Transparent Merchant Services Review | Expert & User Reviews

Name: Transparent Merchant Services
Item: Transparent Merchant Services
Rating: 5
Author: Phillip Parker

By Phillip Parker

Last Updated: December 29, 2022

1 User Comments

Transparent Merchant Services Rating

5/5

Agree with our rating?
Leave a comment below

(623) 920-0231 View Pricing

Budget-Friendly Pricing

Transparent Merchant Services is a merchant account provider based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company offers standard credit card processing solutions for all business types, but what sets it apart from most of its competitors is its unique pricing model. Similar to Payment Depot or BaseRates Merchant Services, Transparent Merchant Services charges merchants a flat monthly rate with a per-transaction fee of interchange plus a fixed dollar amount. This means that Transparent does not keep a percentage of each sale for itself, which could make it appealing for merchants with high average tickets who want the cheapest credit card processing possible.

Transparent Merchant Services Payment Processing

Transparent Merchant Services appears to process most major debit and credit cards. They offer POS solutions through Ingenico, Walker mobile payment equipment, the Poynt 5 terminal, PCI compliance through Conformance, and a payment gateway, though it is unclear which gateway they use.

Transparent Merchant Services Location & Ownership

The Transparent Merchant Services website states that its merchant accounts are provided by Base Commerce, LLC, a registered ISO/MSP of Synovus Bank. The company is located at 1776 N. Scottsdale Rd #845 Scottsdale AZ 85257. Dustin Sparman is listed as a managing partner at Transparent Merchant Services.

Transparent Merchant Services Review Table of Contents

Sales & Marketing: Transparent Merchant Services does not appear to hire independent sales representatives and has not received any merchant complaints about its sales practices.
Costs & Contract: Transparent Merchant Services offers a month-to-month contract with no early termination fee.
Complaints & Service: Transparent Merchant Services complaints number fewer than 10 on public complaints forums.
BBB Rating: Transparent Merchant Services has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 0 complaints in the past 3 years.

Transparent Merchant Services payment processing

Transparent Merchant Services offers standard payment processing services

Transparent Merchant Services Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Key Points
Total Online Complaints	<10
Live Customer Support	Yes
Most Common Complaint	N/A

Clean Complaint Record

We have found very few negative Transparent Merchant Services reviews on the usual consumer protection websites, and there are no suggestions online that the company is a ripoff of any kind. This overall lack of Transparent Merchant Services complaints is a positive indicator that the company provides excellent customer support for its merchants and resolves issues in a timely fashion. If you have your own Transparent Merchant Services complaint to make, please do so in the comments below.

Transparent Merchant Services Lawsuits and Fines

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

Transparent Merchant Services Customer Service

Transparent Merchant Services offers phone support during business hours as well as chat support and email support for its merchants. It also features a small blog on its website with some useful information for merchants.

We have located multiple Transparent Merchant Services customer service numbers:

(623) 920-0231 – Toll-Free General Customer Service
(866) 316-9993 – Fax

Transparent Merchant Services also offers a dedicated email support address at [email protected] as well as live chat support and a support form through its website.

Transparent Merchant Services Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
Total Complaints	0
Resolved Complaints	0

No Complaints

Transparent Merchant Services currently has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and was formerly accredited since June 2014 but no longer is accredited. The company’s BBB profile has only existed since June 2014 as well, but it has not accumulated any formal complaints in that time. There are also no unverified reviews posted about the company in the BBB’s “Reviews” section.

An “A” Performance Overall

Given the company’s clean complaint record, we agree with the BBB’s rating. This strong performance with the BBB is a major reason why we recommend Transparent for dentist merchant accounts, pharmacy merchant accounts, mechanic merchant accounts, and other professional services.

Transparent Merchant Services Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Key Points
Swiped Rate	Interchange Plus $0.09 or $0.15
Keyed-in Rate	Interchange Plus $0.09 or $0.15
Early Termination Fee	None
PCI Compliance Fee	$99 Per Year
Equipment Lease Terms	$9.95 Per Month or Free

Two Plans to Choose From

Transparent Merchant Services offers three pricing plans: Pro and Elite. The Pro plan charges a flat monthly fee of $64.97 and a per-transaction fee of interchange plus $0.15, but it is intended for merchants who process up to 500 transactions per month. The Elite plan comes with a $99.97 monthly fee and a per-transaction fee of interchange plus $0.09, and it’s designed for merchants who process over 500 transactions per month. For merchants who process over $100,000 per month or $1.2 million per year, the company also offers custom Enterprise merchant account pricing.

Month-to-Month, No Termination Fees

Both lower-tier pricing plans come with a month-to-month agreement with no early termination fees or setup fees, but the company does charge a $99 annual PCI Compliance fee on the third billing cycle. The company also offers point-of-sale equipment that can be either rented for $9.95 per month, purchased outright for $249, or given for free to businesses that process over 300 transactions per month. Overall, these Transparent Merchant Services rates are reasonably competitive for the credit card processing industry and very transparent, although merchants will want to run the numbers based on their transaction volumes and the applicable pricing tiers before signing up. We would still encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts and to check their Transparent Merchant Services contract thoroughly.

Transparent 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

Clean Complaint Record

Transparent Merchant Services appears to utilize traditional advertising methods and in-house, W2-employed sales agents to market its services. This tactic is generally preferable to hiring mill strategies because it ensures a greater degree of control over agents’ conduct. We are currently unable to locate any Transparent Merchant Services reviews that accuse the company’s sales staff of deception or nondisclosure, indicating that the company places an emphasis on forthright sales pitches.

This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.

Understanding the Rate Calculator

As of this review, the Transparent Merchant Services website features a tool for calculating your potential savings through the company. This tool is useful for merchants who are currently on interchange-plus pricing because it draws a direct comparison between Transparent’s markup above interchange and a merchant’s existing markup above interchange. Merchants who are on tiered pricing should note that the tool assumes an average interchange rate of 1.6%, which may be more or less than the average interchange rate each merchant typically receives.

True to Its Name

To its credit, the company’s website does not promote any outright deceptive “teaser” quotes. Transparent’s pricing is fully disclosed for anyone to view, which is a major reason why we consider it a top-rated merchant account provider.

Transparent Merchant Services’ pricing calculator

Our Transparent Merchant Services Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Huge Potential for Savings

Transparent Merchant Services rates as a quality merchant services provider according to our rating criteria. The company offers month-to-month agreements with transparent pricing and is not showing almost any complaints online. The one potential drawback for merchants to consider is that the company’s pricing, though transparent, may not be the most cost-effective option for certain business types. As a general rule, merchants who process fewer transactions at larger volumes are best served by the company’s pricing model.

If you found this article helpful, please share it!

About The Author

Phillip Parker

Phillip Parker is an independent card payment expert specializing U.S. and Canadian point-of-sale, e-commerce, and mobile payment acceptance. He has nearly two decades of experience in credit card processing as a journalist and consultant. Phillip is the creator of this website and has written over 1,500 articles covering numerous payment acceptance topics. He has also published critical reviews about most merchant services providers currently in operation.

Expert Guidance

Phillip has consulted businesses of all sizes from mom-and-pop shops processing $10K per month to enterprise level organizations processing in excess of $300MM annually. His specialties include:

– Merchant Account Statement Auditing
– Rate & Fee Negotiation
– Processor & POS Selection
– Software Integrations
– Risk Assessment
– Fraud Prevention
– General Processing Advice

Schedule a Consultation Here

Phillip’s Top Picks

Phillip has researched and reviewed over 1,000 merchant services providers over the last 15 years. He also owns multiple businesses that accept credit card payments. If you are looking for an ethical credit card processor that doesn’t hide fees or lock you into expensive contracts, see Phillip’s merchant account picks here.

In The Media

In addition his contributions on CPO, Phillip has also been quoted in several major publications such as The Los Angeles Times, INC Magazine, Miami Herald, Computer World, and numerous others. If you would like to interview Phillip for your story or podcast, please reach out here.

Follow Phillip Parker

Your Comments & Reviews

How Did Transparent Merchant Services Treat You?

1 Responses

Rita Carnevale

January 25, 2021

I’ve left many different forms of messages for their sales dept. to contact me as a potential customer, but my efforts were fruitless. Can you imagine a company not responding to a potential customer’s numerous messages???? I shudder to think how they treat their existing customers!!!! **POOR SALES SERVICE**

Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Any unauthorized copying and reproduction of the content of this page, including all meta data and computer code, is strictly prohibited. While the information in the above article is believed to be accurate as of its publish date, the author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided “as is,” and without warranties. Any and all use of trade names and/or marks are for identification purposes only and shall not be construed as a claim of affiliation, or otherwise, with CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. ("CPO") in any form. The sole purpose of the material presented herein is to alert, educate, and inform readers. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. We may earn revenue if you obtain services from a provider that we recommend. See this page to learn how we support our operations.

FTC Advertising Disclosure

We take great pride in providing one of the only objective an unbiased merchant account review websites on the internet. To support this responsibility, we may in some cases, but not all, earn revenue if you choose a service provider that we have fully researched and vetted. We only recommend providers that we have determined to be safe for our readers. We do not accept payment, gifts, or any other bribes in exchange for postive reviews or ratings. We care about doing right by our readers.

Show disclosure

We are committed to ensuring the accountability of credit card processors by bringing transparency to their business practices. Our primary objective is to to expose unscrupulous processors that impose substantial rate markups, unjustifiable fees, and exploitative contracts that result in substantial losses for small business owners.

We have been in operation since 2009, diligently conducting comprehensive research, publishing extensive reviews, and monitoring more than 1,000 payment processors. Our expertise in the merchant services industry has garnered recognition from esteemed publications such as the Los Angeles Times, INC Magazine, The Atlantic, and the Miami Herald, among others.

Popular Merchant Account Research