Originally Posted by jbootes

i can get an ssl from godaddy for $18 a year why would i pay hundreds for one form variSign? i realize there is a diffrence in warrenty amount .... but come on.

Originally Posted by jbootes

i plan on using X-cart for my shopping cart and they recomend their partners CDGcommerce as a merchant account, who intern reccomends authorize.net for the payment gateway.

paypal has payflow but i cant determine if that is a gatway/merchant account in one? or just a gateway and i provide my own merchant account?

Originally Posted by stymiee

Authorize.Net is an excellent choice for the payment gateway. This will usually be provided by your merchant account provider.

Originally Posted by jbootes

Does this mean i should just fund a merchant account provider and they will provide the gateway?

I was under the impression that I had to choose them myself and make the connections.

Thanks for the feed back!!

Originally Posted by jbootes

the authorize.net web site list what they call resellers, that offer merchant accounts with free authorize.net gateway setup.

Originally Posted by jbootes

It makes sence that if authorize.net is promoting these resellers on their site they must all be sound reputable companies.

Originally Posted by jbootes

however there is quite a diffrence in price between them and some of the sites look like they were programed by amatures at best. Not clean looking professional sites at all. maybe im just anial, but ive allways ben suspicious of sites that look like this. I dont think its coincadence that these sites are the ones that have the lowest prices.

CDG Commerce is okay. Neither great nor bad. Shop around and see what other rates you can get. If I remember right they had an anuual fee or something like that which should be avoided.

Originally Posted by cdgcommerce

I am honestly very surprised to see you post something like this. Our company has maintained a great reputation in the industry for many years and that is the reason why companies like X-Cart and many others have opted to partner with us.

Originally Posted by cdgcommerce

In addition, to set the record straight, CDGcommerce has always been a major advocate against both annual and early termination fees.

You will never find a merchant account plan that we offer that has an early termination fee and unless one of our independent marketing partners specifically elects to charge an annual fee, there won't be an annual fee either.

Originally Posted by stymiee

Most partnerships are formed as a financial decision where both parties benefit. It would be nice if companies made decisions based on morals and ethics but we all know that's not how it works.

Those independent marketing partners operate under the CDGCommerce name and thus represent your company. You can't say that CDGCommerce is against annual and early termination fees and then let sales agents use your name to push those very same fees. Either CDGCommerce doesn't allow them to be charged, or by allowing their sales agents to sell them under their name, you are endorsing them.

Originally Posted by cdgcommerce

I'm really not sure what you are trying to imply here - if anything - but I can tell you first hand that while our reseller programs are generous, the #1 reason why resellers sign up with us is because they trust that we will take good care of their clients.

Profits from merchant processing only last if you retain your clients and keep them very satisfied. If an agent sends an account to a merchant processor that ends up losing the account, those profits don't last very long at all and no one wins. (Not to mention, it would be a big negative for the person referring the account and it could cost them other business!)

If you take very good care of your clients - whether big or small - you will get a tremendous amount of referral business and build word of mouth. This is true for any business and especially the merchant processing industry.

Originally Posted by cdgcommerce

First and foremost, you are completely mis-stating what I just said above. I said that no CDGcommerce merchant account - including those offered by agents - has any early termination fees. We stand behind our service and I can't think of anything that shows greater confidence in our service than having an across the board no early termination fee policy.

Originally Posted by cdgcommerce

However, it is quite improper to somehow paint a picture of a typical CDGcommerce merchant account as having an annual fee. You would be excedingly hard pressed to find even an example or two of any online promotion by one of our agents with an annual fee component.

Originally Posted by cdgcommerce

In addition, I really don't feel your mention of "pushing these fees" is appropriate. We go out of our way as a business to provide full disclosure to all merchants in triplicate.

Originally Posted by cdgcommerce

I do agree with you that it is important to always do the right thing. And I think that everyone wins when businesses are honest and ethical. It is good for morality and also good for business.