Is Fiserv right for my business?
“My current card machine is clunky, and I need an upgrade”.
We hear you! After a while, that countertop card machine that’s been with you since you started out in business stops being faithful, and starts being downright cumbersome.
If this sounds like you, you can’t go wrong with Fiserv. According to Fiserv, its card machines are a result of years of innovation in the labs of highly regarded EPOS provider Clover, and we can tell – they're light, portable, and extremely user-friendly.
In our opinion, they’re among the best credit card machines for small businesses – and that’s saying something!
“I run a market stall.”
In this case, Fiserv may not be the best option for you – particularly given the restrictions COVID-19 has placed on face-to-face commerce in the UK. Fiserv levies monthly fees for account maintenance and POS rental, so if you’re not able to physically get out there and man your stall, you’re likely to lose more money than you’re making.
For micro-merchants and solopreneurs of the market variety, we’d recommend steering clear of a dedicated merchant account, and opting instead for a payment facilitator.
These providers – such as SumUp, Zettle, and Square – charge only small, per transaction costs, and can sell you all the equipment you need to get going, for a single nominal fee.
For more info about what payment facilitators are – and which one is best-suited to your stall – check out our guide to the best mobile card readers in 2021.
“My business is classified as high risk.”
Fiserv does not offer merchant account services for businesses deemed high risk.
For a breakdown of the UK’s leading high risk merchant accounts, head to our 2021 guide instead.
“I want a merchant account, but not a lengthy deal.”
Fiserv offers contracts of between 12 and 48 months. If your business is less well-established, it’s likely that you’ll have to settle for longer, less flexible terms – which is annoying, to say the least!
Worse still is that there isn’t a huge amount of wriggle room if you want to get out of your agreement. Fiserv charges a £200 fee if you choose to tear up your contract within half a year of signing it.
For the shortest merchant services contracts around, try takepayments. To learn more about what it can do for your business, explore our takepayments review, updated for 2021.