National Processing Review

Products & Services

Although National Processing doesn’t offer all the extra bells and whistles that you might find with a larger provider, it covers the basics very well. Here’s an overview of National Processing services:

Fees & Rates

Unlike most merchant services providers, National Processing fees and rates are prominently disclosed on its website. The company breaks its plans down by the primary sales channel for low-volume businesses, with all plans offering flat-rate pricing. High-volume businesses (over $30,000/month) are eligible for customized pricing plans that require a pricing quote and some negotiation. All plans feature an option to include a free terminal or POS system with your account (note that you will have to agree to a standard three-year contract in exchange for this “free” equipment).

National Processing also offers free gateway setup for eCommerce merchants. If you have a compatible terminal from a different provider, the company will reprogram it for free (if technically feasible).

Here’s an overview of the costs and additional features of each plan:

For all plans, you’ll pay a flat 3.5% + $0.15/transaction for all manually keyed-in transactions.

If you’d prefer to purchase your processing hardware outright (which we recommend), pricing is as follows:

• PAX A80 Countertop Terminal: $345 each
• PAX A920 Mobile Terminal: $445 each
• PAX E700: $1,000 each
• Clover Flex handheld POS system: $700 each
• Clover Mini: $900 each
• Clover Station Solo POS system: $1,900 each
• Clover Station Duo POS system: $2,000 each
• SwipeSimple Aries8 tablet POS system: $550 each

National Processing notes that the fees and rates disclosed on its website are only for low-risk merchants. NP does accept some high-risk merchants, but it doesn’t offer any pricing details for said merchants.

Overall, these are some of the lowest fees and rates we’ve seen disclosed by a provider, making National Processing an excellent choice for small or medium-sized businesses. However, we encourage you to compare its prices against what a competing provider will offer you before making a decision.

Sales & Advertising Transparency

National Processing’s website does an excellent job of disclosing the company’s rates and fees under its numerous processing plans. Unlike the vast majority of providers on the market, National Processing provides an extensive discussion of interchange fees on its website, allowing you to distinguish between interchange fees paid to card-issuing banks and National Processing’s markup.

One fee not disclosed is the early termination fee (ETF), which only applies if you elect to include a “free” terminal as part of your account. Rest assured that the fee is disclosed during the sales process, so you won’t experience an unpleasant surprise later on if you decide to close your account.

Lastly, we’re not huge fans of the $500 promise National Processing makes if you can find a lower rate elsewhere (and you process over $10K/month). It’s easy to manipulate the numbers and obscure value to make one deal seem better than another, so we generally consider this type of marketing to be gimmicky and meaningless. The fact is that just about any provider is willing to match a valid quote to win or retain your business. While it’s not a bad thing per se, take this tactic with a grain of salt.

Contract Length & Early Termination Fee

Standard agreements with National Processing include a $295 early termination fee (ETF), but even as part of this standard contract, the company waives this fee under several circumstances. If you don’t need any free equipment when you sign up, you should be able to get a month-to-month account with no cancellation fees. National Processing states the following on its website regarding this topic:

1. In the event that your business is sold or closed, National Processing will waive your termination fee upon receipt of the appropriate documentation.
2. In the event that National Processing can’t meet or beat a competitor’s rates, your termination fee will be waived. In order to qualify, the competing quote must be submitted to National Processing in writing with the competitor’s original contract.
3. In the event that you leave National Processing for a competitor without providing the opportunity for National Processing to meet or beat another offer, you agree to pay the standard termination fee.

We’d prefer to see the company dispense with its early termination fee altogether. However, this is a reasonable compromise because there can be significant hard costs for equipment.

Customer Service & Technical Support

National Processing offers 24/7 telephone and email support, as well as a live chat function on its website. Most of the comments online from merchants about National Processing’s credit card processing support are positive, which is more than many merchant services providers can say. Usually, customer service is the leading complaint about any merchant account provider. The fact that National Processing doesn’t have a ton of complaints about support says something in itself.

National Processing Reviews, Complaints, & Common Problems

Unlike most merchant account providers, National Processing has received far more positive comments from merchants than complaints. As with any processor we recommend, we can’t guarantee that you won’t have any problems. Nonetheless, your chances of experiencing difficulties with the company’s service after you’ve signed up are quite low.

Final Verdict

National Processing is an excellent provider for businesses that want low rates from a reliable company. If you’re hoping for some massive free software suite like what Square offers, with POS, analytics, and such included, you might not find what you want here. However, you could easily end up saving enough money with National Processing to buy all that software and more from whichever provider you want. Low costs and overall versatility make National Processing a great option for many businesses.

We’re not thrilled that National Processing continues to impose ETFs in exchange for “free” processing equipment. Nonetheless, it’s a fair deal, given that you’ll receive low processing rates and a reasonable account fee schedule in addition to the free terminal. We’re also happy to see that the company will waive your ETF if you sell or close your business. Most providers will charge you the full ETF regardless of the circumstances that led to you closing your account.

National Processing continues to earn one of the highest scores we’ve awarded to a payments processor. If your small business has grown to where you need the added features and stability of a full-service merchant account, this is one of the most affordable options out there. National Processing is a great company and one of the best credit card processors for small businesses.