Getting credit card processing services from a merchant service agency is key to engaging with modern customers, for whom credit may possibly be the number one payment method for purchases large and small. However, you need to be very careful, considering the large demand for merchant accounts spawns fake internet sites that serve 3 purposes: to gather your personal data to be able to (a) use it for financial fraud, (b) sell it off to another individual, or (c) to draw payments prior to shutting the site down. Are there ways to prevent such scams along the way about equipping your business with the necessary accounts? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Below, we list 4 methods for avoiding fraudulent account providers.

1. Stay away from web sites which are hosted on sub-domains

Because hosted sub-domains are easier and less costly to start than single domain websites, scammers use them for temporary money gathering schemes that often last only weeks. While there is absolutely nothing innately suspicious with regards to websites that use hosted sub-domains, there is concerning an account provider that uses one instead of featuring its own domain. Should you come across a service provider that works from a sub domain, proceed to a provider that doesn't.

2. Steer clear of suppliers that demand unusual fees

Paying fees along with tier pricing rates is a component of doing business with a merchant service, but be on the lookout for fees that sound unfamiliar and aren't collected by other providers. When doing business with a legitimate service provider, you can expect to pay the following service fees: authorization fee, which occurs every time a bank that issued a card processes a transaction the card initiated; statement fee, which goes towards general overhead; monthly minimum fee, which is the difference between your actual fees and your minimum fees allowed; batch fee, which occurs whenever you send in a day's worth of transactions for payment; annual fee, which goes toward account upkeep; and an early account termination fee.

3. Evade suppliers that have lower page rankings

Companies that have consistently high page rankings are better than those that have lower page rankings for two reasons: their website is often visited, and is therefore open to more scrutiny; plus they put money into making their website highly visible within the long-term, which happens to be something scammers never do. A higher page ranking is generally thought to fall inside the first page and a half of search results.

4. Talk with The Better Business Bureau

After observing the tips above, it's smart to check a company's record in the BBB for unresolved customer complaints. Companies that care about their clients and their professional image always find a way to solve customer complaints, regardless of the complaints' nature. If a company has unresolved complaints on its record, it's better to choose one that doesn't. Otherwise, the next unresolved complaint could be yours.