Increase Your Payment Processing with Virtual Terminals
Virtual terminals are excellent options for merchants who wish to accept credit cards but who don’t want to invest in new equipment or extensive training. Virtual terminals function in a very similar way to conventional credit card swipers, except for the fact that they run on personal computers or laptops by connecting with a secure online payment gateway. This means that any office or front desk with a desktop computer can be converted into a point of sale with just a USB card swiper and a software installation, which eliminates the need for a dedicated phone line. Virtual terminals are just as secure as traditional card swipers, but they often come with additional benefits like sales reporting, multiple user support, third-party software integration, and the ability to recharge cards without the customer present.
Finding the right virtual terminal for your business can be tricky, so we’ve put together a list of the top virtual terminals that we have reviewed. The merchant account providers who sell these virtual terminals are known to offer fair, transparent pricing in addition to excellent customer support, so the odds are good that you can find a solid deal within this group. In addition, each provider will have different features, add-ons, and integrations such as online checkout pages, web hosting, receipt printers, mobile solutions, and QuickBooks integration. In order to secure the best deal and the most appropriate fit for your company, be sure to contact multiple providers on this list.
Top Picks for Virtual Terminal Merchant Services
Host Merchant Services
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Fast approval for most industries
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No contract or cancellation fees
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Highly rated customer support
Host Merchant Services is a Newark, Delaware-based merchant account provider that offers a versatile, proprietary virtual terminal in addition to other web-based services. The company’s Transaction Central virtual terminal is capable of check imaging, ACH processing, recurring payments, wireless processing, batch processing, and multi-location networking. Host also offers point-of-sale systems, online marketing tools, mobile credit card processing, gift and loyalty programs, merchant cash advance, and offshore merchant accounts. Host Merchant Services specializes in e-commerce businesses and provides a free website and email address to interested merchants.
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.
PaymentCloud
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Fast approval for numerous "high-risk" industries
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Broad product and service offering
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Highly praised customer support
Based in Woodland Hills, California, PaymentCloud is a merchant account provider that specializes in serving standard to 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. PaymentCloud provides a virtual terminal that serves both e-commerce and MOTO merchants so that they can easily accept payments remotely outside of a storefront. Furthermore, PaymentCloud can integrate websites with online shopping carts to facilitate sales on any website or mobile app. For these reasons, PaymentCloud is an excellent option for any merchant seeking a virtual terminal provider.
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.
CDG Commerce
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Specialized services for most industries
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Simple and transparent rates
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350+ technology integrations, including Quickbooks
CDG Commerce is a privately owned Chesapeake, Virginia-based merchant account provider that has offered internet processing solutions since 1998. The company’s virtual terminal is offered as part of its Quantum Gateway and includes AVS, recurring billing, tokenized payments, a hosted payment page, Authorize.net emulation, API integration, and ACH processing.
CDG Commerce offers fixed per-transaction fees with month-to-month contracts and no early termination fees. The company has a remarkably low complaint total considering the fact that it has been in business and growing since 1998 and has retained the same ownership during that time. Our review of CDG Commerce gives the company an “A+” rating, and the BBB also gives CDG Commerce an “A+.”
For more information, see the CDG Commerce Website or call (888) 393-1079.
Additional Options
eMerchant Broker
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Maintains numerous banking partners
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Can get approvals for international businesses
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Top-rated in "high-risk" industry satisfaction
eMerchantBroker is a Los Angeles, California-based company that offers high-risk e-commerce processing solutions including access to payment gateways and virtual terminals. The company’s products include credit card processing, ACH processing, an online payment gateway, merchant cash advance, and a chargeback management system to help merchants dispute and resolve chargeback claims.
eMerchantBroker offers custom pricing for each merchant and maintains a low complaint rate relative to its size and merchant portfolio. Our review of eMerchantBroker gives the company an “A” rating overall and the BBB assigns the company a rating of “A+.”
For more information, see the eMerchantBroker website or call (877) 301-3442.
Shopify
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Top rated all-in-one e-commerce platform
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Serves almost any need from small to enterprise
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Numerous plug-ins for almost any business need
Shopify is primarily known as an e-commerce platform for online merchants, though 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 merchants as customers will feel safe and comfortable using the service.
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 merchants 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.
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