Many businesses do not realize the costs involved in starting to accept credit
cards until they've already paid an application fee, committed to a lease, or
purchased equipment without realizing there will be additional costs. We've
done our best here to outline what to expect to pay when working with Sunshine
Support Services to accept credit cards.
There are two costs to consider when accepting credit cards either on-line
or in a retail environment. First, there is the signup, equipment, and/or software
cost. The table below shows the options and costs associated with these items.
The second is the monthly fees, discount rates, transaction fees, etc. These
are explained in detail on our Merchant Account
Information page and vary by merchant. To receive a quote on these fees,
you can receive a free, no obligation quote through our Merchant
Account Inquiry page.
| Item |
Merchant Environment |
Purpose |
Cost |
| Application Fee |
All |
Process application and perform on site visit (required to
avoid fraudulent applications) |
$149 (refunded if not approved) |
| Electronic Payment
Software (EPS) |
All wishing to process credit cards directly through their
computer
NOTE: You cannot process checks through a credit card terminal making
EPS a requirement over a credit card terminal if check verification and/or
guarantee services are desired. |
Instead of purchasing dedicated credit card terminal, software can be
used to transmit your credit card and/or check transactions through your
computer's modem. |
$199 ($50 discount if signing up for ECHO through Sunshine Support
Services)
The Multilevel Management System ($599) with
the optional ECHO module ($49) contains complete EPS capabilities plus
numerous customer and inventory management features. |
| Magnetic
Stripe Reader (MSR) |
All using EPS where customers purchase in person. |
If your customers purchase in person from your
store, a MSR is a necessity to scan their credit cards into the EPS to receive
the lowest possible transaction rates. |
$79-$89 |
| MICR with built-in
MSR |
All using EPS where customers purchase in person
where check verification and/or guarantee services are desired. |
If you also accept checks and need account verification and/or guarantee
services offered by ECHO to avoid bad check writers, a MICR check reader
with built in MSR is required. |
$272 |
| Credit
Card Receipt Printer |
All using EPS where including credit card receipt with invoice/order is
desired. |
EPS can, optionally, print a credit card receipt
for signing by the customer. |
$135-$278 depending on model and features desired. |
| Credit Card Terminal |
Any business not using EPS or Internet Virtual Terminal for submitting
transactions. |
Scan the credit card or manually enter the card number and expiration
date and then the terminal transmits the information to ECHO through phone
via toll-free phone number. |
$395 or lease $24.95 for 24 months. |
| CC Terminal Printer |
Any using a credit card terminal where a credit card receipt is needed
for signing by customer. |
The credit card terminal can print a credit card receipt that is signed
by the customer. |
$295 or lease $16.95 for 24 months. |
| Internet Virtual Terminal |
Businesses that are mostly mail order/telephone/Internet
orders. |
Log onto ECHO secure web site to enter the credit card transactions. |
$95 initial setup plus $25/year administration
fee. |
| Internet Payment Gateway |
Required to allow customers to purchase directly on web site
with real-time credit card or electronic check verification. |
Your web site developer will need to write an interface
to the ECHO gateway to submit credit card and/or check transactions during
customer checkout process.
Sunshine Support Services offers this custom development should you not
have the expertise to perform such web programming on your own. Email
us for information. |
No cost for gateway access, however, the Internet
Virtual Terminal is required to access transaction information.
Custom development costs vary. |
