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Shaw Merchant Group
Wednesday, August 02 2023
Considering a career in merchant services? Here's what you need to know first!

Merchant services is quickly becoming one of the hottest industries to be in. There are a variety of factors that are attracting people in masses to this industry including flexible work schedule, increased earnings, and an exciting, fast-paced career in business. However, not every corner of this industry is a cookie-cutter example of the perfect life. There are certainly benefits to be had by working in merchant services, but there are also things that you should know beforehand if you want to really get the most out of your experience. With these facts in hand, you can be sure that your career in merchant services more closely follows what you actually want to be doing and how you envision your perfect work life.

Different types of merchant services careers

The first thing to understand if you are thinking of a career in merchant services is that there are several different areas within the broad umbrella of merchant services that you can do. Merchant services such as processing are offered by more than one company and is a highly competitive industry. This means that not only agent positions are available, but also various other support positions that surround sales. If you want to become a merchant services agent, there are a couple different ways that you can go.

The first way to become a merchant services agent is to apply for a position at a large corporation or bank in a standard sales role. In this role you would be expected to meet sales goals, have a manager to answer to, and otherwise be restricted by the rigidity of how they do business. The other option is to become a merchant services agent that is independent and works with a merchant services partnerships program to earn a commission of each sale. Each of these positions have their benefits, and we will review them here.

The first type of merchant services sales position that we mentioned was with a larger company that has a manager to answer to. In a position like this, a merchant services sales professional would have a very small territory that doesn’t generally expand much beyond where they are based out of. As a result, commission opportunities are rather limited. Someone that works in this position would have very limited upside potential and room for error if they want to earn a good living with selling merchant services. In addition, they would be limited by the corporate structure of the company that they are working for. In this situation, it is hard to find passion in the job because you feel more like an account manager than a real sales professional with control over their destiny.

That brings us to the other type of merchant services sales position. This sales position is much more independent and operates on a commission structure out of their home or wherever they would like their office to be. Because they are not beholden to corporate offices or territories, their sales scope is much larger and they can serve almost anybody that they please. They can travel to visit their merchants, forming a tighter and more lucrative bond. Their earnings potential is unlimited because their merchant selection is also unlimited. They are happier in their job, make more money, have more flexibility, and are not tied to the desk. Someone in this position is usually much more pleased with their career in merchant services and generally makes more money, as well.

If you are choosing a career in merchant services, knowing about the two different paths that you can take is absolutely essential. When people talk about the benefits of being in merchant services and what a great career it can be, they are generally referring to those that choose to work independently with a merchant services partner program and earn commissions on their own schedule instead of being restricted by a desk in a corporate office. You should think carefully about which of these situations is better for you before you select a career pathway in merchant services so that you can plan accordingly and ensure that you put yourself in a good situation to succeed.

Earnings difference between types of merchant services careers

One of the most stark differences between those that work for large corporations to sell merchant services and those that choose a more independent path is the earnings potential. For those stuck in a corporate job, the earnings potential is far more restricted and the path to a high income is basically impossible. The reason is that these individuals are mainly restricted by their contracts which award them very little for a sale and instead keep more of the profits for the company. In this structure, sales professionals are hardly incentivized to sell and are rarely rewarded for their hard work.

In contrast, those that decide to work for themselves have a much different experience. Yes, you risk more upfront because nothing is guaranteed in this line of work, but the long-term payoff can be so much better. When you work independently or under a ISO agent program, the earnings potential is unlimited and restricted only by how hard and how much you work. If you want to achieve a high income, you can put in the work to attain it. You are rewarded for how hard you work and you have flexibility in what you do.

Is a career in merchant services right for you?

With this information in mind, the decision you must make is whether merchant services are right for you. WIth the right career path, a job in merchant services sales can be one of the most liberating careers out there. However, if you choose to restrict yourself in a corporate merchant services job, you might quickly find that this type of merchant services sales doesn’t make for a very fulfilling career. You should carefully consider these two possible pathways before you jump into merchant services sales and decide which one is going to be right for you.

Posted by: Scott Shaw AT 02:15 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email

ISO Agent Partnerships

Become a payment service provider today and take your business to the next level. If you are a sales-oriented individual with vast experience in the world of payment processing or you are a driven and motivated professional looking for a new challenge, the SMG ISO agent program might be a great fit for you. With the highest paying commission structure in the industry, superior products, and sales support, our program will see to it that you are rewarded for your efforts.

For anyone with a sales background or a passion for the payments industry, SMG is the ideal partnership. There are dozens of reasons to become a sales partner with Shaw Merchant Group, but don’t just take our word for it. Here are some of the top reasons that we were given when we asked our ISO agent participants why they chose us and why they continue to work with our highly lucrative program.

Sales Partner Portal

With our industry leading partner portal, you’ll have access to online enrollment, training sessions, marketing materials, and you’ll always be ahead of the game with the latest news and promotions.

Alerts

Stay up-to-date on merchant issues and their resolutions via automated emails and text messages that include a detailed ticket number describing what the merchant’s concern was and how it was resolved.

Registered DBA (White Label)

With our program, you’ll be able to market under your own brand, without paying costly fees! Your brand will be seen on the partner portal, marketing communications, merchant statements, and more.

Free Equipment for Your Merchants

Selling businesses on a new processing plan is much easier when you are able to effortlessly jump over the hurdle of the cost of the equipment. With this program, you can offer your clients free equipment that they will need for their processing provider change. This lowers the barrier to switching and creates a higher conversion rate for you.

Lifetime Passive Income

You will recieve 50–70% of residual income based on the pay structure you select. You will share income on every available revenue stream. With SMG, you get a True Interchange Revenue Split. Unlike other ISO agent programs, there is no basis points off the top for BIN sponsorship or for what they call hidden losses. Our sales partners earn more residual income with our 50/50 partner program than you would with our competition who claim to offer a higher percentage because thier interchange cost (buy rate) is higher.

$20K Performance Bonus

We offer a performance-based fast start bonus that is payable for anyone that onboards more than the standard threshold of clients in the first 4 months. This program is designed to reward those experienced sales members that join our team and quickly learn how to sell this product. The bonus can reach up to $20,000, making it one of the most lucrative and competitive in the industry.

Profitability Based Bonuses

We will look at how much profit is generated on the account after they have been processing for one month and you earn 14 times of the total profit. Example: If we retain $100 in residuals in that month, the bonus would be 14 x $100 or $1,400. You would have already been paid $600, so we would pay you an additional $800 on that account. This bonus is capped at a max of $10,000 per merchant per location. With our dual pricing program it is easier than ever to earn huge bonuses with a 14x profitability bonus. This dual pricing model enables you to maximize your bonus at $10,000 on almost every merchant processing over $90k.

Dual Pricing Program

When you are selling merchant services, one of the best assets of any partner program is more rewards and incentive programs that save your client money. The Edge dual pricing program is one of the hottest new commodities in credit card processing, as it is designed to save the client thousands of dollars in credit card processing cost, instead passing on the fee to the consumer in a way that isn’t damaging to their own conversion rate and revenue. We offer this program to our clients and make it easy to understand and present for our sales partners.

Medical Benefits

With some sales jobs, you don’t even have the option for medical coverage. With the SMG ISO agent program, you’ll have the resources that you need to provide healthcare coverage to you and your family at an affordable rate. We take care of our own, and when you are in our program you will have access to these benefits.

White Label ISO Program

Grow Your Merchant Services ISO with White-Label Payment Solutions

As an independent sales organization (ISO), you can upgrade your business by providing merchant processing services under your own brand. You may dismiss the idea at first, probably thinking that you don’t have the infrastructure or expertise to set up your own payment processing company. However, with white label payment processing, all you really need is a good ISO partner.

How a White Label ISO Program Works

To offer payment processing services under your own brand, your ISO partner will provide you with an online application page that doesn’t identify their company. This “white label” solution is ready for your brand and includes your logo, colors, and contact information, so your merchants only identify the payment solutions with your company. It eliminates any confusion among your merchant customers about who their service provider and primary contact should be. Your brand is the only thing the merchant will see on your website, merchant portal, and marketing materials. 

Your payments ISO partner becomes a silent partner, providing technology, payments functionality, and services. This puts you in more control, allowing you to deliver seamless, consistent customer experiences in all interactions – and enhance your brand’s reputation. With this white label payment solution, you won’t need to overcome negative perceptions a prospect may have about the company your working with. This is because you are creating a unique customer experience. Better still, you don't have to fall in line with another company's existing customer experience. 

Once you start providing white label payment services, you will also find that you build stronger, longer lasting relationships with your merchants. They'll begin to view you as a payments expert and an expert in the other solutions you provide. You may even find you are able to grow your customer base, as merchants in every vertical or niche can benefit from accepting payments, enabling you to market to more types of businesses.

Remember: white label payment processing enables you to earn huge residual income.

Our White Label Program Will Save You Thousands in Fees

Put your brand on merchant statements and applications — build your brand with your sub-agents and merchants. Full white label payment solution with your logo and branding on applications, statements, online enrollment, merchant and partner portals.

We at Shaw Merchant Group have an awesome white label solution. There is no huge package of documents for you to fill out, no approval process by Visa and Mastercard and the sponsor banks, and best of all no annual dues. Here are some details on the “White Label ISO” program:

  • Roughly 4–5 weeks to fully set up once we get the signed license document back.
  • Executed addendum from you saying it’s OK for us to use your brand too.
  • This program can run on our standard schedule A’s with bonus and free equipment and has no other obligations. from you other than the standard agent agreement.
  • When we set up the DBA you will have access to EPX/BMO Harris for submitting merchants under your brand.

What do we brand?

  • Paper Applications
  • Online Applications (Simplified Enrollment)
  • Partner.PaymentsHub for your back office.
  • PaymentsHub for your merchants — It’s generic when your merchant logs in and then show your brand once inside.
  • Merchant Support Email — TMS (ticket management system) which emails you and your merchant each time we speak with your merchant and shows the proper brand in the notice and as the from address on the email.
  • Merchant Support Phone — Our call centers answer with a generic “merchant services” then once they have the MID identified, they represent your brand.
  • Deployment Packages — Generic boxes and welcome docs inside with proper brand.

What we need:

  1. A letter authorizing EPX to register your DBA on your company letterhead.
  2. A high resolution image of your company logo.
  3. A certificate of good standing from the state you are registered in. It may not be called a certificate of 'good standing' in some states.
  4. The ISO Branding request form.

    ©2023 Shaw Merchant Group is a registered DBA of EPX, a registered ISO of BMO Harris Bank N.A., Chicago, IL, Fresno First Bank, Fresno, CA, and Citizens Bank N.A., Providence, RI.