5 Things You Need in a Merchant Services Provider

Not all merchant services providers are equal — and the differences between them directly affect how much you pay, how fast you get funded, and how much help you get when something goes wrong. Here are the five things you should require before signing with any provider.

What Is a Merchant Services Provider?

A merchant services provider (MSP) is an organization that supplies payment processing solutions — hardware, software, and support — enabling businesses to accept card payments in-store, online, and via mobile. A full-service MSP like GoPayhawk also provides fraud prevention, chargeback assistance, reporting, and compliance support.

1. Security and Compliance

Any provider you work with must be PCI DSS compliant and must actively support your compliance as a merchant. This means:

• End-to-end encryption on all transactions
• Tokenization to protect stored card data
• Real-time fraud monitoring and alerts
• SSL on all data transmission
• Annual PCI self-assessment questionnaire (SAQ) support

If your provider charges you a PCI non-compliance fee without helping you achieve compliance, that's a red flag — and a recurring cost you shouldn't be paying.

2. Mobile Processing Options

Modern businesses need to accept payments anywhere — at events, pop-ups, client sites, or multiple locations. Mobile processing via a smartphone or tablet card reader provides this flexibility without investing in separate infrastructure at every location.

GoPayhawk's mobile solutions accept chip, swipe, and tap payments via compact card readers that connect to your device. See our full hardware lineup.

3. Flexible and Transparent Pricing

The three fees you'll encounter at any provider:

• Transaction fees: A percentage of each sale, plus a flat per-transaction amount
• Monthly fees: Recurring flat charges for account maintenance, reporting, or gateway access
• Chargeback fees: Per-incident charges when disputes are filed

The most transparent model is interchange-plus pricing — you see exactly what the card network charges and exactly what the processor adds on top. Avoid providers who can't or won't disclose your full fee schedule before you sign.

4. Excellent Customer Service

When transactions fail during peak hours, you need someone who answers immediately and solves the problem — not a chatbot and a 48-hour email queue. Confirm that your provider offers 24/7 live support with dedicated account management, not just a rotating support line.

5. E-Commerce and Software Integration

Your payment processor should connect cleanly with your existing technology stack — whether that's WooCommerce, Shopify, QuickBooks, Dynamics 365, or a custom-built platform. Seamless integration eliminates manual data entry and reconciliation errors.

GoPayhawk integrates with 100+ platforms. See the full list on our integrations page.