Suntrust Merchant Services Review
Overview
Suntrust Merchant Services are a division of Suntrust Bank. Merchant services are not the primary focus of Suntrust, which is why they contract out their processing service to First Data. They do offer some independent features to their customers though, making them worthy of review.
Pros
The biggest advantage of using Suntrust Merchant Services is that you’re really using First Data, one of the biggest merchant service companies in the world. Suntrust does do a substantial portion of First Data’s transactions, and are the 12th largest transaction processing firm in the country. Suntrust focuses on retail merchant services. Ireland is an example of a country where Suntrust is willing to provide support for international transactions, but there are others where Suntrust has more problems. They are able to provide what most businesses want out of merchant services: credit card machines. Their leasing and rental rates on equipment are industry standard, and you can get discounts if you are already a Suntrust customer, which makes them an appealing choice for certain merchants.
Cons
There are more than a few complaints regarding Suntrust Merchant Services. Phone number issues are the biggest complaint, with some customers stating that they were given the wrong number of that they can’t reach any help. There are a number of other complaints regarding their customer service, and these complaints keep Suntrust out of the top merchant service providers. Additionally, as they are a merchant services reseller, customers might find that they can get a better rate by working with First Data directly, which limits the appeal that Suntrust Merchant Services has for many people.
Verdict
Suntrust Merchant Services are popular, and can be a good option if you already bank with Suntrust. However, merchants should be sure that they are getting the best deal possible, and should contact First Data as well as other First Data resellers to see if they can get a better deal.