment Solutions, we will not penalize Schmooze for the actions of its parent company.
We have located multiple Schmooze, Inc. customer service numbers:
(717) 246-8896 – General Customer Service
(717) 417-2536 – Fax
Schmooze, Inc. offers a customer support form on its website as well as two customer service emails, which are:
Tech Support: [email protected]
General: [email protected]
For Schmooze’s size and time in business, its low complaint volume leads us to believe that the company offers generally forthright contract terms and responsive customer support. Still, Schmooze does not rank with our top-rated merchant account providers for customer service.
Schmooze, Inc. Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
Total Complaints | 0 |
---|---|
Resolved Complaints | 0 |
No BBB Complaints
Though Schmooze is not an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau, it presently holds an “A+” rating. The complaint resolution log shows 0 merchant issues within 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 would not be subject to verification by the BBB.
An “A” Performance Overall
Given the company’s clean BBB profile, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time, but merchants should be aware that there is reason to be skeptical of the BBB’s reviews.
Schmooze, Inc. Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
Swiped Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
---|---|
Keyed-in Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
Virtual Terminal Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
Payment Gateway Fee | Up to $25 Per Month |
Batch Fee | Up to $0.15 |
Set Up Fee | $125 |
Annual Fee | $69 |
Regulatory Reporting Fee | $12 |
Support Fee | $10 Per Month |
Early Termination Fee | $250 Or $500 (Waived With 60 Days Notice) |
PCI Compliance Fee | $9 Per Year |
Equipment Lease Terms | Undisclosed |
Termination Policy
Schmooze, Inc. appears to resell an unaltered Nationwide Payment Solutions contract to its merchants. This agreement offers standard industry pricing that is subject to variation depending on a merchant’s size, business type, and time in business. It also includes a unique termination policy by which a merchant can cancel service at any time and avoid a termination fee so long as notice is provided 60 days in advance. Failure to give proper notification or to serve out the remaining 60 days of the contract results in payment of an early termination fee of either $250 or $500. However, according to the company’s website, the company will waive this Schmooze, Inc. fee if a merchant provides the company 60-days notice.
Nationwide Payment Systems also lists an initial setup fee of $125, a monthly minimum fee of $25, an annual fee of $69, a PCI compliance fee of $99 per year, an annual regulatory reporting fee of $12, and a monthly support fee of $10.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, ClearGate also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway through PayTrace as a and Authorize.Net as a payment gateway. However, Schmooze, Inc. rates and fees will depend on which payment gateway a merchant utilizes.
Schmooze Contract Terms
At this time, we have found only 1 online Schmooze, Inc. complaint about the Schmooze, Inc. contract terms, which seems to have resulted from a merchant’s confusion over this policy. Although not competitive with the cheapest merchant accounts, this agreement is only one version of the Nationwide Payment Solutions Merchants contract as sold by Schmooze, and there may be potential for additional savings after negotiation.
Schmooze, Inc. Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
Employs Independent Resellers | No |
---|---|
Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Schmooze Sales Approach
Schmooze appears to market its services through its partnership with Nationwide and through referral programs, and it is unclear at this time whether Schmooze employs independent sales agents. There are currently zero negative Schmooze reviews that mention its sales team.
No Misleading Quotes
The company also does not appear to engage in deceptive advertising strategies in its official materials. If you have had any experience with the Schmooze sales team, please describe that communication in the comment section of this Schmooze, Inc. review. Additionally, if you suspect that Schmooze is charging you undisclosed fees, we recommend seeking an independent statement audit to spot and eliminate hidden charges.
Our Schmooze, Inc. Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
A Solid Option for Most Businesses
Schmooze, Inc. rates as a reliable merchant services provider according to our rating system. The company is showing no complaints online, and most of the complaints filed against its parent company are of dubious veracity. Schmooze appears to offer average pricing but reasonably competitive termination policies. Even when dealing with a highly rated provider, merchants are encouraged to read their agreements carefully, to strongly negotiate terms, and to compare costs to those offered by top-rated credit card processors.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
Archer Hazel
Schmooze, Inc. has been a game-changer for our business! Their top-notch services have transformed the way we communicate with our clients. The team at Schmooze, Inc. is nothing short of exceptional. Their prompt and efficient responses to our inquiries have been invaluable.
With Schmooze, Inc., we’ve experienced seamless integration and reliable support, allowing us to focus on what truly matters: growing our business. Their platform’s user-friendly interface makes navigation a breeze, and we’ve noticed a significant improvement in customer engagement since implementing their solutions.
Whether it’s through their messaging or call services, Schmooze, Inc. has elevated our customer interactions, leaving a lasting impression on our clients. We’re thrilled with the results and can confidently say that partnering with Schmooze, Inc. has been one of the best decisions we’ve made. We look forward to continuing this successful collaboration for years to come!