A massage parlor startup is not an easy business to run for a lot of reasons. One of the stumbling blocks for a lot of business owners is the issue of a merchant account that isn't going to charge a ton of money to make it possible to accept payments with a virtual terminal online or a gateway for in-person payments. We have some information that anyone in this industry is going to find useful if they want to succeed.

Best Merchant Accounts for Massage Parlors?

When it comes to finding a merchant account for a massage parlor or a business in a similar service based industry, here are some of the major points to consider. This is not an exhaustive list, but it should be enough to let you know what you're getting into by opening a massage parlor or similar type of business.

• Card Present / Signature - These are the most common types of payments that are accepted by all sorts of businesses. While cash may be preferred by some clients, you can bet a lot are going to want to put getting a massage on their credit card.

• Chargebacks - As with a lot of other industries, chargebacks can be a big problem for massage parlors. A good merchant account is not going to penalize you too much if you have a lot of them. In this particular industry, chargebacks are one of the biggest reasons people are denied getting an affordable merchant account.

• Fees and Rates - We already mentioned this, but it bears repeating because it's so important. Some companies will provide a merchant account to a massage parlor but charge then high fees and interest rates on every transaction. This can really cut into your bottom line, so it's important to find a provider who isn't going to charge an arm and a leg.

• Multiple Underwriting Banks - To avoid the problem of a bank refusing to accept payments because of the nature of your business, you want to make sure your merchant account provider uses multiple underwriting banks.

Massage Parlor Merchant Account: What to Know

The biggest thing you need to know about accepting payments for a massage parlor is the difference between high risk and low risk. If your business is considered high risk, you're going to be paying higher rates on each transaction. Unfortunately, many massage parlors are going to fall under the high risk category.

High Risk vs Low Risk

In general, a massage parlor - or a similar business - is going to be considered high risk. While you may be able to get a merchant account easily, there's no guarantee that you're not going to pay high fees and rates on every single transaction. This can really cut into your bottom line.

At IBI Merchant Services, we understand the special needs of businesses in this industry, and we can provide merchant accounts for massage parlors without any hassles or problems and with competitive rates. This is why we have been in business for so long and will be for the foreseeable future.