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A Review of Complete Merchant Solutions (CMS) Credit Card Processing Services

Get Recommendations for the Best Merchant Account

    With credit card processing fees on the rise and smaller businesses being increasingly targeted by hackers, choosing the right credit card processor is crucial for your brand. With the variety of merchants on the market, partnering with a reputable payment processor can help you increase the global reach of your products and services while reducing any transaction fees you may pay.

    Complete Merchant Solutions (CMS) was founded in 2008 and is one of the top providers of integrated payment solutions to thousands of businesses all over the world. They enable payment processes for major payment cards, providing solutions like POS software, physical terminals, and e-commerce tools that can be fully customized for your requirements.

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    All About CMS Merchant Solutions

    At Complete Merchant Solutions, the company serves merchants of all shapes and sizes. The main markets that they support include B2B organizations, those in the automotive industry, education sector, public sector, healthcare, non-profits, retailers, restaurants, travel, utilities, and more.

    To help facilitate payments, their business practices include providing EMV devices, wireless payment portals, software merchant solutions, and complete mobile payment solutions to meet the needs of customers while keeping money safe during payments

    EMV Devices

    Due to the addition of EMV chips to cards, Visa reports that payment fraud has decreased by 87%. This technology stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa and helps card issuers authenticate payments to protect consumers and reduce fraud costs. Complete Merchant Solutions provides businesses with EMV devices that are compatible with major brands.

    CMS credit card processor types include top-of-the-line models like Verifone's VX520, Verifone VX680 Wireless, Castle MP 200L, Vega 3000, and more. Depending on the type of model you choose, you'll be able to gain access to fast transaction speeds and secure revenue opportunities that don't compromise your need for security.

    Wireless Payment Portals

    For businesses on the go, Complete Merchant Solutions also offers portable payment devices. This is particularly helpful for payments that take place in areas like sports stadiums, restaurants, and large retail stores. Many of their models offer advanced screening features and end-to-end encryption.

    For instance, Verifone’s VX 680 provides a wireless connection through GPRS or Wi-Fi/Bluetooth combo or 3G for every environment and is compatible with many add-ons. CMS partners can cater to customers with smartphones or mobile tablets and send convenient email receipts.

    This can help businesses save on the cost of purchasing an expensive wireless terminal with a payment gateway.

    Software Merchant Solutions

    Complete Merchant Solutions also has advanced POS software solutions that include fraud monitoring programs and chargeback reduction plans. They partner with top brands including Aloha, Digital Dining, Gilbarco, Hamilton, Micros, and more.

    Each company has specialized features geared towards various industries. For instance, Aloha's range of solutions is targeted at CMS merchants in the restaurant industry. With touch screens and front-of-house reporting, Aloha Quick Service, Aloha Table Service reduces POS training for servers and cashiers and promotes order accuracy.

    In contrast, Hamilton's systems are targeted at carwash operators and those operating expensive machines. They provide further features like a high-security door, a separate locked cash chamber, password access, and a security camera for added peace of mind.

    Complete Mobile Pay (CMT)

    One of Complete Merchant Solutions' best offerings is the Complete Mobile Pay software, which enables CMS merchants to accept mobile payments without the need for a cellular connection or expensive wireless terminal at the point of sale. It is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.

    Some useful features for your business include:

    • Customizable receipts
    • Compatibility with US banks
    • Data and fraud prevention tools to reduce chargeback rates
    • Secure storage of customer information for recurring purchases
    • Easy integration options

    Best Practices for Consumer Credit Card Payments

    Working with a merchant provider you trust, such as Complete Merchant Solutions, can give you access to secure merchant services that give all parties peace of mind during card payments. Some factors to look into include the level of security compliance and chargeback prevention.

    PCI Compliance

    Complying with PCI security standards can help you build trust with your customers and protect the reputation of your company. Merchant services that use strong firewalls and encryption can more effectively process, transmit, and store customer data like residential addresses, bank details, and more. This includes providers like Complete Merchant Solutions.

    Chargeback Prevention

    Merchant solutions should ideally include other measures to protect your business, such as offering chargeback alerts that can give you time to respond and offer customers a refund. This way, the chargeback won't be taken against you by your bank. Other methods offered by merchants like Complete Merchant Solutions include:

    • Having 3-D secure to provide added client verification and validation
    • Detecting mismatched shipping and billing addresses and suspicious rush shipping requests

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why are card processing fees so high?

    It's important to be aware of the three main factors that lead to card fees. Fraud is the first factor since most people have merchant accounts and will pay for fraud with increased fees and costs. The second factor is interchange rates, which are set by banks in order to avoid price wars between merchants. Finally, there’s a cost passed on from bank charges, like those incurred during online payments

    What score is needed for a business credit card?

    640 to 699 is the range business owners should be aware of. There are few cards available for this credit score and many require excellent or good credit scores in order to qualify, which proves challenging if you're struggling with your finances.

    Despite the challenges a score of 630-699 can present, some small businesses have found ways around it by making sure they maintain their accounts on time as well as pay off balances before interest rates increase each month.

    What is the difference between a credit card surcharge and a convenience fee?

    A surcharge is a fee you can add to every card purchase made by your customers. A convenience fee is a charge added when a customer makes an off-the-standard payment using alternative options like PayPal or Venmo.

    How can small businesses accept cards?

    Small businesses can accept card payments through various methods. They may use an online merchant gateway like Stripe or PayPal, set up a POS system with their own merchant account, or they could even go as far as accepting payments through a mobile app on their smartphone.

    How can I accept card payments without a machine?

    You no longer have to work with a merchant account in order for your small business to accept card payments. You can just go through an intermediary like PayPal or Stripe, and they'll take care of things such as back-end payment processing and accepting payments securely through HTTPS.

    You are still responsible for getting yourself PCI compliant though—that means installing some anti-virus software and firewalls so that malicious hackers won’t be able to steal any information from these transactions.

    If you're looking for a merchant solutions provider for your business, Complete Merchant Solutions is one of the best merchant services providers in terms of the variety of industry-targeted payment services they offer to brands. There are very few customer complaints across review websites, and their contract terms are relatively competitive when it comes to merchant accounts.  

    For additional insights on merchant solutions and payment processors for your business, feel free to read our latest tips on finding the best payment processors at Processing Card.