The Southern Institute Review

Variable Contract Terms

The Southern Institute does not disclose its pricing to the public, and there are no complaints that mention specific rates or fees charged by the company. As a high risk payment processor, it’s likely that the company’s contract terms will vary dramatically depending on each merchant’s business type, location, and processing history. The Southern Institute offers payment processing equipment, but it is possible that this equipment may come with a long-term lease. Merchants are advised to purchase their own equipment whenever possible to avoid getting locked into long-term, non-cancellable equipment leases.

High Risk, High Fees

High risk merchants who sign up with The Southern Institute should expect to pay higher-than-average fees, and they may also be subject to cash reserves on their accounts. This is standard practice within the industry due to the elevated risk of chargebacks that many high risk merchants pose. High risk merchants can reduce their risk of fund holds and chargebacks by being open and transparent with The Southern Institute about their business type and product lineup from the start.

The Southern Institute CBD Pricing

High Risk Merchant Solutions, a partner company of The Southern Institute, has previously offered CBD payment processing with no contract or monthly minimum fee, and it is possible that The Southern Institute offers similar terms. However, given Elavon‘s recent purge of all of its CBD accounts, so The Southern Institute may offer different CBD contract terms at this time.

No Red Flags

We cannot find any The Southern Institute complaints related to the company’s pricing, and there’s no reason to believe that the company’s merchants are dissatisfied with their pricing at this time. It is possible that The Southern Institute offers a wide range of potential contract types, so merchants should understand how to spot undesirable terms in their contract.

No Public Complaints

We are unable to locate any negative The Southern Institute reviews, which is a good sign that the company isn’t a ripoff or a scam. The Southern Institute has only been active for under three years, but it is a positive sign to see that it has maintained such a clean complaint record. We will interpret this lack of merchant complaints as evidence that the company is operating ethically.

The Southern Institute Lawsuits

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

The Southern Institute Customer Support Options

The Southern Institute does not list any customer support contact information on its website. This falls short of the minimum level of service that we expect from top-rated payment processors for great customer service, but it appears to serve the company’s merchants well.

No Profile Available

The Better Business Bureau does not maintain a profile for The Southern Institute at this time. We therefore will not factor a BBB rating into this review.

Inside Sales Team

The Southern Institute appears to rely on an in-house sales team and referral partners to market its services. Despite the fact that the company may employ independently contracted sales agents, we have not found any The Southern Institute sales complaints that mention deceptive conduct. We will therefore assume for the time being that the company’s sales approach is transparent and ethical.

No Deceptive Rate Quotes

The Southern Institute does not list any misleading rate quotes or unrealistic guarantees in its official marketing materials. If you suspect that a The Southern Institute sales agent has misled you about your rates, you can double-check your monthly bill with a third-party statement audit.