Transparent Merchant Services Review

• Transparent Merchant Services Payment Methods
  • In Person
  • Mobile Device
  • Internet/Card-Not-Present
• Does Transparent Merchant Services offer equipment?
• Security
• Transparent Merchant Services Rates and Fees
• Is there a contract with Transparent Merchant Services
• Transparent Merchant Services Reviews

Transparent Merchant Services Payment Methods

Transparent Merchant Services offers credit and debit card payment acceptance through in-person or “card-present” channels and limited “card-not-present” channels. The company boasts next-day deposits of funds, eliminating long waiting periods to access cash from credit and debit transactions.

In-Person

For traditional in-person processing in a brick-and-mortar location, Transparent Merchant Services supports EMV-capable credit card machines. Businesses can accept major credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, as well as NFC digital wallet technologies.

Mobile Device

For processing on the go, Transparent Merchant Services offers the ID Tech Shuttle, a magnetic stripe card reader that connects to mobile devices through standard headphone jacks. The ID Tech Shuttle can read credit and debit cards, gift cards, and loyalty cards. Mobile processing is suggested if you accept payments outside of traditional brick-and-mortar environments, allowing for convenient card acceptance at tradeshows, work sites, farmers’ markets, fairs, and more. The ID Tech Shuttle through Transparent Merchant Services is compatible with many Apple, Android, and Blackberry devices.

Internet/Card-Not-Present

Transparent Merchant Services makes reference to available virtual terminals or the ability to process transactions online, but does not provide detailed information. We can assume that the company doesn’t specialize in ecommerce transactions, so if you’re looking for primarily online (or a combination of online and in-person) Transparent Merchant Services may not be your best or most feature-rich option.

Does Transparent Merchant Services offer equipment?

Yes. For traditional in-person transactions, Transparent Merchant Services offers the Ingenico iCT250 credit card machine. The iCT250 accepts traditional magnetic stripe cards, EMV chip cards, and NFC transactions. The terminal can also print receipts at the time of sale, and features a backlit LCD screen for high visibility in all lighting conditions. An optional customer-facing PIN pad can be added for increased functionality.

The iCT250 is offered free to businesses who process more than 300 transactions per month, or it can be rented or purchased. The Ingenico iCT250 can be rented for $9.95/month or bought for $249.00. (Pricing subject to change.)

Security

Transparent Merchant Services offers SecurityMetrics Assurance, a program designed to provide tools to limit your risk of fraud and reduce liability. Among other tools, SecurityMetrics Assurance includes PANscan software designed to help you locate any unencrypted card data stored on your network in order to delete it and avoid data compromise. Additionally, SecurityMetrics Assurance provides up to $100,000 for expenses associated with data and security breaches, such as investigations, card replacement costs, fines, and more.

Transparent Merchant Services Rates and Fees

Transparent Merchant Services offers a subscription pricing model, which is essentially interchange costs plus a per-transaction fee and a monthly fee. There is no percentage markup on volume.

The company currently has two plans, the Pro plan and the Elite plan. Both plans are based on a max processing volume of $100,000/month or $1.2 million per year. Plans are priced as follows:

Pro
Monthly fee: $49.97
Per-transaction fee: $0.19

The Pro plan allows up to 500 transactions per month.

Elite
Monthly fee: $99.97
Per-transaction fee: $0.09

The Elite plan allows more than 500 transactions per month.

Both plans will have additional costs due to interchange and assessments. Note that a 0% markup doesn’t mean there won’t be a percentage cost to your transactions. Both plans also have a $99 compliance fee annually.

Not quite sure how subscription pricing compares to other models? Request a quote from Transparent Merchant Services through CardFellow, and you’ll be able to review it in private with no pressure from sales calls. Quotes are fully disclosed and displayed in one consistent format so you can see exactly how it compares, apples to apples. Sign in to your CardFellow account to get started, or sign up here.

Is there a contract with Transparent Merchant Services?

Transparent boasts that there is no contract or commitment, but be sure to read all documents carefully when signing anything.

Transparent Merchant Services Reviews

Transparent Merchant Services doesn’t have a large online presence, with virtually no customer reviews either positive or negative. The company has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2014, currently has an A+ rating with 0 complaints, and no reviews with the BBB.

Other review sites including Yelp and Ripoff Report also show no complaints or reviews.

Transparent Merchant Services has a selection of customer testimonials on their website. Reviewers praise the company’s reliability, simplicity, and low rates. All testimonials include the reviewer’s first name and company name.

Given Transparent Merchant Services’ sparse review availability, it’s important to help other businesses know what they’re getting into. If you use Transparent, please take a minute to leave a review!