MersaTech Review

MersaTech Contract Terms

There is very little specific information available about the standard MersaTech contract at this time. According to several merchant complaints, the company offers a multiyear agreement through First Data. A typical First Data contract includes a swiped rate of 2.69% plus $0.19 and a keyed in rate of 3.69% plus $0.19. Although MersaTech reserves the right to alter these rates as a reseller. According to customer reviews, the company’s pricing structure is met with approval.

We have found a comment by a company representative that asserts that MersaTech offers both Interchange-plus pricing and tiered pricing, but some complainants have reported effective rates higher than those advertised by MersaTech.

In addition to some variable of those rates, the contract includes a PCI Compliance fee/annual fee of over $140, monthly minimum fees over $20, and several other charges. It is unclear whether the company charges an early termination fee (ETF), but First Data contracts typically include an ETF of $495 upon cancellation.

Another aspect of a typical First Data contract to be cognizant of is its equipment lease terms. Many merchants also report non-cancellable, multi-year leases for point-of-sale equipment offered by First Data Global Leasing. The MersaTech website dedicates a huge portion of itself to payment terminals, offering over a dozen choices. However, the terms and conditions of their lease are not advertised as clearly. Generally speaking, First Data will enforce the contract terms set by a reseller which will likely include its expensive equipment lease terms and conditions.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, MersaTech also dedicates a portion of its website that advertises its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. However, pricing on either of those services is not disclosed. Additional rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates typically apply to these e-commerce services.

Lacking Definitive Pricing Information

Overall, the company’s terms may be average for the industry or slightly better than average, but we do not have enough information at this time to draw a definitive conclusion. MersaTech’s pricing could well be very expensive, or they could potentially rival the cheapest merchant accounts. If you have any knowledge of the standard MersaTech contract terms, please leave that information in the comment section of this review.

Low Complaint Total

We have located a handful of negative MersaTech reviews outside of the BBB, and a few of these allege that the company is a scam or a ripoff. Common themes among complainants include deceptive sales tactics, aggressive telemarketing, undisclosed rates and fees, and difficulty cancelling service. MersaTech representatives have responded to some of these complaints in generally professional tones, even though they were unable to resolve the merchants’ issues in some cases. This is a fairly low complaint volume for the company’s size and time in business.

MersaTech Lawsuits

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

MersaTech Customer Support Options

The age of some of the MersaTech complaints makes them less of a concern, but the consistency of the issues cited by complainants is somewhat troubling. MersaTech offers phone and email contact information on its website, but it’s unclear as of this writing whether the company outsources some of its customer service to First Data. We have assigned the credit card processor an “A” in this section, but we do not consider it a top-rated provider for great customer service.

No BBB Complaints

MersaTech has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2005 and currently boasts an “A+” rating with the BBB. The company is showing 0 complaints in the last 36 months. MersaTech also has five informal positive reviews posted to its profile, though it should be noted that these reviews are not subject to verification by the BBB.

What Merchants Say

The company has received 5 informal reviews in lieu of any complaints posted to its BBB profile. Unsurprisingly considering its low complaint total, each of the 5 reviews is positive. The most recent review describes customer service going above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction:

5 star all day! I have used Mersatech fir several years at a high volume medical practice and have always been pleased. Mario has handled problems for me at night and in weekends. Can’t ask for more than that.

Excellent customer service is a hallmark of a top tier merchant account provider and should be an important consideration when choosing services.

An “A” Rating

In light of this information, we agree with the BBB’s overall rating. Merchants should note, however, that there are good reasons to be skeptical of the BBB’s rating system.

MersaTech Sales Complaints

MersaTech appears to market its services through telemarketing and an in-person sales team. It is unclear at this time whether the company’s sales staff is fully employed or composed of independent contractors. We have located two older MersaTech complaints accusing the company’s sales team of nondisclosure of contract terms, misrepresentation of rates, and aggressive, persistent telemarketing tactics. The company’s telemarketing calls are cited by merchants as an especially severe issue. Due to the length of time the has elapsed since these reviews were posted, they will not factor too heavily into MersaTech’s rating.

No Deceptive Advertising

To its credit, MersaTech does not appear to engage in any deceptive advertising strategies in its official materials. That said, we always recommend that merchants consider a third-party statement audit to find and eliminate hidden fees.