| 1. Merchant Warehouse Review | 2. Leaders | 3. Eflow | 4. GotMerchant | 5. North American BanCard | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get Quote | Get Quote | Get Quote | Get Quote | Get Quote | |
 |  |  |  |  | |
| Average Transaction Fee (Retail/Internet) | $0.21 / $0.21 | $0.17 / $0.17 | $0.25/$0.30 | $0.20 / $0.25 | $0.16 / $0.16 |
| Average Discount Rate (Retail/Internet) | 1.69% / 2.09% | 0.49% / 1.99% | 0.59%/1.69% | 1.69% / 2.19% | 0.55% / 2.09% |
| Support | 24/7 Support. U.S. Based. | 24/7 Support | 24/7 support | 24/7 Support | 24/7 live support |
| Cancellation Fee | $0 | VARIES | VARIES | VARIES | $0 |
A mobile merchant account aids merchants who conduct a lot of their business on the road. Some types of businesses that may benefit from a mobile merchant account may be:
- Trade service-type businesses (plumbers, electricians, AC/heat, lawn mowing, etc.)
- Christmas tree and fireworks stands
- Door-to-door sales
- Tradeshow/Expo exhibitors
- Craft shows
Depending on your needs and available capital, there are a few different ways to accept credit cards utilizing your mobile merchant account. One type is using an expensive, wireless swipe terminal. These units will cost you less to process transactions since cards are actually swiped through the machine. However, you can expect to pay either a high monthly lease, or over $500 if you purchase a mobile terminal outright. If you have access to the Internet via a notebook computer, you can utilize a secure web-based virtual terminal. All you’d need to do is login securely using your username and PIN and you can manually process orders right on the spot, or back at the hotel. This along with a touch tone or cell phone merchant account are probably the least expensive options. Usually only costing you around $19-$49 to startup The processing fees are slightly higher (around 2.09% discount rate and $0.28 transaction fee) since credit cards are not actually swiped. Another option may be to use a PDA (i.e. Compaq iPaq, Palm, etc.) with a mini swipe device attached. These units don’t cost as much as mobile swipe terminals, the readers featured on MerchantSeek are totally free (no purchase cost) with a typical setup fee of around $25 or so (which can be waived for some merchants).
The last option is cell phone credit card processing, of all the options listed, it is the cheapest. Merchant Warehouse offers this option. You can use your cell phone, no additional equipment is required and no long distance calls to make. Not only can you use a cell phone, but any phone will work just fine.