In this article, we will provide a comprehensive review of CardSmart Merchant Services, a credit card processing company. We will cover the services offered by the company, including merchant accounts, payment gateways, and point-of-sale systems. The review will examine the pricing structures, contract terms, and overall reliability of CardSmart Merchant Services. Additionally, we will assess customer feedback and the quality of support provided. Comparisons with other payment processors in the industry will be included to help you determine if CardSmart Merchant Services meets your business needs. This article aims to provide all the necessary information to make an informed decision.
About CardSmart Merchant Services
Founded in 1989, CardSmart Merchant Services is a payment processing company providing merchant accounts and point-of-sale solutions for retail businesses throughout the United States. The company advertises Clover, pcAmerica, and Retail Management Hero as the POS systems it offers. Business owners should note that they may also find reviews under the name of “Card Smart” Merchant Services. eProcessing Network is also referenced by the company’s website as its chosen payment gateway. This means it is likely that the company resells those services through its POS solutions.
CardSmart Homepage
CardSmart Products and Services
Payment Processing
CardSmart Merchant Services offers payment processing for most major debit and credit cards across various business types. Their services include smart terminals, Clover POS solutions, mobile payments, and access to Shift4 and Authorize.net payment gateways. CardSmart provides omnichannel payment solutions, enabling both in-store and online payments according to business needs.
Integrated Payments
CardSmart offers point-of-sale (POS) systems and countertop terminals, integrated with their gateway for secure credit card transactions.
Transaction Security
CardSmart ensures transaction security through patented tokenization and point-to-point encryption (P2PE).
Mobile Payments
Their mobile payment processing solutions accommodate all payment types and require only internet connectivity to function.
Hosted Payment Page
For businesses that do not need a full shopping cart, CardSmart provides simple solutions for creating and linking hosted payment pages.
Dedicated Reporting Centers
CardSmart’s reporting centers offer real-time overviews of business payments and functionality for transaction management.
Seamless Integrations
CardSmart facilitates integration with various B2B or eCommerce software as an out-of-the-box add-on feature.
CardSmart Merchant Services offers most basic payment processing services
CardSmart Merchant Services Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints
<10
Live Customer Support
Yes
Most Common Complaint
N/A
Recent Lawsuits
No
Low Complaint Total
As noted above, there are only a few CardSmart reviews on this website or other non-BBB consumer protection websites. Common issues include unprofessional conduct by sales agents and excessive fees. Although CardSmart is a smaller merchant account provider, a complaint rate this low seems to suggest that the company provides adequate customer support and prevents internal issues from going public. If you have your own CardSmart Merchant Services review to make, please do so in the comments below.
CardSmart Merchant Services Lawsuits
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against CardSmart Merchant Services. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
CardSmart Merchant Services Customer Support Options
The company lists a general phone line on its website and claims to offer 24/7 phone support for its clients. However, CardSmart is not currently considered to be a top-rated payment processor for customer support.
As of this review, the company is not an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau and has an “A+” rating. CardSmart has had 0 complaints through the BBB in the past three years. It also has not received any informal reviews through the BBB, although it should be noted that these reviews are not subject to verification by the BBB.
No Rating Assigned
In light of the clean profile, we will not factor a BBB rating into this review. Readers should be aware that there are reasons to be skeptical of BBB ratings.
The details surrounding CardSmart Merchant Services’ standard contract are not extensively detailed publicly. One instance of feedback mentions unanticipated additional fees on statements, yet the scarcity of complaints suggests most clients are content with their agreements. CardSmart has historically advertised rates as low as “1.19%,” indicating a preference for tiered pricing structures. The company also utilizes eProcessing Network for some POS solutions, adding its own fees on top of those charged by eProcessing Network, which typically includes a $0.05 per-transaction gateway fee and a monthly fee ranging from $8 to $10.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Services
CardSmart Merchant Services promotes its access to leading payment gateways such as Shift4 and Authorize.net, although specific pricing for these services through CardSmart remains unspecified. Merchants interested in utilizing these gateways should inquire directly for CardSmart’s reseller rates and fees.
Client Satisfaction and Pricing Transparency
Given the limited feedback, CardSmart receives an “A” rating for now, yet it’s uncertain how it compares with the most affordable merchant account options. Businesses considering CardSmart should inquire about all potential fees, including PCI compliance and early termination fees, to fully understand their contract.
For those with direct experiences or additional details about CardSmart’s service terms, including any PCI compliance fees or early termination fees, contributing your insights could be incredibly beneficial to others evaluating CardSmart’s services.
Businesses are encouraged to explore our selection of the best merchant accounts for comparisons that may offer more transparent pricing and terms.
CardSmart provides access to prominent e-commerce solutions, including virtual terminals and payment gateways.
As of this update, it appears that CardSmart utilizes in-house telemarketing and independent sales agents to market its services. We have found two publicly listed CardSmart Merchant Services reviews about the company’s sales team on non-BBB consumer protection websites. One complaint in the comment section of this review describes the following:
The telesales agent made it seem like we had a relationship with them, but when I asked they said we did not. I asked them to put the upgrade offer in writing but she said she could not, but could schedule an in-person interview. We scheduled a date and time and I asked her to send email confirmation, but it never appeared.
Another Google review complains about a sales agent’s unprofessional behavior. However, this review appears to be an isolated incident specific to that agent.
Former Deceptive Rate Quoting
At the time of a previous update, CardSmart’s website both included information about Interchange-plus and featured a deceptive rate quote on its homepage of “Discounted Rates starting at 1.19%.” This rate quote is misleading because it only names the “Qualified” rate that clients will pay, rather than the “Mid-Qualified” or “Non-Qualified” rates that they will see for the majority of their transactions. In light of the fact that this rate quote no longer appears on the company’s website, we have assigned it an “A” rating in this section. Readers should be aware, however, that a third-party statement audit could help them identify and eliminate high rates.
CardSmart Merchant Services Review Summary
CardSmart Merchant Services ranks as a better-than-average credit card processing provider. The company’s low complaint volume is promising, reflecting a relatively positive experience among clients. However, the lack of detailed information on its hiring practices or contract terms means there’s still some uncertainty surrounding its service quality.
In the meantime, we will cautiously assume the best about CardSmart Merchant Services. Nevertheless, we urge readers to carefully review any contracts and terms they receive and to compare them to those of top-rated credit card processors. Being well-informed is key to securing favorable terms and ensuring that CardSmart is the right fit for your business.
Contact CardSmart Merchant Services
Contact & Customer Support
President
Eric Elam
Headquarters
5425 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada 89119
Toll-Free Support
(866) 767-2273
Local Office
(702) 792-2771
Additional Support Channels
Online Contact Form
Website
https://www.cardsmartchoice.com/
Top Performing CardSmart Merchant Services Competitors
Please note that we only suggest providers that adhere to strict ethical standards and offer top performing support at extremely competitive pricing. We may earn revenue if choose one of our recommendations.
Reader Comments, Testimonials & Complaints
1 User Reviews
Konstantin Othmer
Smart Card Merchant Services cold called me and said our business rating had changed and wanted to know whether I wanted to accept an upgrade to our account for better credit card processing fees.
The telesales agent made it seem like we had a relationship with them, but when I asked they said we did not. I asked them to put the upgrade offer in writing but she said she could not, but could schedule an in-person interview. We scheduled a date and time and I asked her to send email confirmation, but it never appeared. Strike 1.
On the date in question, I called the number on the website and reached someone who confirmed there was an appointment and they had my email address wrong. So obviously they don’t know much about my business, and when I said it was a cold sales call, they insisted it was not since they knew our credit rating had improved.
I told her I would be a little late for the meeting since it wasn’t confirmed. I was five minutes late – the rep was 45 minutes late. Strike 2.
During the meeting, the rep would not put anything in writing and proceeded with a number of hard sell / hard close sales gambits. He was vague about details and said I have to commit, they only review accounts once a year and I have to decide now. I told him I needed to talk to my partners and he continued to try to close the sale.
He finally wrote some things on his business card with a *not guaranteed* on it. He said he was not selling me, but rather his goal was to screen me out.
I called the next day and told him we were interested and whether he could send me the contract so we can review the terms and sign. He told me he can only meet in person. Since my partner is in another state, I told him we would be happy to do that but he would have to fly across the country. He said he can’t do that. Strike 3.
We decided the sales process and business practices are too sketchy for us to engage with them. They promise great rates, but won’t put anything in writing and keep saying “it depends”.
While we have not done business with them, they managed to waste a lot of my time and proved to be incompetent with sketchy business practices at best. At least as far as we are concerned, they are out.
It’s strange they behave so unprofessionally. We are currently paying sky-high rates for credit card processing and it appears they can save us a lot of money. But we can’t risk a core part of our business dealing with a vendor who:
1) Has deceptive sales techniques
2) Insists on meeting in person and is 45 minutes late
3) Won’t send a contract to review
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Konstantin Othmer
Smart Card Merchant Services cold called me and said our business rating had changed and wanted to know whether I wanted to accept an upgrade to our account for better credit card processing fees.
The telesales agent made it seem like we had a relationship with them, but when I asked they said we did not. I asked them to put the upgrade offer in writing but she said she could not, but could schedule an in-person interview. We scheduled a date and time and I asked her to send email confirmation, but it never appeared. Strike 1.
On the date in question, I called the number on the website and reached someone who confirmed there was an appointment and they had my email address wrong. So obviously they don’t know much about my business, and when I said it was a cold sales call, they insisted it was not since they knew our credit rating had improved.
I told her I would be a little late for the meeting since it wasn’t confirmed. I was five minutes late – the rep was 45 minutes late. Strike 2.
During the meeting, the rep would not put anything in writing and proceeded with a number of hard sell / hard close sales gambits. He was vague about details and said I have to commit, they only review accounts once a year and I have to decide now. I told him I needed to talk to my partners and he continued to try to close the sale.
He finally wrote some things on his business card with a *not guaranteed* on it. He said he was not selling me, but rather his goal was to screen me out.
I called the next day and told him we were interested and whether he could send me the contract so we can review the terms and sign. He told me he can only meet in person. Since my partner is in another state, I told him we would be happy to do that but he would have to fly across the country. He said he can’t do that. Strike 3.
We decided the sales process and business practices are too sketchy for us to engage with them. They promise great rates, but won’t put anything in writing and keep saying “it depends”.
While we have not done business with them, they managed to waste a lot of my time and proved to be incompetent with sketchy business practices at best. At least as far as we are concerned, they are out.
It’s strange they behave so unprofessionally. We are currently paying sky-high rates for credit card processing and it appears they can save us a lot of money. But we can’t risk a core part of our business dealing with a vendor who:
1) Has deceptive sales techniques
2) Insists on meeting in person and is 45 minutes late
3) Won’t send a contract to review