What is a Merchant Services Agent Program?

A Merchant Services Agent Program is a partnership or agreement between a merchant services provider and an independent sales agent or organization. In this program, the independent agent acts as a sales representative or reseller for the merchant services provider, promoting and selling their payment processing solutions to small businesses.

The key features of a Merchant Services Agent Program typically include:

1. Partnership: The agent program establishes a partnership between the merchant services provider and the independent sales agent, allowing them to work together to acquire new clients and facilitate payment processing services.

2. Sales and marketing support: The merchant services provider usually offers sales and marketing resources, tools, and training to the independent agent to assist them in promoting and selling their services effectively.

3. Compensation structure: The agent program defines the compensation structure for the sales agent. This typically involves a commission-based model, where the agent earns a percentage of the revenue generated from the clients they bring in or a flat fee per client.

4. White-label or co-branded solutions: Depending on the program, the agent may have the option to sell merchant services under their own brand or as a co-branded solution with the merchant services provider.

5. Product offerings: The program outlines the payment processing solutions and services that the agent can offer to their clients. This may include credit card processing, point-of-sale systems, mobile payments, virtual terminals, e-commerce solutions, and other related services.

6. Support and training: The merchant services provider typically provides training and ongoing support to the agent, ensuring they have the knowledge and resources to effectively sell and support the payment processing services.

7. Client management: The agent program may include tools and systems for managing client relationships, tracking sales performance, and providing customer support.

8. Revenue sharing: The program may also include additional revenue-sharing opportunities, such as residuals or ongoing commissions from the processing fees generated by the clients.

Merchant Services Agent Programs offer independent sales agents the opportunity to earn income through the sale of payment processing services without the need to develop their own technology or infrastructure. They benefit from the established reputation and resources of the merchant services provider, while the provider expands its sales reach through the agent's network and expertise.