| Services | MerchantGuy® | Authorize.net® | PayPal Pro® |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkout on your web site | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Single Pay Checkout | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone Application | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Recurring Billing Option | $0 | $10 | $0 |
| Expiration date rounding for recurring billing | Yes | No | No |
| Shop for competitive rates | Yes | No | No |
| Personal Customer Service (No 1-800 Number) | Yes | No | No |
| E-Check Service | Yes | Yes | No |
| Integrates with Quickbooks | Yes | No | No |
| Protected by credit card comsumer protection laws | Yes | Yes | No |
| Direct Deposit into checking account | Yes | Yes | No |
| PCI Certificate for SSL Website | $55 | $250 | $319 |
| Setup Fee | $0 | $99 | $0 |
| Gateway Fee | $25 | $30 | $30 |
| Chance for account or funds to be frozen | No | No | Yes |
| Pricing for $3000.00 in monthly sales | 2.2%+$0.25 | 2.9%+$0.30* | 2.9%+$0.30* |
*All pricing verified 12/1/2016
MerchantGuy (ISO) vs. Paypal, Square, Stripe, and other Group Accounts (IPSP)
MerchantGuy is an Independent Sales Organization (ISO), a specialist in merchant accounts that can adjust your account configuration and rates to be appropriate for your business. ISOs work directly with banks and credit card processors to set up their clients with individual merchant accounts. These accounts provide more account stability, FDIC insured transactions, and reduced processing fees. If your business is stable and doing more than $3,000 in sales a month, getting your own merchant account through MerchantGuy is the best choice for you.
Paypal, Google Checkout, Square, and Stripe.com are Internet Payment Service Providers (IPSP). With these services, you don’t open your own line of credit through a merchant account and instead use theirs. They charge higher rates for their service to cover the risk they assume in processing your transactions. IPSPs can also freeze your account in certain circumstances, which you can avoid with a direct merchant account. If you are a startup business or are doing less than $3000 a month in sales, an IPSP is a good fit for your business. This type of account can be set up quickly with little to no paperwork or documentation but, you will pay a higher rates and there is risk that your account may be frozen, your deposits being delayed up to 180 days or your account forced closed without notification.
