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The 10 Best eCommerce Merchant Accounts

eCommerce is a great option (and sometimes the only option) for businesses in a variety of industries. Whether you already have your online platform launched and are just looking for a payment processor, or need assistance with the entire setup, you should do your homework to compare the offerings from a variety of processors.

When you’re deciding on a payment processor, you need to have all of the facts so that you can make the best decision for your online-based business.

Look for minimum monthly transaction requirements, additional fees on processing transactions, the option for additional services such as invoicing and web development software, and high risk management solutions.

We’ve broken down the benefits and drawbacks of the top 10 best e-commerce processors in the UK to help you get started.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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Centurion Payment Services

Centurion Payment Services was founded in 2012 and is a merchant account provider that services both standard risk as well as high risk merchants. Some of its offerings include an online payment gateway, virtual terminal, and  EMV-compliant processing equipment for face-to-face transactions. It offers CBD merchant accounts and credit card processing for kratom, nutraceuticals, travel clubs, multi-level marketing, fantasy sports, and much more.

The Pros

Centurion provides its merchants with 24/7 customer support and free setup of their equipment. Its pricing structure is given a full page to display on its website. For CBD merchants, Centurion offers a per-transaction fee of 6.95% plus $ .30 and a monthly fee of $35.

The Cons

Centurion claims to offer 24/7 customer support, yet it only shows a general phone number. Overall, negative reviews were difficult to find and therefore the company is not a scam.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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Payment Depot

Founded in 2013, Payment Depot provides payment processing for
“standard-risk” merchants. For its merchants, it provides Clover POS products, a virtual terminal, mobile phone processing, chargeback tracking, and an Authorize.net payment gateway. 

The Pros

For a fixed monthly fee, Payment Depot offers wholesale transaction prices without any markups. There are no equipment lease fees, termination fees, or PCI Compliance fees. All terminals can be purchased for a “one-time” price. Most business types can enjoy the benefit of “next day funding”. Monthly and per-transaction fees are fixed and therefore merchants get a better deal. Overall, they have a very transparent pricing structure. There are no deceitful quotes listed.

The Cons

The complaints against Payment Depot are few and those that have been reported mainly deal with bad customer support from both Payment Depot and First Data. They also cited technical issues. 

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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Payline Data

Payline Data has been continuously rated as one of the leading merchant account providers. It is equipped to offer services to a wide range of businesses, including those in the high risk industries. Some of its offerings include retail credit card terminals, mobile phone credit card processing, an online payment gateway, a virtual terminal, integration with QuickBooks, and many more point-of-sale solutions.

The Pros

Payline Data is a great solution for companies of any size, from small to large corporate ventures. It offers interchange-plus pricing along with month-to-month contracts, and no early termination fees. There are numerous positive testimonials online from satisfied merchants. The company’s terms are more reasonably priced, transparent, than most of its competitors.

The Cons

The most common complaints that merchants had about Payline Data had to do with funds being withheld, products malfunctioning, and sluggish customer service.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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High Risk Pay

Processing payments since 1997, High Risk Pay offers its services primarily for high risk merchants. Some of its offerings include point-of-sale equipment, ACH processing, and chargeback prevention. The following industries are served by High Risk Pay: e-commerce, e-cigarette, startups, travel, poor credit, high volume, international, as well as adult merchants.

The Pros

It offers custom pricing structures to all its merchants. They are transparent about their rates and fees. All transactions are PCI DSS Secure. They handle payments in the US, Canada, and internationally.

The Cons

They are unclear about equipment and hidden fees. High Risk Pay does not disclose if they have their own payment gateway or use another service. Having relationships with numerous banks means a “lack of consistency in fees”. All contract terms and fees will be set by the bank that issues the merchant account. Information on technical support is missing.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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Card Z3N

Card Z3N was founded in 2018 and serves both average risk and high risk online merchant industries. It offers both e-commerce and retail solutions for businesses such as: auto parts, adult, credit repair, diet programs, e-cigarettes, electronics, extended warranties, fantasy sports, and nutraceuticals, just to name a few.

The Pros

Card Z3N offers payroll, business capital, and payment gateway tools to merchants. They also provide virtual terminals, recurring billing, and integration with QuickBooks. Card Z3N is also praised for having excellent customer service due their assistance in setup, great follow-up, quick answers to questions, and low prices.

The Cons

The only downside found about this company was the lack of pricing information disclosed to the public. Also, there are no customer service hours listed and therefore merchants can’t know when to call. The “Contact Us” form does not have a space to write a message or ask a question.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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Fattmerchant

Since 2014, Fattmerchant has led the industry in providing flat-rate, subscription-type pricing. The company’s offerings include EMV-compatible countertop terminals, virtual terminals, online payment gateways, online shopping carts, as well as mobile phone processing. 

The Pros

Recommended as an alternative to Stripe, due to fund holds and poor customer service, Fattmerchant offers an API for developers, month-to-month contracts, and mobile payment options that are easily integrated. Plus, it offers a reduced “per-transaction” fee, a dedicated customer support line, funding available the next day, and integration with QuickBooks. For customer support options, Fattmerchant makes itself available via phone and email contact, according to its website. Best of all, it offers its very own, “in-house after-hours support.”

The Cons

Negative reviews about Fattmerchant and its services are remarkably few. The only complaints found were in reference to poor sales experiences and unacceptable pricing.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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Host Merchant Services

Host Merchant Services offers payment services for e-commerce businesses. Some of their offerings include web hosting, online marketing resources, an online payment gateway, virtual terminal, online shopping cart integration, mobile payment solutions, and much more.

The Pros

The company has received nothing but praise for its customer service. It offers “interchange-plus pricing”, month-to-month contracts, and no terminations fees. Overall, merchants have access to transparent pricing and have the freedom to cancel their account without paying a fee. Merchants enjoy 24/7/365 customer assistance and appear reliable.

The Cons

There was a complaint from a merchant that described a termination fee on a long-term equipment lease. Also, within the contract, there is mention of an early termination fee, only it’s struck through. Merchants are advised to look closely at their contracts before they sign. Misrepresentation of fees and unforeseen equipment leases were also mentioned.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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2Checkout

2Checkout was established in 1999 and is fully PCI compliant. Accepts multiple payment methods, including credit and debit, as well as Paypal. They are optimized to support online and mobile payments. Flat-rate pricing information is available on their site and begins at 3.5% + 29p per transaction.

The Pros

Integrates well with over 100 shopping carts, including Shopify, Magento, Bigcommerce, and WooCommerce. It can process 87 different currencies in 15 languages. Customisable checkout process to match your businesses’ branding. Has options for high risk merchants.

The Cons

Slightly higher fees than other processors. Funds are held. Not a good option for brick-and-mortar businesses.

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A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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Verifone

Verifone was established in 1981 and provides services in over 150 countries. They process all major payment methods and provide solutions for payment gateways, virtual terminals, and online reports.

The Pros

They are good for businesses of many sizes and provides support for creating customer loyalty programs, mobile vouchers, and gift cards.

The Cons

Pricing is not disclosed on their website. There seemed to be a lot of negative complaints about devices and customer service.

our review view website

A good fit for:

eCommerce Merchant Account

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BlueSnap

BlueSnap was founded in 2001 and works with a global network of banks to provide individualized services. It provides access to 100 payment types, including all major credit cards, PayPal, ApplePay, MasterPass, Visa Checkout, Google Pay and more in over 180 countries. Fees begin at 1.40% + 20p.

The Pros

Month-to-month contracts. No setup or cancellation fees. No monthly fees for the first 12-months. Pricing is clearly listed on their website.

The Cons

Monthly maintenance fee if you process below a certain amount. Not a good option for larger businesses with numerous monthly transactions. No high risk management options. Reviews state that they could have better customer service.

Provider of the Month

Why Centurion Payment Services

Centurion payment services guarantees the lowest rates by working directly with the first and second largest processors in the industry. CPS has the buying power of the largest corporations in the United States. We have a unique position in the market place to build high volume relationships and keep our expenses low to pass the savings down to you, our clients.

See Our Full Review
Visit Centurion Payment Services

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