Should You Use NPC Credit Card Processing?
NPC Credit Card Processing
NPC credit card processing is one of the largest solutions to the payment processing problems of the modern age, but their service remains controversial. If you are running any business where you are dealing with the buying public, and virtually any business where you are dealing with other business owners, you will need a way to accept card payments. Paying with plastic has become so universal that there really is no alternative. The important factor is to carry out your research in advance, and to make sure you get the service you need without getting locked in to unfavorable terms.
When you are starting out in business, you may be able to adopt an alternative by using a third party processor. These are easy to set up, but there are several disadvantages. Firstly, you will be paying more in fees than you would be if you held the merchant account. If you are only processing low volumes, this may still work out to be the cheapest solution because you will have no equipment to hire, but it can only be a short term solution.
Third party processors are really only suitable if you are taking payments online, although you may be able to use them if you have a laptop and a wireless broadband connection, and the customer is present. In any case, you will want to move to a proper card processor as soon as possible. NPC credit card processing is a popular solution, but there are many dissenting voices who cite problems with the service. It is important to find as many solutions as you can so that you can compare the overall service and price to know what you are getting.
The doubters against NPC point to the high pressure telemarketing tactics they use to gain business, along with the hidden contract terms which border on deception. The renting of the machine over a period of three years works out far more expensive than it would be to purchase the machine outright at the start. People who have used this service warn against the possibility of inadvertently being tied to a contract without your knowledge. They say that if you swipe a card through the machine, even as a test, you are then legally committed to a long term payment plan.
What is worse, they claim that if a NPC credit card processing agent visits your business, they will happily swipe a card for you as a demonstration, locking you in to a three year deal without your knowledge or consent. It has to be said, though, that there are many people who are satisfied with the service, so you need to make up your own mind. Don’t be swayed by any sales pitches, don’t do anything which will lock you in to a contract you are not aware of, and remember there are always alternatives to NPC credit card processing.