Phoenix Merchant Services Review
Updated 2/25/2019: Phoenix Merchant Services’s website (merchantservicesmx.com) is currently for sale and it no longer appears to be an operational business. Its alternate website (phoenixlegalsupportny.com) is no longer available, nor is the website of its DBA, Centaurus Holdings, Inc. Though Phoneix Merchant Services is listed as an “active” business with the state of New York, merchants should be aware the the company could be winding down its operations. We will therefore not update this review at this time but continue to monitor the company’s status.
Phoenix Merchant Services (merchantservicesmx.com, phoenixlegalsupportny.com), also known as “Phoenix Legal Support,” is a merchant account provider based in Brooklyn, New York. The company’s name and exact specialty can be confusing due to its different DBAs and websites, but it has separate names because its founder, Alexander Mirvis, offers legal consulting as well as IT services. For this reason, Phoenix Merchant Services and Phoenix Legal Support should be considered the same entity. Phoenix Merchant Services is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Walnut Creek, California, and of BMO Harris Bank N.A., Chicago, Illinois. The company is headquartered at 8734 23rd Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11214.
Key Points
- Sales & Marketing: Phoenix Merchant Services does not appear to hire independent sales agents and has not received any complaints about its sales practices.
- Costs & Contract: Phoenix Merchant Services offers a month-to-month contract with no early termination fee.
- Complaints & Service: Phoenix Merchant Services has received fewer than 10 public complaints.
- BBB Rating: Phoenix Merchant Services does not have a profile with the Better Business Bureau at this time.
- Rates & Fees: How Merchants Got The Best Rates With Phoenix Merchant Services
Phoenix Merchant Services Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
Key Points |
|
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | <10 |
| Live Customer Support | Unknown |
| Most Common Complaint | N/A |
We cannot find any negative Phoenix Merchant Services reviews, which is a good indication that the company is not a scam or a ripoff. Phoenix is also not showing any complaints under its alternate name of “Phoenix Legal Support.” It’s possible that the company’s merchant base is small enough that complaints haven’t filtered out to public forums yet, or that some complaints intended for Phoenix are mistakenly filed against its backend processor. However, there is no evidence that this is actually occurring. Given the company’s clean complaint record, we have assigned it an “A” rating at this time. Phoenix provides a phone number on its website, but it’s unclear whether this line can be used for customer support.
Phoenix Merchant Services Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
The Better Business Bureau does not maintain a profile for Phoenix Merchant Services at this time. Phoenix Legal Support does have a BBB profile, which is currently showing an “A+” rating, but this profile does not appear to field complaints about Phoenix Merchant Services. We therefore will not factor a BBB rating into this review.
Phoenix Merchant Services Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
Key Points |
|
|---|---|
| Swiped Rate | Variable |
| Keyed-in Rate | Variable |
| Early Termination Fee | None |
| PCI Compliance Fee | $79 Per Year |
| Equipment Lease Terms | Variable |
Phoenix Merchant Services discloses most of its rates and fees on its website, and a company representative has stated in the comment section below that the rates shown are its standard terms. The full breakdown of fees and contract terms is as follows:
Check/Debit Cards: 0.05% + $0.09 (Above Interchange) (Visa/MasterCard/Discover) or Lower depending on how much you process.
Credit Cards: 0.05% + $0.09 (Visa/Master Card/Discover)
American Express Credit: 0.39% + $0.19
Debit Network Access $0.09
Voice Auth. Fee: $1.00
AVS (per trans) $0.09
Retrieval Fee $5.00MONTHLY FEES:
Monthly Service Fee: $5.00
Paper Statement Fee: $2.50 (Optional)
Monthly Minimum: $0.00ANNUAL FEES:
Annual Fees: $0.00
PCI-DSS Compliance Fees: $79.00 (Annual or Quarterly)OTHER FEES:
Chargeback Fee $35.00
Per Batch $0.25
Early Termination Fee $0.00
Taken as a whole, these contract terms are highly competitive for the industry. There are no merchant complaints related to Phoenix’s pricing or contract terms, so these numbers appear to be accurately quoted. Even so, merchants should be sure to request and review all relevant documentation, including any long-term equipment leases. Given the information we have right now, we will assign the company an “A” rating in this category.
Phoenix Merchant Services Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
Key Points |
|
|---|---|
| Employs Independent Resellers | No |
| Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | Yes |
Phoenix Merchant Services primarily markets its services via web advertising, social media, and a small sales team. There is no evidence at this time to suggest that the company employs a large team of independently contracted sales agents, and we cannot find any Phoenix Merchant Services complaints that accuse the company of deceptive marketing tactics. The company appears to be relatively modest in size and likely has a small sales team.
Phoenix advertises interchange-plus pricing on its website. The company quotes a rate of interchange plus 0.05% plus $0.09 per transaction for new merchants but states that its markup above interchange can go even lower than 0.02% plus $0.09. The company’s website also includes a list of all of its other fees. A company representative has stated that all fees disclosed on the site are accurate and can be even lower than advertised for businesses processing over $100,000 per month. Even so, prospective merchants should be sure to inquire about all potential fees before signing up.
Our Phoenix Merchant Services Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Phoenix Merchant Services rates as a reliable merchant services provider according to our rating criteria. The company has not received any complaints in public forums under either of its DBAs, and it advertises highly competitive rates and fees. Even when dealing with an “A” rated provider, merchants should be sure to fully read their contracts.
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Jeffrey Flamming
I own a small restaurant in FL. I saw a lot of advertisements for “low rates” credit card processing and processed with some over the years. Those companies advertise “low rates” but have a lot of hidden fees and wound up paying more. By chance I came across Phoenix Merchant Services and I was in shock. From the get go, all of their rates are openly displayed on their website and my bills came out to exactly what was advertised and my rates don’t go up like the other companies secretly do every year. Been with them for 2 years and very happy. I now pay a fraction of what I used to with other companies.Thanks!!
CPO
Hi Jeffrey,
Please reply to this comment with your business name and location in order to authenticate your testimonial. Thanks!
Alexander Mirvis
Can you please update my rates?:
PER TRANSACTION FEES:
Check /Debit Cards: 0.05% + $0.09 (Above Interchange) (Visa/Master Card/Discover)
Credit Cards: 0.05% + $0.09 (Visa/Master Card/Discover)
American Express Credit: 0.45% + $0.25
Debit Network Access $0.09
Voice Auth. Fee: $1.00
AVS (per trans) $0.09
Retrieval Fee $5.00
MONTHLY FEES:
Monthly Statement Fee: $7.50 (Waived if you process over $50,000 per month or Veteran Owned Business)
Monthly Minimum: $0.00
ANNUAL FEES:
Annual Fees: $0.00
PCI-DSS Compliance Fees: $80.00 (Annual or Quarterly)
OTHER FEES:
Chargeback Fee $35.00
Per Batch $0.25
Early Termination Fee $0.00
Alexander Mirvis
PCI: We have managed to negotiate the PCI Fee to $85 from $95 per year. Our ultimate goal is to completely get rid of the fee. Working on it.
Amex & Discover: Forgot to mention but we have the lowest rates for Amex and Discover in case someone missed out.
Sales practice: We do not use telemarketers. We have in-house processing team. We do not make any outbound calls. Majority of our clients come from Social Media Campaigns, Organic Results, etc. We also receive a lot of referrals. Hence zero sales complaints. Another factor is our application package. We only offer one rate (generally). Unless you’re processing $100,000. If that is the case, you may call for a rate analysis on how much lower we can go. We can go as low as 0.0101%. If you’re processing bellow $100,000 you can just download the application, submit and get result in 24-48 hours. We do not “Sell.” Our rates and Services speak louder than our words.
Like I have mentioned before, I have managed to cu-off a lot off middle guys and assumed 100% in order to provide such affordable service without compromising on the quality of service and still provide Live 24/7 US Based Support where we typically answer a support call within 3-4 rings.
PS. PCI-DSS Fees is a corporate scheme. We’re fighting really hard to get rid of it completely. There are federal and state laws, which should be in place in order to regulate on how credit cards are stored. We strongly believe that clients shouldn’t pay this crazy fee just to fill out a form, which no one really enforces. It is technically up to the federal government to monitor safe and secure sales practice and the processors. Not to mention, payment processors should inherently maintain their data secure.
Alexander Mirvis
Correct Information: We have full disclosure of fees. We now only offer 0.05% + $0.09. Above interchange for Visa and Master Card. If you process over $100,000 we offer much lower rates. We know it seems too good to be true, but the fact is, we just cut a lot of middle guys and have minimal overhead. These rates are factual and full disclosure could be found here: