Dharma Merchant Services Review

Dharma Merchant Services appears to utilize its client network, its website, and community outreach efforts to market its services. There is no indication that the company partners with independent sales entities at this time. Additionally, the Dharma Merchant Services website actively promotes Interchange-plus pricing and lists the company’s full fee schedule for anyone to view. We cannot find any complaints about Dharma’s sales approach at this time; we therefore award the company an “A” rating in this category.

Dharma Merchant Services advertises Interchange-plus pricing (interchange plus 0.25% + $0.10 per transaction for in-store payments, interchange plus 0.35% + $0.15 per transaction for e-commerce payments, and interchange plus 0.20% + $0.07 for restaurants) and no long-term service agreements. The company claims to charge a $10 monthly fee that includes PCI compliance, and there is a $25 account closure fee upon termination of service. Dharma is best suited for merchants processing over $10,000 per month, so the company will refer most merchants processing below that to another provider. Interchange-plus pricing is the most transparent pricing model available, and the company’s additional fees appear to be well below industry averages. These figures, coupled with the general absence of complaints regarding the standard Dharma Merchant Services contract, merit an “A” rating according to our criteria.

We are currently unable to locate any Dharma Merchant Services complaints that accuse the company of being a ripoff or a scam. There are only a handful of complaints to be found against the company across all consumer protection websites, and most of these complaints either state that their applications were rejected by Dharma or vaguely describe “bad” experiences. Nearly all of the available online reviews about Dharma are positive testimonials. This generally spotless complaint record is likely a product of the company’s transparent marketing and rate structure, but an effective customer support staff might also play a large role. Dharma’s website provides an email form and designated local and toll-free customer support phone numbers.

Dharma Merchant Services has been an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau since 2010 and has received an “A+” rating as of this review. Only one complaint has been filed against the company regarding an issue with billing or collection. In this case, the merchant processed an amount that exceeded their account’s processing limits, which resulted in the transaction being withheld. The complainant ultimately received their funds and reported the issue as successfully resolved. Considering the company’s complaint total and resolution ratio, we agree with the BBB‘s rating at this time.