It’s a very difficult decision indeed to pick out the very best third party (3rd party), or as we call them, “small fish” merchant account.
There are lots, and I mean lots out there, it’s just a matter of deciding which is best for your purposes.
What’s nice is that just a few stand head and shoulders above the rest because of their value for money, well-known name (should be synonymous with a large, safe business that won’t go under tomorrow taking all your earnings with it) and extra benefits free of charge.
At the time of writing our favourite is Clickbank… here’s the “in the trenches” view of Clickbank…
Clickbank are one of the most reliable and well-known companies when it comes to third-party processing.
Unlike many third party processors, they accept international merchants so if you’re outside the USA, you can still apply.
And what’s more, the signup procedure is so quick and simple that following their basic guidelines, just about anyone can gain their own account and start accepting credit cards on their website.
So what else sets Clickbank apart from the competition?
Well, firstly your money is paid every two weeks rather than once a month like with many of their competitors, which gives you positive cash flow far faster, and enables you to build your business quicker.
Secondly, Clickbank merchants have full use of their own affiliate scheme. So not only can you set up a merchant account but be able to start your own affiliate scheme to boot, which will help you build your business faster too.
Some other third party merchant account processors have the capacity to be used with affiliate software but this must be leased separately (giving you monthly costs unlike Clickbank).
In addition, running an average affiliate scheme involves receiving your payments into your bank account then writing and posting commissions checks (many successful affiliate schemes now have over 10,000 affiliates!).
Clickbank, on the other hand, work out exactly what each of your affiliates has earned, then deducts this value from your sales and sends out the checks directly – without you having to lift a finger. And when your check arrives, it’s all your money.
Imagine what a massive saving of time and energy this will become each payday as your business grows.
I also like the way that once you’ve got a Clickbank account (it’s free to sign up) you too can join other affiliate schemes of merchants who use Clickbank, and receive all your commissions from all the various companies and products in one check which again saves you time and money when banking the checks.
Lastly, and it’s a huge bonus, is the fact that Clickbank has been around long enough that software developers have created special programs to use with Clickbank, making your website even more powerful.
Digital product delivery software, affiliate management, password creation software, ebook programs and more. All this makes for a fantastic system.
However, as I’ve said before, using a third-party merchant account processor isn’t as good as using your own merchant account so I think in all fairness I’d better list the disadvantages of this setup.
Firstly, there has been a worrying trend of reports appearing as of late that suggest Clickbank is refusing perfectly valid credit cards – and we know they’re valid because they’re either brand new, yet activated cards, or because other merchant processors have accepted the very same card for an alternative purchase only minutes later.
Will this have a lasting effect on your sales? We’ll have to wait and see at the moment unfortunately. We intend to publish a full article on the subject in the very near future.
It’s also important that I point out that Clickbank only accepts businesses selling “digital” products – ebooks, downloadable software, subscriptions to password protected websites and the like.
However if you’re planning to sell “real world” goods – computers, jeans, sofas or washing up liquid, one merchant that’s well worth a look is 2CheckOut.
So why not take a look today – but don’t pass up the opportunity to view our full blown merchant accounts just in case you qualify!
Important Updated Information on Clickbank – Read This Before You Apply – Click Here.
Visit Clickbank’s website now by clicking here.
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