It’s fairly obvious why small merchants aren’t getting the best deals for their payment processing services.
Bigger companies (obviously) make more money, and as such, they tend to get offered better rates and lower fees from their card payment solutions provider.
Card Cutters is a popular UK-based merchant account that’s looking to buck this trend and look out for the little guy.
Founded in 2009, Card Cutters aims to offer small businesses and start-ups a card solution at the kind of competitive pricing that’s usually reserved for big companies.
Card Cutters have proven really popular amongst smaller British merchants/start-ups and have a perfect 5/5 score on TrustPilot!
We’re going to fill you in on what Card Cutters offers their merchants, how much their fees are, and have a look at their reviews to determine whether they’re a good option for your business!
Who is Card Cutters partnered with?
Card Cutters are partnered with Global Payments, which helps them offer big features at a small price. Also, Card Cutters is an agent of Allied Irish Bank (AIB) and uses it as its acquiring bank, so you can rest easy knowing your money’s with a reliable name!
According to Card Cutters, working with these big firms offers merchants:
- Internet and phone debit/credit card processing.
- Advanced back-office that’s available in English, Dutch, French, Italian, and German.
- Customer support and 24/7 system monitoring.
Partnering with big companies creates an ideal situation for the merchant. You get the resources of a big company and the support and care of a smaller company that really values your business!
What products does Card Cutters offer?
Here are some of the merchant services that Card Cutters offer:
- PDQ Machines: including countertops, portables, and contactless card terminals. You can find out more info about chip and PIN solutions in our detailed article.
- Virtual Terminal: Fully browser-based virtual terminal - this means all you need is an internet connection! A virtual terminal allows you to accept payments over the phone or by mail (as well as online). Card Cutters also provides you with meticulous real-time records, so you can stay on top of transactions.
- Online Payments: Of course, Card Cutters allows online payments, including recurring payments - making it an ideal option for subscription-based businesses. Online payments also include risk-scoring and ERP systems (enterprise resource planning)!
- Google AdWords support: Card Cutters offers you Google AdWords credit when you sign up - £150! Not bad.
- 3-D Secure payments: Uses a variety of proven fraud prevention tools to keep your customers, and your business, safe.
- Customisable payment page: Offers a fully customisable payment page and payment gateway, meaning the entire user experience, from browsing to check-out, remains on-brand with the rest of your website.
- Accepts most credit cards and all debit cards: Card Cutters accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discovery, and American Express, so you won’t have to worry about turning customers away.
Card Cutters’ features are ideal for small businesses who want the essentials at a low cost. There’s no point in additional features you won’t use, that will cost you an arm and a leg in the long-run!
Features are great of course, but let’s move on to what you really want to know - the price!
How much are the fees?
Card Cutters offer a really competitive price. With a set amount of free transaction fees, these services are excellent options for small businesses and start-ups who want the option of accepting cards - but aren’t sure how often they’ll use it.
Virtual Terminal fees:
- Nothing for the first 100 transactions.
- Afterwards, £0.15 per transaction.
- Flat £15 per month operating fee.
- The option of custom payment plans for high volume customers.
E-Commerce package fees (includes E-Terminal):
- Nothing for the first 350 transactions.
- Afterwards, £0.12 per transaction.
- Flat £25 per month operating fee.
- The option of custom payment plans for high volume customers.
Basic contracts start at 18 months, but this doesn’t mean you’re trapped in a contract you won’t make use of.
A unique feature of Card Cutters is the option of short-term leasing on terminals. For instance, hiring a payment terminal for one day will only cost you £23, and you can also get a rental from a week all the way up to a year. This makes Card Cutters ideal for seasonal businesses that don’t need the option to accept card payment all year round.
What are the reviews for Card Cutter like?
Card Cutters has a perfect 5/5 review score on TrustPilot with around 250 reviews! Here’s a quick summary of the reviews:
Merchants were impressed by:
- Helpful and fast customer support.
- Competitive prices.
- Short-term leasing options for card machines.
- No hassle to set up.
Merchants were not happy with:
- Communication over how long the contract was that they were entering into.
- ...seemingly nothing!
The sceptics amongst you might find it slightly suspect that the company has 0 negative reviews on their TrustPilot.
However, we’ve trawled the internet for various reviews and customer complaints... and we can’t find much negative feedback at all!
TrustPilot claims to have “no recent records of them asking their customers to review them using Trustpilot’s invitation services.” This means that Card Cutters haven’t urged their customers to leave positive reviews.
So, we can only assume that they have an excellent customer support service who manages to solve any issues that arise. Ideal!
Summary
Card Cutters are a great option for small UK businesses and startups who feel neglected by the big brands.
They aim to offer a personalised service, with quick and efficient customer support. Partnered with multi-billion dollar companies such as Global Payments, you know you’re getting a world-class merchant account.
If Card Cutters aren’t for you, and you fancy a bigger name, check out our CardSave review!
On top of that, you can also check out our card processing fees comparison tool to determine which payment processing system suits your company best!
