MatchRate Plus Review: Fees, Comparisons, Complaints, & Lawsuits

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How did they treat you? ▼

Note: As of 2023, it appears that MatchRate Plus is out of business. We are unable to find any evidence of activity from the company since 2019. We will no longer be updating this profile. If you have any evidence that MatchRate Plus is still in business, please let us know in the comments below.

A Referral Service for North American Bancard

MatchRate Plus does not appear to be an actual merchant account provider itself but, instead, a referral engine for North American Bancard. The company’s business model seems to rely heavily on enlisting independent “Referral Agents” to generate leads. These agents are then paid a commission and residual for the leads that turn into accounts. MatchRate Plus also promotes that it gives 25% of the commission and residual that it receives from North American Bancard back to each merchant it signs in the form of a monthly rebate.

MatchRate Plus Payment Processing

Aside from directly paying agents to sell its service, the company appears to operate several websites designed to market to potential referral agents and merchant leads. There also appears to be a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) component in which Referral Agents that refer other agents can earn income from their referred accounts. This may also be the reason that numerous websites exist to promote MatchRate Plus.

MatchRate Plus Ownership & Location

Reports state that MatchRate Plus was founded in 2010 and is headquartered at 4888 Davis Blvd, Naples, FL 34104. However, the BBB lists the company at 9045 Strada Stell Ct STE 106 Naples, FL. Gary “Clay” Fishman is listed as the CEO of MatchRate Plus.

MatchRate Plus Review Table of Contents

  • Costs & Contract: MatchRate Plus appears to offer a month-to-month contract through North American Bancard with a variable early termination fee.
  • Complaints & Service: MatchRate Plus complaints number fewer than 10 on public complaints forums.
  • BBB Rating: MatchRate Plus has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 0 complaints in the past 3 years.
  • Sales & Marketing: MatchRate Plus hires independent sales representatives but has not received any complaints about its sales practices.
MatchRate Plus payment processing
MatchRate Plus is a referral program for North American Bancard

MatchRate Plus Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints <10
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint N/A

Commonly Cited Complaints

Many MatchRate Plus complaints report difficulty resolving problems and no cooperation from North American Bancard prior to filing a public complaint. The commonly reported problems are agents using deceptive sales tactics, hidden and surprise MatchRate Plus fees, sudden increases in fees shortly after service begins, nondisclosure of the service length agreement, and nondisclosure of the early termination fee. Nearly all of these problems can be traced back to agents who fail to verbally disclose important terms of the contract. We hold providers responsible for their agent’s actions since the provider enforces the terms and conditions of the contract and sets the policies by which agents can sell their services. North American Bancard’s customer support falls way short of our standard for the top-rated customer service merchant accounts. If you have your own MatchRate Plus review to make, please do so in the comments below.

MatchRate Plus Lawsuits and Fines

We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against MatchRate Plus. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.

MatchRate Plus Customer Service Options

It appears that North American Bancard handles customer support for all accounts referred to it by MatchRate Plus. Therefore, we are giving MatchRate Plus the same grade as North American Bancard in this section. North American Bancard has a moderate-to-high number of complaints filed online, many of which are filed with the Better Business Bureau and the comment section of the company’s review on this website. The company appears to be diligent in responding to and attempting to resolve public complaints; however, North American Bancard would fare much better in its review if it did a better job of preventing the problems that are causing the complaints.

We have located a single MatchRate Plus customer service phone number:

(800) 518-9776 – Toll-Free Customer Service

Considering MatchRate Plus’ reliance on North American Bancard for its customer service, we award the company a “D” in this category.

MatchRate Plus Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
Total Complaints 0
Resolved Complaints 0

No BBB Complaints

As of this review, MatchRate Plus is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau but has an “A+” rating nevertheless. The company has received 0 complaints in the last 36 months. We also did not locate many other MatchRate Plus complaints outside of the BBB. It should be noted that since MatchRate Plus does not appear to provide or manage the merchant accounts it sends to North American Bancard, any complaints about its processing services would likely be filed under North American Bancard’s profile.

MatchRate Plus vs. North American Bancard

It is difficult to know exactly how to split the difference between the two companies’ BBB reports; in this case, we will agree with MatchRate Plus’s rating of an “A”.

MatchRate Plus Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Swiped Rate 1.00% - 4.99%
Keyed-in Rate 1.00% - 4.99%
Early Termination Fee $295+
PCI Compliance Fee $79
Equipment Lease Terms $39 Per Month

Partnered With an “F” Provider

MatchRate Plus refers merchants to North American Bancard, a credit card processor whose contract terms we have graded as an “F.” North American Bancard’s standard contract is a 36-month agreement with a Liquidated Damages Early Termination Fee and a variety of (often undisclosed) monthly fees. MatchRate Plus contract terms can leave merchants on the hook for thousands of dollars when they attempt to cancel service. They are not at all competitive with the cheapest merchant accounts available.

Slightly Better Than NAB

We have upgraded the company’s rating to a “D” in this section because MatchRate Plus advertises a 25% monthly rebate, some early termination fee support, and month-to-month contracts through North American Bancard. There are no publicly available MatchRate Plus complaints that challenge these claims, but merchants are advised to exercise caution with regard to how a MatchRate Plus referral agent markets the services of North American Bancard. Generally speaking, MatchRate Plus’s use of North American Bancard for its processing should be a major deterrent for most merchants when it comes to contract terms. We encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant services.

MatchRate Plus Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Employs Independent Resellers Yes
Advertises Deceptive Rates No
Discloses All Important Terms No

No Sales Complaints

MatchRate Plus is, essentially, a complex referral network established by North American Bancard. It does not appear to misrepresent its rates or contract terms, and we are currently unable to locate any complaints by merchants that mention its sales team. In fact, most of the MatchRate Plus reviews we are able to locate are glowing testimonials from its current and former partners. This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.

North American Bancard’s Sales Reputation

We should specify that while MatchRate Plus itself does not appear to engage in any deceptive advertising strategies, its processor, North American Bancard, has a severely low grade of “D” in this category. We have decided to grade the two entities separately in the interest of fairness, but merchants should be warned that once they are referred by a MatchRate Plus agent to North American Bancard, they will be dealing with a company that has a very poor track record when it comes to agent disclosure and representation of contract terms. If you suspect that North American Bancard is charging you hidden fees, we recommend a third-party statement audit to eliminate undisclosed charges.

Our MatchRate Plus Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

An Average, Possibly Defunct Processor

MatchRate Plus does not appear to be a deceptive referral network, but its affiliation with North American Bancard severely lowers its overall rating. Generally speaking, agents involved with the program seem pleased with the way it is structured, but given North American Bancard’s contract terms, marketing tactics, and complaint record, the merchants referred by these agents are not likely to be satisfied with their processing services. Merchants will be better served by a top-rated payment processor.

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Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did MatchRate Plus Treat You?

11 User Reviews

  • Jim Licitri

    I am a small business owner and have 2 merchant accounts through MatchRate Plus. As the logo states, “powered by North American Bancard“, which means they are the credit card processing company. MatchRate Plus sent me to North American Bancard and they did the rate comparisons and sent me my free terminals all programmed and ready to go. All I had to do is literally plug them into my telephone line. I checked both companies out. North American Bancard has an A+ BBB rating and MatchRate Plus has an A-. I have spoken with both companies on a couple occasions and had a positive experience. My MatchRate Plus agent that contacted me in person asked me a simple question. “If I can lower your rates and get you cash back every month, can I earn your business?” They did exactly that and that is why I am a customer. I have been through several merchant service companies in the past 10 years and everything I disliked about them is why I love MatchRate Plus. Kudos to both North American Bancard and MatchRate Plus.

  • Dennis Graves

    I would have to agree with most of the reviews here.

    It does take a long time to generate a sizable monthly income so don’t think you are going to get rich quick. One of the ways to build your monthly income is to grow your own Referral Agent Organization and get paid monthly from their efforts as well. I am currently making more money from my Agent Organization’s Referrals than from the merchants I personally referred. I also provide a lot of extra tools to Agents that join my Team so I might be having better luck than most Agents.

    Don’t rely on this program for enough income right away to quit your day job. You need to build your MRP business “on the side” until you have a decent monthly residual coming in. This will take some time, and you need to build your Referral Agent Organization at the same time.

    The program is free and will continue to grow even after you stop working it if you build your Agent team also. Some of the commissions can be pretty small depending on the amount processed by the business, some of them can also be a decent size. When I am talking with potential Referral Agents I compare it to having gumball vending machines all across the country.

  • David

    I have been a referral agent with MatchRate PLUS for about a year now. I have had a great experience with them. Their referral agent program is 100% free to join, so I don’t see how anyone could legitimately claim there’s any ripoff, or even risk, with joining this company. I’ve wasted a lot of money, precious time, and pieces of my soul in other business ventures; I’ve hardly sunk a penny and very little time into this one.

    They do encourage buying business cards, flyers, and post cards through Vistaprint, as they’ve established a relationship to have Vistaprint print these items for an extremely low cost–e.g., the post cards are $18.74 for 100. These are sales tools that are helpful for promoting the merchant account offer to local businesses. However, I’ve yet to buy one of these sales tools, though I have been intending to for a long time now, but no one’s ever tried to coerce me into buying them. Whether Dowe Kaufman gets a commission from Vistaprint, I don’t know; but I couldn’t imagine it would amount to very much nor would I even care.

    So, in my year I’ve hardly put any effort into my MatchRate PLUS referral business and have referred just a couple of merchants so far. However, I earn a residual income of around $17 per month (plus the $50 one-time signup bonus for each referred merchant). I’m not getting rich–yet–but neither do I have to service these accounts. It’s like I’m getting a free $17 every month for doing absolutely nothing. I can’t complain one bit, and that money would even pay for my sales tools. As well, in the two live trainings I’ve attended, Dowe and others stressed that no one’s going to get rich quick. Although, I’ve seen that those who put the time into working this business have yielded commensurate results.

    I intend to get serious with my MatchRate PLUS referral business this year. If I’m already making $17 every month by putting in virtually zero effort, I’m excited to find out what the results will be when I actually put some real effort into it.

  • John Hardin

    MatchRate Plus is a ripoff. Dowe Kaufman misleads everyone about your income potential. He tries to get you to order supplies at the beginning because he makes a cut out of that also. The sales reps at North American Bancard cherry pick the leads and put very little effort into selling the customers that you refer to them. They actually close less than 10% of all referrals. This is a total waste of time.

    • Tom

      Hey John,

      Do you have any knowledge of the cherry picking,or can back it up.

      I only ask out of curiosity, because I don’t know if they have anything to do with the sale
      of the account, and I’ve heard that the “close rate” was fairly good.

      Tom

  • daniel funk

    This company does conduct business on the up and up with their referral agents. Had a friend go with them and was an installation disaster. the compensation is a rip. Merchant does several thousand dollars monthly with our commission based on a 45 days batching period. This merchant can do anywhere from 8- 15k in a 45 day period! My compensation was $2.05 are you kidding me ! They claim that there profit is low but we never are privy to that amount . That’s pennies on the dollar! do not waste your time!

  • Matched Rate

    Phillip,

    Great review. One minor change I would suggest is that MRP is not an MLM company. They are a multi-tier Affiliate program. With MLM programs, there is a fee to join, and part of that fee is then paid to the upline. Here, MRP operates just like any other affiliate program that you see on Amazon.com, WalMart.com, and hundreds of thousands of others. The only difference is that they do pay down several levels, which helps you build up a residual income. This model has been used by many hosting companies over the years as well.

    Additionally, merchant services is an extremely regulated industry – everything needs to be up and up and run by more legal departments and lawyers than most can imagine. It is a legitimate business for those looking to build a part-time income. It takes time, just like any other business and many of us do this on the side in addition to other businesses or our jobs to supplement our income. It’s as easy as dropping off a flyer when you are out and about to your dry cleaners, gas stations, restaurants, etc. Just word of mouth marketing – but being compensated for it, which is always nice.

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