Best Payment Processor For Canadians?

[Lee Campbell]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering what payment processor all you canadians are using? Any that you recommend? Any I should avoid?

Thanks.

Lee

[lfridenburg]

Personally I use Optimal. I initially approached them directly for the simple reason that I wanted to deal with a company based in Canada.

They were very professional during the initial review, were willing to discount for additional sites, and have since displayed excellent customer service and help. I have a good contact there and can PM you with the information in you like.

Lloyd

[coffeegourmet]

Lee,

Are you with Stores Online, I assume that you are. I believe that if you are with them, you have to use Optimal. You are automatically turned over to them when you sign up for your merchant account. You could probably get your own with someone else, but than SOL would want to charge you a set up fee because it "won't be integrated" with your shopping cart.

I do have Optimal for both of my stores and for the most part they have been fine. It took me over six weeks just to get approved for my first site, than went through a lengthy battle with them to get my second site added under the same merchant account. I did get it done though, so now I have two sites under the same name with one account.

They are an okay company though you do have to stay on them sometimes. Lots of phone calls and saying the right things at the right time seems to have helped me out.

Chris

[loungeoutdoors]

When I was with SOL I had some dumbo thing in the Phillipines through ECI that went belly up and after being without a merchant account for 3 months (went thru that MSI garbage) I got SOL to pay for my Optimal account. Since gone away from SOL, still have Optimal, found them responsive, good to deal with but am now doing 90% of my business with PayPal.
Optimal only gives me Visa and Mastercard, PayPal also gives me Amex and Discover. I pay a max 2.9% and no monthly.
I'm selling orders from $20 upto $4,000 - not an issue since PayPal does not require a PayPal account and they're now mainstream - brand has credibility.
Their service is slower, as long as you have a good grasp of what you're doing they're fine (issues with Canadians only allowed to withdraw funds to a $CAD bank account is a big issue right now)
Actually thinking of letting Optimal go - why pay a standing charge of $40 or so a month plus this fee and that fee - dealing with 2 Canadian Banks here - we all know what that feels like!!
Yes, CG is right - Optimal is the only SOL approved pp - TD has a service and I ran a couple more to ground when I was checking around - you 'd have to check with SOL tho'.

John

[loungeoutdoors]

Expect zero help from Optimal if you get into a dispute as I have just found out to my cost.
As per my previous post I don't use my Optimal merchant account much and just went into it (as I do every quarter) to get the fees etc for tax time and saw a chargeback taken at the end of Novemebr on an item shipped mid-September.
The result - Optimal will not condsider even looking at the dispute as it is "past due" - they never contacted me, or asked for my side - they just handed $294.99 over to my customer who had filled in a form and said they returned the item - it never went anywhere, they didn't even try to forge a tracking ID but did submit a false name as the person who had received it at my supplier.
I'm now out $294.99 and a gorgeous Plus Sized Mahogany finished Adirondack Chair.
Way to go Optimal and bye bye as well.
Understand that Optimal treats online merchants like high street ones - you're expected to "go to the bank" every day with your "takings" - the fact that my cart tells me I've got a new order and whether it cleared or not is immaterial and unless there is a dispute (which you would have thought they'd tell you about) why login all the time?
Optimal also has the notion that internet merchants are shady and not to be trusted.

So watch out you Optimal users and make sure you keep logged in so you know when Optimal hands your money out - at last what they don't keep in a "reserve" to make sure they always have some of your loot to give out to anyone who asks.

I was 85% PayPal - I'm now 100% and saving money (lower transaction fees and no monthly).

Keep Sharp and remember the "hands in my pocket" ad!

[coffeegourmet]

John,


remember the "hands in my pocket" ad!

In your case, would that not be "knee to your package"!

I am lucky I guess that I have not had a chargeback yet. *touch wood* But I would think that with the money we pay them, they would be supporting you. It is too bad that you don't have a merchant account anymore. If you are making steady sales, maybe you could find another one that is better and cheaper and more support. I would think that with the fees of Pay Pal , you are losing money in the long run.

Good Luck my friend!