Wells Fargo found that they were ripping off customers?

Surprise! Wells Fargo found out that after an internal probe, some of it's account executives were ripping off customers and charging some very high fees as per the WSJ. Unfortunately this practice is all too common among processors. I have seen companies that sent in statements where for some credit cards they were being charge 14%! This happens at the big name firms all the time as they take advantage of a merchant's trust in their established name. The bottom line: always make sure to deal with a reputable merchant service provider.

More Deceptive Practices to Watch Out For

If you are not aware by now from reading this blog the credit card processing industry is one of the most deceptive. Most of the time  "what you see"  is not "what you get". In this article Phil Hinke describes some more of those very deceptive practices among sales people in the industry and how they hurt merchants:

I have seen merchants deceived on the actual discount rate they received. I have seen merchants deceived on the "terms and conditions." I have even seen a “1” in the discount rate on the merchant application mysterious change to a “7” after the merchant had signed the agreement. 

Most processors will attempt to lock you into a contract because they have hidden fees they simply don't want you to know about. They also have statements that are impossible to understand because they want to keep you in the dark. Make sure to stay clear of those problems so if something does arise you can leave without penalty.