The timeshare industry has seen unprecedented growth over the past decade. Valued at over $12.5 billion, the timeshare industry is a lush opportunity for large profits and a continuous stream of revenue. However, despite the success of the present-day timeshare industry, traditional banks and other financial institutions still perceive it riddled with risks they’re not willing to take.
If you’re looking to get started on a timeshare venture and you’re in search of the best timeshare merchant account to process your cashless payments, we’re serving up a shortlist of the three best providers to support your business.
As a high risk specialist, eMerchant Broker is well-known for its flexible and reasonable contract terms that give hard-to-place merchants a shot at a level playing field. Unlike other providers, EMB offers a complete range of financial products and services, even going as far as offering their own proprietary payment gateway to streamline cashless payments and give you executive control over all transactions.
With a very high merchant acceptance rate, EMB’s services are the most accessible for high risk merchants in the timeshare industry. Of course, they do come at a price. For starters, EMB only exclusively offers tiered pricing for all of their clients. They also impose early termination fees and slightly higher rates compared to most of their competition in order to make up for their increased risk appetite.
Nevertheless, EMB does its part to provide clients with polished services that maximize safety and control. With dynamic payments accepted in a variety of forms and excellent customer support and chargeback protection, eMerchant Broker delivers solutions that can help timeshare merchants hold on to clients and prevent transaction reversals.
If there’s one thing that Soar Payments is best known for, it’s compatibility and integration. All of their products and features seamlessly integrate with various shopping carts and CRM software to make it easier for new clients to adapt to their tools and features.
Among the solutions they provide to timeshare clients is their physical retail point-of-sale hardware. This allows timeshare merchants to accept payments anywhere, which is important when conducting marketing events at the actual property being put up as a timeshare. Of course, mobile payments, virtual terminals, and eCommerce payments are also available with Soar’s merchant service packages.
Finally, there’s their customer support. Soar Payments has a pristine track record evidenced by countless reviews that talk about their dedication to championing their clients towards success. So you can expect to receive prompt, efficient assistance whenever you might need it.
Although they might not be quite as prominent as other merchant service providers, there’s one thing about them that makes them stand out: zero complaints filed with the BBB. Now, that’s relatively unheard of since most clients are quick to leave a bad review when even the slightest mishaps occur with their merchant and payment processing providers. So Instabill’s clean track record speaks volumes about the kind of service they provide.
Instabill specializes in offshore and international merchant accounts that help timeshare merchants accommodate various cards and payments from clients in most parts of the world. This can be especially helpful since many timeshare prospects might come from outside of the property’s locale.
In terms of fees and rates, Instabill’s website remains mum and doesn’t really provide a lot of information about the cost of their charges. However, they are quick to respond and they provide reasonable terms that most risk-prone merchants would be happy to work with.
Being part of the travel merchant industry, timeshare merchants are considered high risk because of the uncertainties that surround the structure of their business. Don’t be misled — there are lots of stable timeshare companies out there. But even then, there is a heightened potential for chargebacks.
Timeshare properties are typically sold off to interested parties through various marketing events. These events take place on the properties in question to give potential clients an idea as to what they’re signing up for if they decide to shell out on the timeshare.
These marketing events can be so effective that people end up excitedly shelling out a down payment for the property while they’re there. The downside is that once these clients get home and have the chance to rethink their commitment, they might turn back on their decision and file for a chargeback to surrender their rights to the property.
Another reason why timeshares are high risk is that they charge clients on a recurring basis. These subscription-based payment schemes come with a higher risk of chargebacks because some clients may forget that they’re being charged on a monthly basis. Others decide to cancel their timeshare but fail to cancel before their recurring payment schedule, and end up opting for a chargeback instead.
Not quite sure what to look for in a timeshare merchant provider? Although you might feel desperate to just sign on with anyone willing to accept the risk associated with your business, there’s no point in gambling your venture’s future with a provider that can’t meet your needs.
Here are some qualities you might want to look out for with a merchant service provider for your timeshare venture:
Having a variety of payment terminals at your disposal makes it possible to accept payments anytime, anywhere. Offering payment solutions that let clients tender their down payment in cash wherever you may be can help improve your chances of sealing a deal.
Some providers have chargeback detection tools that tell you when you might be at risk of a chargeback. These tools let you prevent the risks and resolve matters with clients before they take it to the next step.
You should expect that a large fraction of your client base will come from outside of your local area especially if you’re involved in timeshare properties that are located in warm, sunny climates. The ability to accept payments in a variety of currencies may help you cater to foreigners looking to enjoy a timeshare property away from home.
There’s no single provider that’s been crowned the best timeshare merchant account specialist on the block, but there are a few that stick out as much better options than the rest. Consider these three vetted providers when you explore your options and bolster your timeshare operations with payment solutions that are designed for your growth.
