What to Look for in Credit Card Processing Reviews

Which credit card processing reviews matter?

If you search for credit card processing reviews online you'll get results from review sites, Google, Facebook, and blogs among others. With so many credit card processing reviews available with just a quick search, it can be difficult to determine which reviews to give the most weight to.

Credit card processor reviews aren't all equal, the quality of the information and knowledge of the reviewer can impact how helpful the reviews are. To ensure you're able to distinguish a good review from a mediocre payment processor review when choosing the best payment provider for your business, here are a few things to look for.

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Fairness

The first thing you want to look for in a review is fairness, if the author displays a clear bias, then it'll be important to evaluate the information in the review with that in mind. Credit card processing reviews written by people who had a negative experience with a payment processor, work for a payment processor, or are paid by the review site may have a bias that is reflected in the review. If the reviewer makes a strong statement about a payment processor, either positive or negative, be sure that the statement is supported by facts or reasoning. Unsupported claims may indicate that the reviewer is not being fair.

Transparency

If someone has been hired to write a review, either by a payment processor, a marketing agency, or another entity, it's important for them to disclose that the review has been written in exchange for compensation. There are still quality reviews written in exchange for compensation, and the information included in these reviews can still be used to decide which payment processor is right for your business, as long as you know why it was written.

Knowing what motivated someone to write the review helps you evaluate the information and weigh the impact it should have on your final decision. The same applies if the review is written by someone who works for the company that is being reviewed. While this individual will have accurate and detailed information about the payment processor, knowing that it's their employer will affect how you interpret the review.

Pros and Cons

A quality review should include both positive points and potential drawbacks. Drawbacks don't necessarily mean that the payment processor does something wrong, but it could be something that they do not specialize in, or simply don't offer. If a review is entirely positive and does not mention any gaps or areas for improvement, then there might be some cause for concern regarding the transparency or fairness of the review.

Some credit card processing services might offer really great customer support, but they don't have shopping cart integrations. A review that goes into detail for both of these points can be especially helpful when you're trying to decide which credit card processing company is right for your business.

Details

A good review should be detailed, the reviewer shouldn't just tell you that the payment processor is great, but also tell you why they are great. If you're looking for the best payment processors for small businesses, check that the review includes details on why a payment processor is great for small businesses, whether it's their competitive rates, in-person customer service, or easy-to-use software. Each time the reviewer includes the "what" ensure that it is followed by a detailed description of why they made that claim.

Trends

As you read through multiple review sites and payment processor websites, you are likely going to notice trends for what differentiates different payment processors. If a company says they offer exceptional customer service, check if that claim is echoed in the reviews for the payment processor, or third-party websites as well. If you notice the same feature or benefit reflected in multiple places, then it's probably true.

The same goes for reviews or experiences that are disappointing. If you find one review for a payment processor that references slow shipping times, but no one else has mentioned that, then it's probably not a regular occurrence. While it's always unfortunate when a customer has a poor experience, if only one person mentions it, then it's probably not something to be concerned about.

Hopefully, these tips will help you evaluate the credit card processing reviews you come across. While the amount of information online can seem endless, knowing how to pick out quality reviews will help you make informed decisions. For more information on how to select a payment processor, check out our article on The Best and Worst Practices of Canadian Merchant Account Providers.

Helcim wants to make it easy for you to find the information you need to decide which credit card processor is right for your business. This is why we list all of our pricing information openly on our website.