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will continue to be the driving factors in merchants' tion efforts. Similar to what the National Association
diminishing trust in our industry. of Realtors did by coining the "Realtor" designation

2. While the CPP is a great start, I strongly believe and further marketing its importance, the payments
there is an immense opportunity in our industry to industry would greatly benefit from a comparable ef-
go further with accreditation and continuing educa- fort.
However, even with a robust agent accreditation and
ongoing validation process in place, I believe that
Get the right merchants' dissatisfaction with our industry is large-

folks talking ly due to the actions of ISOs and processors well after
the agents have sold the deal. No matter how well-
about your trained, scrutinized and monitored the agents of our
industry become, it's massively difficult to overcome
business with a the effects that lackluster support, rate creep and
the onslaught of junk fees have on the satisfaction of
merchants.
Green Sheet A merchant advocate's perspective

Company profile! Rob, founder of SMBCompare, asked that his last name
not be used. He noted that because he operates an in-
dependent comparison platform rather than an ISO or
COMPANY agent, he views these issues primarily from the mer-
PROFILE chant's perspective.

1. Legitimate protection versus predatory behavior.
Company Name There is nothing wrong with contracts or exit fees.
go
L Logo Contact The problem is a deal built so a merchant cannot an-
o
Position
Phone Number swer two simple questions before they sign: what am
I actually paying, and what does it cost to get out. We
Email Address
Website see it in our own data.
Company’s story:
One popular processor advertises a headline 2.49
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing percent, among the lowest rates going, then layers
elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et
dolore magna aliqua. on an auto-enrolled monthly PCI fee, a setup charge,
and a multi-year contract with a four-figure penalty
Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation
ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo conse- to leave. The merchant sees 2.49 percent and a free
quat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit.
plan; the real cost shows up later. The confusion is
the product, not an accident, and it sits with whoever
designed the pricing and pays the sales team to push
it, not with the owner handed a contract nobody
We’ll help you showcase could follow.
Your products and services
Your mission 2. Professionalizing merchant sales. Accreditation
Your skills and expetise like the CPP helps, and a trained agent beats an un-
trained one. But most of these complaints are not be-
We’ll tell the world cause agents do not know the rules. They are because
Why your company matters agents get paid to lock people into confusing, expen-
Take steps now to sive deals, and no certificate changes that.
Enhance your visibility
Boost your credibility Training the salesperson does not fix the thing they
are paid to do. What fixes it is making pricing simple
Gain industry recognition enough to compare, so the honest operator wins the
Unlock networking opportunities deal. Clear pricing does more for merchants than any
Stir investor interest badge.
Don’t delay! The Green Sheet thanks all who participated in this Q&A
Contact Rick Aston today at for sharing their perspectives and contributing thought-
707-284-1693 or rick@greensheet.com fully to an important industry discussion.

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