Reviews

Leaders Merchant Services Review

July 18, 2022

Leaders Merchant Services provides payment processing services to businesses. Its complete suite of merchant solutions includes customized merchant accounts, processing equipment, and software, and 24/7 support. These are available to all business types, sizes, and industries. The company also promises same-day approvals and low rates.

Learn more about Leaders Merchant Services through this comprehensive review.

Overview of High-Risk Merchant Accounts and High-Risk Credit Card Processing

Leaders Merchant Services offers tailor-fit merchant accounts based on your business type, size, and industry. It comes with processing equipment and software to support a range of payment methods. Apart from credit cards and debit cards, merchants can also accept checks, gift cards, and more. Merchants will also benefit from low industry rates and 24/7 dedicated support.

   

You can apply for a merchant account through the website or by calling the hotline. The company guarantees high approval rates. In some cases, same-day approval may happen.

image of leaders merchant services logo

Leaders Merchant Services Services

Here is a quick overview of merchant services offered by Leaders Merchant Services.

Merchant Accounts

Merchant accounts are the company’s primary service. Leaders Merchant Services will customize your account depending on what best suits your business. It also works to secure the lowest possible rates and approve your account as fast as possible.

Payment Processing

With a merchant account from Leaders Merchant Services, you can process various payment types. These cover online, in-person, and on-the-go transactions.

For credit card payments, merchants can accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Debit card transactions are acceptable as well.

 

Apart from traditional types, merchants can also accept e-wallet payments like Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung Pay. Other alternative options include checks, gift cards, and loyalty cards.

POS Equipment and Software

image of pos equipment and software of leaders merchant services

Depending on your type of business, the company will provide the POS equipment or software to process payments.

For retail and mobile businesses, you can choose among the company’s Clover products. They include countertop terminals, wireless terminals, and POS systems that connect to your existing smartphone or tablet. They also come with pin pads, check readers, and printers. With this equipment, merchants can process swiped, EMV, and NFC transactions. Options include the Clover Station, Clover Flex, Clover Mini, or Clover Mobile.

Payment Gateway and Shopping Cart Integrations

For e-commerce and retail businesses, Leaders Merchant Services offers integrations with the Authorize.net payment gateway. You can incorporate it into your website or access it via a virtual terminal. The latter allows you to manually input data from telephone and mail transactions.

Another option is to integrate with the CartManager shopping cart. It is easy to set up and integrate into your existing website. Merchants can add unlimited products and payment methods. These include credit cards and e-checks, as well as coupons and special discounts. CartManager also offers several features like invoicing, shipping, tax calculations, order management tools, reports, affiliate programs, and more.

QuickBooks Integration

For online orders that do not require face-to-face interaction, the company provides internet-based solutions. One is Instant Accept for businesses using QuickBooks. It is a full-featured solution that allows you to accept payments via website, mail, or telephone.

 

Fraud Prevention

Leaders Merchant Services assures merchants of secure payments with its processing solutions. For one, its POS terminals and software integrations come with security tools. These include PCI compliance, SSL encryption, verification features, and more.

image of leaders merchant services fraud prevention

Leaders Merchant Services Rates

Leaders Merchant Services does not disclose its exact pricing on its website. However, it claims to offer low industry rates. It aims to beat or at least your current pricing. If not, the company will reward you with a $200 gift card.

While its pricing is not certain, we have found a few independent review sites that claim to know some of the details. These include:

  • A merchant account setup fee of $25
  • A monthly service fee of at least $10
  • A PCI non-compliance fee estimated at $40 per month
  • A chargeback fee of $35

For the Authorize.net payment gateway, businesses that deal directly with the provider can typically expect the following rates. However, given that Leaders Merchant Services is a reseller, they may increase these rates.

  • Payment gateway fee: $25 per month
  • Transaction rate: 2.90 percent plus $0.30 per transaction
  • Batch processing fee: $0.15

All that said, it is still best to consult the company for an exact quote. You can contact them through the website or via call.

 

High-Risk Industries Leaders Merchant Services Serves

Leaders Merchant Services does not provide a list of high-risk industries on its website, although it claims to cater to all types of businesses. These include online, retail, mobile, and MOTO merchants. Contact the company directly to find out if you are eligible for its merchant services.

 

Other Notable Features of Leaders Merchant Services’ High-Risk Merchant Accounts

24/7 Dedicated Merchant Support

image of leaders merchant services

Merchants will benefit from 24/7 technical support from Leaders Merchant Services. Its goal is to resolve issues as fast as possible.

Cash Advances and Business Loans

Leaders Merchant Services also extends its merchant services to cash advances and business loans. It aims to help merchants grow their businesses.

 

Leaders Merchant Services Reputation and Reviews

Leaders Merchant Services was established in 1999 and has decades of experience in merchant services. According to its website, it has worked with thousands of businesses across the United States. It is also a BBB-accredited company and has an A- rating from the organization.

Despite its experience and credentials, the company has a mostly negative online reputation. It appears on several independent review sites, most of which gave it a 1-star rating. These include CardFellow, Merchant Maverick, Cardpaymentoptions.com, and NerdWallet. They highlight the company’s contract terms, hidden fees, and lack of transparency as the main factors. They also acknowledge the high amount of bad experiences with the company.

Leaders Merchant Services has several complaints across platforms. Its BBB profile alone has 168 complaints and a 1.2-star rating from 41 custom reviews. Furthermore, it has a 1.5-star rating based on 119 Yelp reviews and a 1-star rating based on 47 Google reviews. Most merchants complain about deceitful contract terms and unexpected charges.

Many have also experienced poor and unreliable customer service. Some have also gone as far as calling the company fraud or a scam. They warn merchants against manipulative sales tactics and dishonest promises. In some cases, the company responded to complaints and offered refunds.

While negative reviews outweigh the positive ones, some merchants highly recommend the company. Quite the opposite, they praise the company’s customer support and low fees.

image of leaders merchant services customer reviews

Conclusion

Leaders Merchant Services has a long-standing track record in merchant services. The company has over 20 years of experience and has worked with thousands of businesses. It offers payment processing solutions for all business types, although it is mostly known for its credit card terminals and equipment.

While its credentials seem impressive, interested merchants should proceed with caution. The high number of negative reviews show complaints about hidden fees and bad contract terms. That said, it’s best to consult the company first before making a decision. Use this chance to raise any concerns and clarify past complaints.

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