Don’t Consider a Merchant Services Career Without Reading This!

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Don’t Consider a Merchant Services Career Without Reading This!

A merchant services career will help you increase your residual income

A merchant services career will help you increase your residual income.

Just what is merchant processing? Companies like Dual Payments offer merchant processing as a service to business owners in order to be able to accept a variety of payment options (not just cash), which means more profit for them at the end of the day. Dual Payments offers merchant services for credit card processing.

But, what are merchant services? Merchant services simply help a business accept payments beyond just cash. Just how does merchant services work? In order to process payments made with credit cards or debit cards, a business will need to partner with credit card servicing companies, like Dual Payments.

There are a lot of benefits to merchant services jobs, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the same for everyone.

A merchant services career will show you how to sell merchant services over the phone, or in person, to businesses that need it, but you shouldn’t make a hasty switch.

With so many jobs in merchant services, it can be tough to find the one that fits you best. If you’re considering switching merchant processing jobs, or if you’re entering the merchant processing sales field for the first time, read this article to learn how the right payments processing company can optimize your skills, give you a sense of security, and make you more money.

Working in a merchant services career: Darla vs. Ralph

This is Darla.

A merchant services career will help increase your residual income

Darla sells merchant processing for Unnamed Processing Incorporated, a mainstream merchant service company like Bank of America or JP Morgan Chase.

She lives in Miami, FL and is selling merchant processing services from Delray Beach, FL to Coral Springs, FL. Careers at Bank of America, Chase or Unnamed Processing Incorporated are very similar, and a merchant support specialist like Darla can make very little money if she doesn’t understand how payment processing sales really work.

Credit card processing is simply the act of processing sales paid for with a credit card. Because of the way this process works, Darla becomes the intermediary between the business owner and the bank merchant services.

She doesn’t love having to chase down merchant business owners, but she feels like there is no better option for her. She’s doing ok, but she feels trapped in a job where she’s not flourishing at the level she should be.

Darla doesn’t like feeling like she is just a relationship manager between the bank and the business she is trying to help. She knows that POS solutions are not expensive and are easy to come across, giving the buyer the upper hand.

This is Ralph. He lives in Seattle, WA and sells products from Phoenix, AZ to Atlanta, GA and Los Angeles, CA.Merchant services careers will expand your income horizons

Ralph understands that merchant services jobs can really expand a person’s income.

He sells merchant services for Dual Payments.

Ralph loves his career. He feels confident in his skills as a credit card processing sales rep, and his hard work is already paying off.

What makes Darla and Ralph’s situations so different? They both work hard in a merchant service career, but the outcomes are drastically different.

It all comes down to the companies they work for. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between Dual Payments and its competitors.

Daily life in a merchant services career

Any career will affect your day-to-day life, but what does an average day as a merchant sales consultant look like for Darla and Ralph?

Selling merchant services (commonly called a payment solutions sales consultant) looks different for both of them, and it surely affects their overall feelings about their merchant service jobs.

Darla:

Darla wakes up at 7 am every day to cold-call businesses.

Her job gives her the illusion that she can make her own schedule, but she’s required to meet an ever-increasing monthly sales quota that she must report to her sales manager. Darla works long hours every day for very little pay.

Darla spends her day visiting businesses. She tries to teach them about her company’s merchant sales program to find the right marketing solutions for each merchant.

What Darla finds most days is the best she can offer them is slightly lower rates than what they’re already paying.

She tries to promise advantages that her company can provide like data security, but companies see that as a desperate attempt at gaining their business.

Most business owners don’t want to go through the hassle of switching merchant processing companies and possibly even business banking for only slightly lower rates, so she has trouble getting them to agree to talk to her.

When she does finally land a sale, she has to go through an extensive process of switching the business over to her company.

The paperwork is lengthy, and her customer is hesitant to sign a one-to-three year contract.

The payments industry can be rough on merchant account sales reps who don’t get to see a portion of the monthly residuals. The best merchant services sales jobs and credit card merchant services careers have a healthy residual sharing plan.

Merchant services will allow you to be the master of your day

At the end of each day at what feels more like a temporary job than a career, she goes back home feeling like she has nothing to show for all her hard work. She wants to have a successful career in merchant services, but it feels like an uphill battle.

Ralph:

On days where Ralph is excited to start his day, he’ll set his alarm for 7 am and hits the ground running. On other days when he just wants to stay in bed a little longer, he’ll sleep in and enjoy a relaxing morning.

He may stay home and call business owners over the phone, or he may take the day off. With a company like Dual Payments, there’s no monthly quota looming over his head that says he has to sell or lose his monthly residual.

Ralph has set up a referral partner that works in the cash register business that sends merchant account leads his way. He also has an agreement with a local business analyst and a small business account manager that brings in new merchant service leads for him to follow up on.

Ralph has no monthly sales quota to meet, so he has the complete freedom to shape his schedule to his desires, giving him solid work-life balance.

When he goes out cold-calling, business owners are excited to talk with him about the unique credit merchant services that Dual Payments has to offer: eliminating 100% of their processing fees.

Ralph has no problem selling Dual Payments’s merchant processing services. With no monthly fees or year-long contracts, the service practically sells itself.

Every time Ralph makes a sale, the process is super quick. The merchant application is short, and customers appreciate that all of Dual Payments’s business is done month-to-month.

When Ralph returns home at the end of the day, he feels satisfied knowing that all his hard work will pay off.

He has saved jobs for many businesses by simply eliminating their credit card processing fees and giving the business more profit to put back into the workforce.

A merchant services career can help you increase you monthly revenue

Earning money

Everyone hopes that their job will earn them a good income. Knowing how to sell merchant services from home can help you increase your monthly revenue by turning into a merchant services career.

Both Darla and Ralph work hard for their money, but only one feels like his paycheck reflects the hard work he does.

Darla:

Darla knows that she should be earning more, but she doesn’t know how to make it happen. The businesses that Darla has signed aren’t making her the money she would like. She has a portfolio of clients, but she only makes an average of $900 a month. She thought people with merchant account sales jobs could make substantial income.

With this income, she doesn’t have enough money to put toward her goals or hobbies, and she has to go out and sell to more businesses or she won’t make rent for that month. It’s especially a problem when her merchant leads run out.

When Darla makes a sale, her company’s restrictive contracts and monthly fees don’t allow her to make much money off of it.

She’s building the organization’s bottom line at her own expense while her company is pocketing 90% of her account’s profitability. She makes less than Ralph, and relies on a cash advance to stay ahead of the bills on slower months.

The stress from Darla’s job makes her feel trapped. She makes a tiny residual income from her credit card processing sales jobs, but she’s always nervous that her customers will leave her for a better processing company.

Because of her limited income, Darla lacks a sense of security in her merchant service career.

Ralph:

Ralph loves the money that he makes, and he’s excited to know he can make even more!

At Dual Payments, Ralph has the ability to eliminate 100% of his customer’s processing fees on credit cards and debit cards. Gift cards aren’t charged a fee, but he’s pretty confident that if they were that he’d be able to eliminate that as well.

As a result, he makes an average of $10,000 a month! You don’t need a financial analyst to explain Ralph’s advantage.

Not only are more companies excited about signing on with him, but they are referring corporate clients his way. And Dual Payments gives him a higher percentage of the profit from selling merchant accounts!

Ralph doesn’t stress about his customers leaving him for another business. He’s confident in the service he sells, and he knows that the deals he’s signed will give him a residual income for life.

Your life with a merchant services career

Do you relate to Darla? Is your company experience similar to working for the unnamed merchant services company like JPMorgan Chase merchant services?

If you’re selling credit card processing services, and your career leaves you feeling trapped and insecure, it may be time to consider a switch in processing companies and search for new credit card processing employment. Dual Payments gives you all the opportunities you need to succeed.

If you’re considering a new career in merchant services, you’ll want to model your job after Ralph rather than Darla. Make sure you pick a company that cares about your goals as much as you do. Dual Payments provides equal opportunities to all who apply.

A career in merchant services is similar to being a sales specialist or sales consultant. Working with business owners both in person and on the phone is how you’ll invest your day.

You will get to spend some time in merchants’ stores installing both wired and wireless terminals.

With a career in merchant services, you can even help people in e-Commerce solutions get payment from their own customers.

Want to learn more about selling merchant credit card processing? Check out our Credit Card Processing Jobs post!

If you’re wondering, “Is selling merchant services a good job?”, it depends on who you’re selling services for. Here at Dual Payments, our salespeople truly benefit from selling our merchant services. We believe that we are the best merchant services company to work for.

Other companies with merchant sales jobs can’t always say the same thing about their merchant service sales jobs. Careers at Chase, Bank of America, and many other institutions will be fine for people who don’t know better, but that’s not you anymore. You now know the answers to both, “What is merchant services?”, and, “How to sell credit card processing services to merchants”, and can put that knowledge towards selling for a company that believes in you.

You know that there’s much more money to be made by selling credit card processing, how to sell credit card processing, and how to begin selling merchant services that are easier to use and eliminates the fees for the business owner.

It’s time to choose a career where you get to truly help people and get paid handsomely for it. It’s time to choose a merchant services job that pays you your worth.

Ready to pursue a career in merchant services sales with Dual Payments? Find out why we think we are one of the best credit card companies to work for.

Learn more about all we have to offer, how to be successful in merchant services sales, and sign up today!

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Example of High Risk Merchants

  • 1-900 Phone companies – If you’re the type of company that charges people to have a chat on the phone, you’ll be considered high risk.
  • Adult Bookstores – Clearly a part of the adult entertainment industry, and an easy mark for the high risk tag.
  • Adult Entertainment – Any business labeled with the “adult” descriptor will automatically be assigned a high risk status.
  • Adult Toys – As “adult” is in the name, it’s an easy target for association with the adult entertainment market.
  • Airline Industry – Due to cancellations on high ticket purchases, this will put your airline company in the high risk category
  • Amazon Stores – By having a high rate of return, Amazon stores are seen as high risk.
  • Ammo Sales – Association with the weapons industry guarantees high risk status.
  • Annual Contracts – Any time an annual contract is involved it can be considered highrisk because most consumers forget they signed up and chance of chargeback can be high.
  • Antiques – With a high average ticket per item, antiques are considered a risky merchant type.
  • Astrology – The study of the celestial bodies and the influence on human affairs can be a chargeback target if customers feel like they aren’t getting the answers they want.
  • Auctions – Because of the nature of bidding on a product and not having a set price the risk level goes up.
  • Autographed Collectables – There is almost always a question as to whether an autograph is authentic, and therefore chargebacks are much higher in this industry.
  • Automotive Brokers – Brokers of automobiles have a very high average ticket are are therefore of higher risk.
  • Bankruptcy Attorneys – Since the people who are working with bankruptcy attorneys are usually in financial trouble, the odds that a payment would be charged back is higher.
  • Betting Services – In many states betting is illegal but for the legal states betting with a credit card has huge chargeback implications.
  • Brokering – When a third party is involved with selling a product the risk level goes up ten fold.
  • Business Loans (Merchant Cash Advances) – Loaning money is always risky, but with business loans and startup lending, high risk is present by the nature of the business.
  • Casino – Just like a betting service, if a customer gambles with their credit card the chargeback rate sky rockets.
  • CBD Products – CBD itself poses high chargebacks because of the legitimacy of the product and the health benefits promised.
  • CBD E commerce – CBD E Commerce has twice the charge back of retail CBD because many consumers don’t feel like the product they receive gives them the benefits promised.
  • Check Cashing (Check Processing) – The level of fraud in check cashing and cash advances is what gives this industry a higher risk consideration.
  • Cigarettes – With higher levels of risk for theft and criminal activity, cigarette sales are deemed high risk.
  • Collection Agencies (Collection Agency) – Many banks see collections as an unsustainable business model that is many times unreliable.
  • Collectible Coins – A higher level of chargeback in this industry gives it a high risk tag.
  • Collectible Currency – Due to the level of inauthentic collectibles, the risk of chargebacks are much higher with collectibles.
  • Copyrighted eBooks – When someone sells something copyrighted without permission many legal issues can arise.
  • Coupon Programs – With many coupon programs the coupons expire and once they expire the consumer wants the money back they spend.
  • Credit Counseling – Due to their clients usually being in financial problems, this industry is fraught with non-payment and fraud.
  • Credit Protection – Most people that need credit protection are bad with money so chargebacks abound.
  • Credit Repair – If a consumer needs credit repair then chances are they are a high risk for chargebacks.
  • Currency Sales – Many businesses that exchange currency do it at incorrect rates hence more chargebacks.
  • Dating Services – Dating is a volatile industry, and is also lumped in with the adult entertainment industry, making it a high risk account.
  • Debt Collection Services – As the collection of debt isn’t always possible, this industry retains the tag of risky.
  • Debt Consolidation Services (Debt Consolidators) – Consolidating debt is a challenging business and as debt is usually the problem, it’s seen as unsecure from a payment perspective.
  • Debt Repair Services – Since the clients of debt repair services are usually having financial challenges, it makes this industry seem a higher risk.
  • Discount Health Programs – Many people don’t feel they are really getting a discount so they try to get their money back and if they don’t the chargebacks sky rocket.
  • Discount Medical Care Programs – Just like the discount health programs if they don’t save the consumer wants their money back.
  • Drug Paraphernalia – Anything that is associated with the drug trade is considered high risk. Offshore merchant accounts are commonly used for this type of business.
  • E Commerce – As the source of the payment is unverifiable at the point of sale, any transaction without the card present has a higher risk of credit card fraud.
  • Ebay Stores – Many people sell items that aren’t as described so chargebacks can be an issue.
  • Electronic cigarettes – much like traditional cigarettes, e-cigarette sales are also deemed high risk.
  • Electronics – This industry has a much higher ticket compared with many other businesses. A chargeback for a $3,000 tv or two and your account can be in jeopardy rather quickly.
  • Escort Services – This is deemed a part of the adult entertainment industry and therefore needs a high risk merchant account and payment solution.
  • Event Ticket Brokers – If a customer buys a ticket and doesn’t use it they feel like they can charge the transaction back.
  • Extended Warranty Companies – Warranties are rarely used so people try to charge back the money that has been spent paying for them.
  • Federal Firearms License Dealers – Any organization associated with guns or firearms is automatically considered in this category.
  • Fantasy Sports Websites – Just like gambling, if a person starts to lose too often they try and charge back the transaction.
  • Finance Brokers – The entire financing industry is risky. By simply extending credit to other individuals, this business is betting that a majority of them will actually pay what they say they will.
  • Financial Advising/Consulting – The high risk tag on financial advisors isn’t about the advisors or their firm. It’s about the clientele and their current circumstances.
  • Financial Loan Modification Services – Due to a clientele in financial struggles, the high risk term is applied to any payments in this industry.
  • Financial Planning – Anything that includes risk for the consumer can have consumer implications with chargebacks.
  • Financial Strategy – Another risk and reward category, if money is lost, consumers try charging back making this a high risk industry.
  • Fortune Tellers – When a person doesn’t hear what they want to hear, or what is told doesn’t happen, the fortune teller can receive huge chargebacks.
  • Furniture Sellers – High risk only when its custom furniture.
  • Gambling – If money is lost the chargebacks rise.
  • Gaming – Chargeback levels skyrocket when consumers don’t win.
  • Get Rich Quick Programs – It’s rather common in this industry for an individual to purchase the training and then chargeback their purchase saying it didn’t deliver on what was promised.
  • Google Stores – With a high rate of return on their items, Google stores are considered high risk.
  • Gun Sales (Firearm Sales) – The gun and projectile industry is automatically associated with high risk credit card processing.
  • High Average Ticket Sales – With any high average ticket, just a couple of chargebacks can mean a massive shift in how risky the account is deemed by the processor.
  • Home/Vacation Rentals – Many issues with chargebacks can take place if the consumer decides not to travel.
  • Horoscopes – Many people believe this is hocum so will chargeback transactions.
  • How To Programs – A common practice in this industry is to purchase the program and charge it back with the description that it didn’t deliver what it promised.
  • Hypnotists – Many merchants will charge back these transactions if results they hoped for were not met.
  • Import/Export Business – Another example of taking goods over country borders which automatically brings in additional risk to any processing account.
  • Indirect Financial Consulting – When using a third party to consult, the high risk status gives the processor fraud protection.
  • International Cargo – Any time you introduce a multi-country element to credit card processing, the ability for fraud to be introduced skyrockets.
  • International Merchants operating in the US – Since the merchant isn’t operating from the United States, there are many unknowns about what is happening on the other side of their business, thus increasing the risk.
  • International Shipping – Transporting goods between countries is risky and introduces all sorts of elements to the financial stability of any transaction.
  • Investment Books – consumers get upset if the investor isn’t right which can lead to chargebacks.
  • Investment Firms – As investments are never a “sure thing” this is considered a risky industry for having a merchant account.
  • Investment Strategy – Anything with future promises can lead to chargeback.
  • Knife Sales – weapons of any kind are automatically given high risk status.
  • Kratom E Commerce – Accepting payments online is high risk, and Kratom is a substance in the health and wellness industry, which is also considered high risk.
  • Life Coaching – With no tangible goods involved in the transaction, life coaching is considered high risk.
  • Lingerie Businesses – Associated with the adult entertainment industry, chargebacks abound.
  • Lotteries – In most states you can buy lottery tickets with a credit card but if you’re allowed to and the ticket is not a winner, consumers try to chargeback the transactions.
  • Magazine Sales – Many magazine sales are recurring subscriptions, which can have issues with chargebacks.
  • Magazine Subscriptions – Same as magazine sales chargebacks can be huge when a recurring subscription happens. (often referred to as recurring billing.)
  • Mail Order Companies – When something is ordered through the mail chargeback risk can go up.
  • Marijuana Dispensaries – As marijuana isn’t a legal substance in every state, this is considered high risk due to the legality of the product. Cannabis credit card processing is available through Shift Processing.
  • Matchmaking Services – Another branch of the dating tree, and often associated with the adult entertainment industry.
  • Medical Devices – If a medical device doesn’t do what’s promised the purchaser may chargeback the transaction.
  • Membership Organizations – This is another instance of where the transactions don’t have any tangible product and are easily charged back to the merchant account.
  • Merchants on the MATCH list – If you are a merchant who has been reported to the MATCH list (Member Alert to Control High Risk Merchants) or the TMF (Terminated Merchant File) you are given high risk status.
  • Merchants with Poor Credit – Merchant accounts are given based on the credit score of the business owner. It’s assumed that the business owner is going to be making the financial decisions for the business, and a poor credit score reflects on the viability of any business transactions.
  • Modeling Agencies – At many agencies models are promised the world and it doesn’t happen. The consumer then wants their money back.
  • Movie Downloads – Transference of a digital product is considered of higher risk. Also, rarely is a physical card present at time of purchase.
  • Multilevel Marketing Sales – Often associated with pyramid schemes, MLM sales are considered a risky business.
  • Music Downloads – Purchasing any digital product is considered to be of higher risk than a physical transaction. Most of the time the card is not present in a digital transaction using a shopping cart.
  • Not A US Citizen Doing Business In The US – It’s possible to get a merchant account without a US social security number, but not having a SSN will increase the risk the processor will have in issuing a merchant account for your business.
  • Online Adult Membership Sites – If you’re running a website that is adult themed and requires payment for access, this is a highly volatile account and definitely high risk.
  • Offshore Corporations (Offshore Merchants) – The international element is what gives the high risk tag when looking for domestic merchant accounts.
  • Online Gambling (Online Gaming) – Without a card being present and gambling as the activity, there are two reasons why this would be on this list. Online payment alone is risky even without the gambling element.
  • Overseas Exporting Services – The introduction of the international element is what gains access to this list.
  • Pawn Shops – There’s a general stigma that goes along with pawn shops, and it’s reflected in their assignment to the high risk processors list.
  • Penny Auction Sites – Even though the customers are usually bidding at only a penny more per bid, users will commonly charge back the transaction when they don’t win.
  • Pepper Spray – Considered a type of weapon, pepper spray vendors are considered risky.
  • Points Programs – Points programs that cost money can cause chargeback issues if points are not used.
  • Pornographic Merchants – If you’re a part of the adult entertainment industry in any way, you’re considered high risk.
  • Precious Metals – Counterfeit metals can be a problem in this industry, making it more risky to accept payments for.
  • Prepaid Calling Cards – Anything prepaid that a consumer may not use increases chargeback issues.
  • Prepaid Debit Cards – When they expire or are lost consumers want their money back.
  • Psychic Services – “Honey, did you visit a psychic? No babe, I don’t remember visiting a psychic.” I’ll just reverse that charge then.
  • Real Estate – A common target for scams and identity theft is how real estate makes this list.
  • Replica Products (Watches, Handbags, Wallets, Sunglasses, Etc…) – As the product being sold isn’t authentic to the original manufacturer, the percentage of requests for refund is much higher than a traditional merchant.
  • Rewards Programs – If rewards are not spent, the consumer wants the money back.
  • Self-Defense – Since the payment provided is for instruction and not a physical product, the self-defense industry makes this list.
  • Self-Hypnosis Services – Yet another instance where the goods being transferred are of a service and not a physical product.
  • SEO Services – With a high rate of request for refund, SEO agencies make this list.
  • Social Networking Sites – Just like a dating site, if a consumer does not get what they want from it, they always like to chargeback.
  • Software Downloads – The software industry makes their way on to this list because of the digital nature of the goods being sold.
  • Sports Forecasting – An example of paying for information and not for a product, and usually not in person where the card would be present for the transaction.
  • Startups – Every startup is considered risky, and the percentage of startups that make it is quite small compared to the number that fail.
  • Student Loans – With the cost of a college education continually on the rise, so is the percentage of loans that default and never receive payment.
  • Strip Clubs – Associated with the adult entertainment industry gains the strip club access to this list.
  • Stun Gun Sales – considered a type of weapon, which makes it a high risk merchant.
  • Supplement Sales – The request for refund in this industry is quite high due to the nature of the product.
  • Sweepstakes – “Hey, I entered a sweepstake and I didn’t win. I’d like my money back please.”
  • Talent Agencies – “I paid thousands of dollars for headshots and glamorous outfits and I haven’t gotten any paid gigs. Pay me back my money please.”
  • Telemarketing Services – Telemarketing services many times do not have the results the purchaser would like to see, so the services are charged back.
  • Telephone Order Sales – Anything ordered over the phone has a increased risk of chargeback.
  • Timeshare Companies – When timeshares aren’t used, people want their money back.
  • Travel Agencies – If trips are not taken, consumers would like their funds returned.
  • Travel Clubs – Many travel club discounts aren’t what they were promised, increasing risk for chargebacks.
  • Vacation Rental Brokers – Third party brokers on prepaid vacation can have issues when customers cancel their trips.
  • Vape Shops – The level of criminal activity and theft is higher with vape shop merchants and therefore carries a high risk label.
  • Vitamin Sales – If the vitamins don’t provide the results the merchant would like to see they chargeback the transactions.
  • Web Designer – Because this service is prone to chargebacks, it has been classified as high risk.
  • Weight Loss – Considered risky because the results aren’t really up to the company, but rather the individual has to stick to the plan to get results, often resulting in chargebacks.
  • Yahoo Stores – Since the goods sold through Yahoo can easily be returned, they are considered a risky merchant.

Turn Your Residuals into Immediate Cash Today

Selling your residuals doesn’t impact your merchants—they’ll keep processing happily. So, if you need extra funds, explore a credit card residual buyout. It’s fast, easy, and a smart move for your financial game plan.