Merchant One is a credit card processing (CCP) service that can work for a range of business types, even those with lower credit scores. It offers point-of-sale (POS) and ecommerce solutions to help you sell your products and services in any setting. With free terminals, no setup fee, and a 98% approval rate, it could be ideal for newer businesses or those still working to improve.
Monthly fee : $13.95
Per swipe fee : 0.29%-1.55%
Setup fee : $0
Cancellation fee : Not specified
PCI compliance fee : Included in monthly fee
Best for : Businesses without a perfect credit score
Terminals : Pax S80, Pax S500, FD-130, Verifone VX-520, Clover Flex, Clover Go
If you need a main point-of-sale (POS) solution for your business, you can lease the Clover Station or Clover Mini from Merchant One.
Clover Station has a large display screen with software that lets you manage inventory, employees, and payments from 1 central point. The smaller Clover Mini allows you to customize features according to your budget. If you use the Clover terminals, they will sync with the Clover POS stations for real-time updates of inventory and sales.
When you sign up for Merchant One’s credit card processing service, you’ll get free terminals with a choice of 4 basic models: the Pax S80, Pax S500, FD-130, or Verifone VX-520. All are Europay-, Mastercard-, and Visa-ready (EMV) and can accept tap payments. The Pax S500 and Verifone VX-520 can use WiFi.
If you require a more advanced solution, you can lease a range of Clover products. For terminals, Merchant One offers the Clover Flex, a compact device that accepts all card payments (swipe, chip, or tap). You can also lease Clover Go, a device that transforms any phone into a payment terminal so you can take any type of card payment.
Although you’ll need to pay extra for the Clover products, Merchant One offers free training and in-house service to make things simple.
You can also lease a range of other devices to turn mobiles into card payment processors: the Magtek ADynamo, BBPOS Chipper, and Swift B250 SwipeSimple. These small additional devices mean you don’t need to buy and carry around bulky terminals—ideal for businesses like market stalls or food trucks, where space is in short supply.
Merchant One offers a few other services that might be useful. If you’re running an ecommerce business, either separate from or alongside your physical store, you can use Merchant One’s payment gateway. This lets you take payments virtually and set up recurring payments like subscriptions.
You can also allow customers to store their card details for future purchases and buy with 1 click. The payment gateway also comes with over 175 integrations with other shopping cart software.
Because Merchant One puts together a personalized program for your business, there’s no set pricing plan. Instead, you can request a quote from the website. This isn’t an instant process, but Merchant One will reach out once you’ve submitted your details to help work out the best solution for you.
In terms of administration fees, it’s great to see that there’s no charge for setup. Rates per transaction will vary according to merchant and contract, but fall into the following ranges:
|
Transaction |
Fee per transaction |
|
Qualified swiped rate |
0.29%-1.55% |
|
Qualified keyed-in rate |
0.29%-1.99% |
There’s also an ongoing monthly fee of $13.95. This is a little higher than some competitors, but factoring in unlimited support from the account manager might make Merchant One feel like good value for money.
Getting started with Merchant One is really straightforward. First, get in touch with the company to discuss your needs. Your account manager will draw up a program proposal personalized to your business.
You then need to apply, including submitting your credit details. Even if you have a less-than-perfect credit score, Merchant One approves up to 98% of applications, and there’s a quick turnaround of 24 hours in most cases.
Once you’re approved and have signed the contract, the Welcome Team will confirm everything and help you get set up for taking payments. Your Account Manager will support you as you move forwards, and you can get unlimited training from them whenever you need it.
Merchant One has been running for 20 years and works with companies across a range of industries. Its focus is on offering simple and easy-to-implement payment solutions to enable businesses of all sizes to work more effectively. It’s based in Florida and offers its own products and services rather than acting as a middleman.
Merchant One doesn’t yet have an FAQs page on its website, but if you need support you can get in touch 24/7 by phone, email, or via a contact form on the website. At this time, there’s no live chat available, which might be a useful addition.
However, Merchant One makes up for this by having an emphasis on highly-rated personal support from its account managers. On Trustpilot, the company has an average score of 4.8/5 from 11,856 reviews (as of January 2025). Reviewers praise the account managers, saying that working with them has made the process less stressful than it could have been.
Merchant One’s main selling point is the dedicated first-rate support from your account manager. You’ll get personalized help from someone who knows your business—the major reason for Merchant One’s high level of customer satisfaction.
You’ll also get free terminals, although if you want to upgrade to something more advanced, you’ll need to lease the equipment. Luckily, Merchant One includes free training on using Clover products, and you can get them serviced in-house, too. This cuts down your time going between different providers.
If you have a virtual business, you can also use Merchant One to provide your ecommerce payment gateway. And, for newer businesses, or those still building their credit score, it’s great to know that Merchant One has a 98% approval rate and 24-hour turnaround—even for those with lower credit ratings. With no setup fee, Merchant One is certainly worth a look for people who need a quick and supportive CCP solution.