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Best Merchant Accounts for CPAs

  • Phillip Parker
  • Credit Card Processing
  • February 2, 2022
FTC & Advertising Disclosure

We take great pride in providing one of the only objective an unbiased merchant account review websites on the internet. To support this enormous responsibility we earn some of our revenue through affiliate fees and advertising. These revenues in no way influence our ratings or reviews. Learn more about our monetization policies here. 

Our Top Pick of 2022

helcim logo

Helcim Payments

See Our Helcim Merchant Services Review
  • No Monthly or Annual Fees
  • Super Low Processing Rates
  • POS, Mobile, and Online Payments
View Pricing
Sales & Support:
(888) 506-7812
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

CPAs Can Require Enhanced Payment Processing

As an accountant, you can tell when the numbers just don’t add up — and they rarely add up in the credit card processing industry. Long-term leases that cost thousands of dollars for equipment that can be bought for less than $500? Hundreds of dollars in early termination penalties? Hidden markups on transaction fees? It takes a sharp eye to avoid common contract pitfalls. However, if you can steer clear of excessive costs and long-term leases, there are a number of beneficial payment processing services for CPAs, such as online invoicing, accounting software integration, and virtual terminals.

To help you find the right service for you, we’ve put together the following list of the best merchant accounts for accountants. The companies on this list offer invoicing tools, accounting integration, virtual terminals, and other features that make it easier for you to get paid. More importantly, though, they are also known to provide low-commitment contracts with transparent pricing and quality customer service. To find the right provider for your accounting firm, be sure to research each processor’s products and features and compare their pricing and terms.

Top Picks for Merchant Services for Accountants

host merchant services logo

Host Merchant Services

See Our Host Merchant Services Review
  • Fast approval for most industries
  • No contract or cancellation fees
  • Highly rated customer support
View Pricing
Sales & Support:
(888) 727-4538
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Host Merchant Services is a Newark, Delaware-based merchant account provider that is well-suited for independent CPAs and CPA firms. The company’s products and services include point-of-sale solutions for contractors, online marketing tools, custom third-party software integration, an online payment gateway and virtual terminal, and merchant cash advance. Host Merchant Services specializes in e-commerce businesses and provides a free website and business-class email address to interested merchants. Host is an ideal option for accountants who would like to accept online and in-person payments at a reasonable cost.

Host Merchant Services has received only positive feedback on public forums, with most reviewers singling out the company’s customer service for praise. Host offers interchange-plus pricing with no early termination fees to all of its merchants, meaning that users will enjoy the most transparent pricing model and can cancel service without penalty. The BBB gives Host an “A+” rating, and CPO also gives the company an “A+.”

For more information, visit the Host Merchant Services website or call (888) 727-4538.

host merchant services logo

Contact Host Merchant Services

Website: hostmerchantservices.com
Phone: (888) 727-4538
View Pricing
PaymentCloud Company Logo

PaymentCloud

See Our Full PaymentCloud Review
  • Fast approval for numerous "high-risk" industries
  • Broad product and service offering
  • Highly praised customer support
View Pricing
Sales & Support:
(888) 506-7859
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Based in Woodland Hills, California, PaymentCloud is a merchant account provider that specializes in serving high-risk business types. The company’s products and services include point-of-sale solutions, mobile phone swipers, an online payment gateway and virtual terminal, EMV-compatible terminals, and merchant cash advances. With this kind of flexibility in payment options, PaymentCloud is a good option for CPAs.

PaymentCloud provides a dedicated account rep to all new merchants for the life of the account. The company has not received any negative complaints on consumer forums, and it customizes its pricing according to each merchant’s business type and processing history. The BBB does not maintain a profile for PaymentCloud at this time, but CPO gives the company an “A.”

For more information, visit the PaymentCloud website or call (888) 506-7859.

PaymentCloud Company Logo

Contact PaymentCloud

Website: paymentcloud.com
Phone: (888) 506-7859
View Pricing
cdg commerce logo

CDG Commerce

See Our Full CDG Commerce Review
  • Specialized services for most industries
  • Simple and transparent rates
  • 350+ technology integrations, including Quickbooks
View Pricing
Sales & Support:
(888) 393-1079
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Located in Chesapeake, Virginia, CDG Commerce is another reliable option for CPA firms of all sizes and types. CDG has been privately owned since 1998 and offers a proprietary online payment gateway (as well as a discount on Authorize.Net’s payment gateway), a virtual terminal, QuickBooks integration, mobile phone processing, sales reporting, security breach protection, and vulnerability scanning. CDG Commerce is ideal for accountants who require a simple, low-cost, fully integrated processing solution across all payment channels.

CDG Commerce only charges a low, fixed fee per transaction and offers competitive contractual terms, including no annual fees, monthly minimums, or termination fees. CDG also offers next day funding to most business types. CDG has earned an “A+” rating in our review as well as an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau.

For more information, see the CDG Commerce website or call (888) 393-1079.

cdg commerce logo

Contact CDG Commerce

Website: cdgcommerce.com
Phone: (888) 393-1079
View Pricing

Additional Options

national processing credit card processing logo

National Processing

See Our Full National Processing Review
  • Top-rated choice for businesses that want Clover POS
  • Fast approval and next day deposits
  • Quick equipment deliver and 24/7 support
View Pricing
Sales & Support:
(385) 777-1235
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

National Processing offers several small business processing options and can assist CPAs with identifying the right POS system or virtual terminal for their needs. The company offers two pricing options: one an interchange-plus program or a “zero-fee” program, both of which offer competitively priced rates.

National Processing has a clean reputation with just one complaint filed in the last three years, which is not concerning in nature. Our independent review finds National Processing to be a solid option for most CPAs.

For more information, see the National Processing website or call (385) 777-1235.

national processing credit card processing logo

Contact National Processing

Website: nationalprocessing.com
Phone: (385) 777-1235
View Pricing
shopify logo

Shopify

See Our Full Shopify Review
  • Top rated all-in-one e-commerce platform
  • Serves almost any need from small to enterprise
  • Numerous plug-ins for almost any business need
View Pricing
Sales & Support:
Visit Website
★ ★ ★ ★

Shopify is primarily known as an e-commerce platform for online merchants, but the company also offers a point-of-sale software solution for iPad and iPhone. The Shopify POS app can accept cards via a headphone jack card swiper, or a $129 EMV reader and includes features like inventory syncing with a web store, emailed receipts, automatic tax calculations, basic email marketing, and in-store refunds. These online payment options and the familiarity of the Shopify brand are great for CPA clients who will feel safe and comfortable using the platform.

The Shopify payment service can also be paired with a Shopify online store, which comes with numerous customization options. Shopify POS is a great fit for CPAs who would like to accept payments on-site using their phones as well as through online billing. Shopify has an “A+” rating with the BBB, and we give it an “A+” rating as well.

For more information, visit the Shopify website or call (888) 746-7439.

shopify logo

Sign Up With Shopify

Website: shopify.com

View Pricing
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About The Author

Phillip Parker is a Payments Industry Analyst and creator of this blog, CardPaymentOptions.com. Phillip is passionate about researching merchant service providers and payment industry trends. He is often quoted as an expert source in national publications such as INC Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur, and many others.

“I started this blog because I was disgusted by the business practices of the merchant services industry. I wanted to empower business owners by providing insight on how to avoid shady merchant account providers and costly credit card processing mistakes.” 

Phillip’s Processor Comparisons

Picking a credit card processor can be a headache, but we’ve made it easy. Phillip recommends comparing the best merchant services providers we’ve researched.

Audit Your Merchant Account

When was the last time you had your rates audited by someone who wasn’t also trying to sell you credit card processing services? We support this website by helping business owners understand how to cut their processing costs, either with a new processor or their current one. Learn more.

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How To Sync Payments With QuickBooks

The following merchant services providers offer either direct or indirect integration. Providers with direct integration offer solutions like payment gateways, plugins, or APIs that seamlessly transfer your transaction details and payment history from your merchant account to QuickBooks. Providers with indirect integration…

Read more >>>

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Before You Switch,
Audit Your Costs

Before you switch processors, audit your current processing costs to ensure that you save the most you can possibly save in fees.

Learn How >>>

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