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PROS:
CONS:
Every business needs to promote the best parts of themselves and Flagship Merchant Services fails in this regard. They decide that the part of their business they want to put front and center is the positive reviews they received from one website. This factoid is appealing; however, it falls short of being a relevant piece of information. They should have put features of their business that were worthy of the attention of their potential customers. This information is stuck on pages buried deep within this website. The service itself is great. You have to read and dig to realize this fact, but it’s a fact that’s apparent with even the most minimal amount of scrutiny.
Flagship Merchant Services is a credit card processing service that leads with something that’s strange to claim. They state “Voted #1 Merchant Account Provider for 8 Years!” This claim seems outstanding until you see the notation next to it. Rather than stating what this notation means straight away, they expect that their users will go down to the bottom of the page to see “By: "Top 10 Reviews" website.” The fact the claim comes from only one website negates its presence entirely. Saying you’re the number one option in any category only matters when you’re ranked as such at a variety of destinations.
Making Sense of Outlandish Claims
Once you get past the promotion of good reviews Flagship Merchant Services received, they toss some freebies in for good measure. These freebies include a free credit card reader, EMV/NFC terminal, and a $50 AMEX gift card. The free credit card reader is standard for most credit card processing services. Very few people outside of those who have used credit card processing services before will know what an EMV/NFC terminal is. They will also miss the fact that the “Pay $0 for our fully compliant EMV/NFC Terminal” is only applicable to people whose credit is approved.
No Contract Term or Cancellation Fees
Business owners have to maintain a certain level of flexibility in their operations. They can’t tie themselves down to any particular service. The services they do use need to have an option for them to cancel without cancellation fees. That’s what people get when they decide to do business with Flagship Merchant Services. Being able to get out of this service at any point should be desirable for all business people. It’s challenging to determine what will happen tomorrow when you run a business, let alone months or years down the line.
E-Commerce
E-commerce organizations don’t have to worry about whether Flagship Merchant Services will stand behind them. They allow you accept all major credit cards through your website, maximizing your ability to save time and money in the process. Their Fraud Center technologies gives vendors the ability to modify their gateway to protect themselves. These protocols give you the ability to verify credit cards, addresses, and restrict transactions based on certain criteria. When you’re someone who goes out into the world to do business, you can take advantage of their Quiq On-The-Go service that’s offered through a free mobile app.
Phone Order
With the use of Flagship Merchant Services, you can accept payments quickly and securely over the phone. Getting payment information this way is tricky because of all the security concerns it creates. The problem with ruling out this payment options as an ideal selection is that not everyone does all their business through the internet. The fraud prevention tools that are offered through this service alleviate any concerns that accepting payments through this method might generate. As more customers are brought into the fold, their information can be entered through their effective Quiq Customer Database Manager.
Wireless
In this day and age, you have to be able to accept payments anywhere. We live in the world where people are on the go and business people have to adapt to this environment. Flagship Merchant Services allows you to easily set up their service with technology that’s compatible with most devices. It doesn’t matter if you have an iOS or Android device. You will be able to use this service. Plus, everything can be managed within their app. This app and its interface take all of the barriers that used to make this process cost a lot of money and take more time than it should.
Retail/Dining
When you want to go out to get something to eat, you no longer have to go to the brick-and-mortar locations that used to dot the landscape. While these destinations are still around, there are alternatives that fit into what the culture has transformed into. The same goes for retail destinations. To help all these entities, Flagship Merchant Services offers a machine that is similar to all the devices that used to sit on every counter in a much bulkier form. These devices are easy to move anywhere and everywhere, which is perfect for business professions who have to do their business on the go.
POS System
Any business that wants to go with the classic look can get a POS system outfitted with Flagship Merchant Services technology. POS systems these days can be installed within an iPad. In the case of what’s offered through this service, you’re going to get technology that’s capable of operating every facet of your business. It’s promising that you’re able to get something that used to be inaccessible to the average business owner at a cost that seems like nothing compared to what it was years ago. You can even establish your own loyalty or rewards program to incentivize further customer involvement.
Security Protocols
Flagship Merchant Services prides itself on the security measures they attach to their service. They’re an Authorize.Net preferred reseller and identity theft protected through Security Metrics. Working with a company in the world of credit card processing is risky considering the information that’s changing hands. The last thing Flagship Merchant Services wants is for their customer’s information to be squandered. It’s concerning that they make no mention of information encryption, which is put forth on websites like PayPal. If Flagship Merchant Services doesn't encrypt the information they receive, they need to do so immediately.
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Phone: (866) 295-0537
Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.
By: Cristina | Last updated May 22, 2017 
