National Processing Satisfies Merchants with Exemplary Service and Straightforward Pricing

In a Nutshell: Merchants intent on growing their businesses need to accept numerous forms of payment from their customers. National Processing is a payment processor that prioritizes customer service and offers transparent pricing plans. The company’s solutions suit businesses operating in various industries. National Processing’s suite of payment tools allows merchants to accept in-person and online payments.

Consumers can be frustrated with service providers when they raise fees without providing additional value. For example, someone moving to a new town may spend a significant amount of time researching the internet providers available in the area and comparing their service offerings and rates. If the provider they purchase service from raises the rates the customer initially agreed to, the customer may feel betrayed and look to move to another provider.

Companies can also be frustrated when their business partners increase rates or introduce new fees. National Processing is a payment processor that provides merchants with transparent pricing. We spoke with Wayne Hamilton, the company’s Founder and CEO, to learn more about the company and how it serves merchant needs.

In the 2000s, Hamilton worked for a bank involved in processing ACH and credit card transactions. Hamilton said most payment processors didn’t use an interchange-plus pricing model at that time. 

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover establish and publish their interchange rates, which can vary by card type. Credit cards and debit cards may have different interchange rates assigned to them.

Payment processors that use interchange-plus pricing take the interchange rates published by card corporations and add their margin to that figure. Hamilton said payment processors such as National Processing split that margin with their bank and other partners.

“The majority of processing fees are typically going back to companies such as Visa or Mastercard,” Hamilton said. “I think most people understand that. But the split beyond that amount is pretty minimal. That’s how you configure interchange-plus pricing — you’re tacking on a percentage on top of the costs charged by Visa and Mastercard.”

National Processing first launched its interchange-plus pricing model when many other payment processors offered tiered pricing plans that merchants found unfavorable. Hamilton said National Processing cares for its customers by educating them on interchange-plus pricing and how the company can offer them the best rates possible.

National Processing competes against other payment processors, but Hamilton said the company offers better service and lower prices than its competitors. National Processing offers flat-rate pricing to entry-level merchants that want to avoid the complexity of an interchange-plus pricing schedule. 

Hamilton said some payment processors don’t offer interchange-plus pricing, which allows National Processing to capitalize on the opportunity to provide pricing models that best meet merchant needs. Interchange-plus pricing is especially attractive to the company’s larger clients.

National Processing works with clients of all sizes. The company engages with organizations in various industries, including food and beverage businesses and companies operating in the health and wellness space.

“We take on a lot of different types of businesses that come through our doors,” Hamilton said. “We’ll work with almost every single business we can as long as they aren’t doing anything illegal or immoral. For people who are looking for a credit card processor, we’re pretty prolific out on the web. We really want to be one of the best offers out there. And we’re very competitive against any other options a merchant can turn to.”

Hamilton said the practices of some payment processors have caused the industry as a whole to have a poor reputation in the eyes of some merchants. But he attributes National Processing’s success to its desire to do what’s best for its customers in the long run. 

National Processing avoids engaging in the deceptive practices that have damaged the reputations of some of its competitors. Hamilton said most credit card processors will raise the rates they charge merchants annually or semiannually, but National Processing doesn’t increase its rates every year.

Hamilton said the company keeps its rates consistent, even for customers who’ve used National Processing for their payment processing needs for 10 years or longer. The company has attracted numerous merchants over the years that have left their prior payment processors because they didn’t appreciate the scores of rate hikes the processors forced on them.

Hamilton said some processors can be misleading when they present pricing options to merchants.

“Some processors will make it look like they’re offering a better rate than they actually are, but we want to give you the actual rate that Visa or Mastercard is using,” Hamilton explained. “If somebody’s sophisticated enough, they have the ability to go look at the publicly released rates from Visa, Mastercard, or another card brand. And they can calculate if their processor is communicating their rates honestly with them.”

National Processing used to require its clients to sign a contract before they began using the company as their payment processor. National Processing no longer employs contracts with its customers — the company allows them to cancel their service at any time. Hamilton said the practice of not using contracts reiterates to customers that National Processing is committed to serving them and earning their business every month.

National Processing offers merchants a self-service enrollment option that allows them to verify their identities in minutes. The company ships verified merchants a terminal or enables them to accept card payments online.  

National Processing has agents available to speak to merchants who seek to explore their options with an expert.

“Point-of-sale systems have gotten really complicated with the amount of complex software and vendors that are out there,” Hamilton said. “We’ll walk our customers through the options available to them, so they can find what they’re looking for. We try to be a thought leader with our customers so they can understand the pros and cons of any device or product available.”

Many of National Processing’s customers are new small businesses that don’t yet have a significant volume of card payments. Hamilton said National Processing  provides small businesses with straightforward solutions that are competitive and cost-effective.

National Processing’s pricing plans offer merchants options based on the types of card payments they receive. Hamilton said the company’s rates can beat the base rates other payment processors charge, but besting a competitor’s rates is not National Processing’s primary focus.

“We’re looking to build a partnership with our customers and really take care of them,” Hamilton said. “It’s a long-term play. Realistically, we want to make sure our customers are in the right product for them over the life of their business.”

National Processing enjoys hearing from its customers and learning from their feedback. Hamilton said the company has tasked its onboarding and customer support teams with soliciting customer feedback on the phone. National Processing assesses input it receives from merchants to learn more about its strengths and areas in which it can improve.

As National Processing grows, it remains steadfast in its commitment to serving its customers and meeting their payment processing needs. 

“As we continue to build our reputation across the web and the different circles we operate in, we want to make sure that all of our customers are getting everything they need from us,” Hamilton said. “It continues to be an evolving and complex world out there for merchants and payment processors. We’re trying very hard to be the partner that people are looking for.”