We are taking some of the guesswork out of applying for Merchant Processing.  Here are some things you probably don''t know...but should!  Shh!!  You didn''t hear it from us!

Gateway Software:  
Many merchant account providers provide FREE applications, and FREE activations for your account, only to charge excessive fees to sell you gateway software. You don''t need to purchase gateway software. This is how they make tons of money.  Do you know what''s on the disk they send you?  Nothing but a link with a login and password!   DON''T BE FOOLED!  You don''t need to pay $200 - $1,200 for gateway software from companies like Charge.com.  Gateways, such as authorize.net, don''t require software.  It''s a big Scam!  Most gateway run via the Internet, using a login and password.  Paybyweb.com does not, and will not, sell you a worthless disk/cd rom with so called software on it.  EVER!

Gateway Software Leases: 
As if selling you the software isn''t bad enough.  Some guy sat in his black leather chair one day and thought of a great way to really take advantage of applicants.  Let them LEASE the so called software.  Brilliant!  DON''T BE FOOLED!  You might as well take your $20 - $50 a month and flush it down the toilet.  You are paying good money for NOTHING!   
Paybyweb.com charges only $60 to set up your gateway.   No leases, EVER!  

Terminals:
How can merchant account providers get you to pay from $600 - $1,000 for a terminal without making you blink?  Simple...call it a LEASE!  DON''T BE FOOLED! Terminals cost around $200 - $400.  While we at Paybyweb.com believe that merchant providers deserve to make money, since that''s what they are in business to do, they don''t have to rape a customer.  Why spend 48 months to pay for a $200 machine?  If you want to get ripped off...buy a NEW BOAT!  You deserve better from your merchant account provider. 
Paybyweb.com can sell you a brand new terminal (if you need one) for as little as $250.  No Leases!

Are you paying to set up with American Express?
We sure hope not.  If you are, you are not paying that money to Amex.  DON''T BE FOOLED!  American Express does not charge any fees for you to accept their cards...but, if you are looking at most of our competitors, you may be asked to pay $25 - $50.  All Profit to the merchant provider. 
Paybyweb.com does NOT charge for you to accept Americant Express.

Use it or Lose it:
Almost every bank charges a monthly minimum.  This can be anywhere from $25 per month or more.  It is usual and customary to pay this for your account.  However, if you don''t think you will generate at least $25 per month in fees, don''t apply for a merchant account.  After a few months of paying those statement fees and minimums, you will end up terminating your account out of frustration and then you lose the start up fees or gateway charges you have already paid.   

Don''t Apply Everywhere:
Whether you know it or not, every time you apply for a merchant account, your credit is checked.  Every time the merchant checks your credit, they are looking to see where else you have applied.  Why?  To see if you are "fishing" for better pricing or maybe you have been shut down by another bank.  The more inquiries from banks on your credit report, the less likely you are to get a merchant account.

How long have they been around:
You may be surprised to find out that a majority of merchant account providers have been in business for a very short time, many since the Internet gained exposure. Many of these companies disappear as quickly as they show up on the search engines.  
Paybyweb.com has been in the Payment Processing industry since 1992.  We have been providing merchant accounts longer than many of our competitors combined. 

Is Anyone There?:
Sure, there website gives you a toll free number to call.  Ever call it?  DON''T BE FOOLED!  More times than not, you''ll get the dreaded voice mail.  And, don''t be surprised if you get a call back three days later!   We know, cuz we spy on them!  Why bother, when you can click a button and talk to someone LIVE.  Seems like a smart solution to us...so we added it to our site.  From several pages within our site, you can click a button and ask us a question.  MOST of the time, we are sitting at the computer.