MerchantX needed a new payment gateway that was more user-friendly and integrated with the huge number of processors and banks the company works with to serve merchants in unique verticals.
MerchantX chose the NMI Gateway for its ease of use and 150+ processor integrations. But it quickly realized the scope of NMI’s value-added services also added huge value to the merchant experience.
MerchantX is an ISO based in Portland, Maine, focusing on ecommerce payment solutions. MerchantX works with small businesses of all types, including helping those in categories such as digital subscriptions, telemedicine, nutraceuticals, dating, guns and ammunition.
MerchantX started out using a legacy gateway provider. That solution met the company’s needs in the earliest days of its operations. But as MerchantX grew, it quickly noticed limitations in key areas like user friendliness, support and value-added features for merchants. The hunt for a new gateway was on, but most didn’t check all the boxes. MerchantX needed a unique solution to thrive in a unique merchant environment.
We separate ourselves in the high-risk world, serving all the great merchants that just happen to sell in really tricky categories. To ensure our agent network can say yes to as many merchants as possible, we work with over 30 different payment processors and acquiring banks. So, first and foremost, we needed a gateway with tons of integrations.
“We separate ourselves in the high-risk world, serving all the great merchants that just happen to sell in really tricky categories,” said Seth Proper, the founder and owner of MerchantX. “To ensure our agent network can say yes to as many merchants as possible, we work with over 30 different payment processors and acquiring banks. So, first and foremost, we needed a gateway with tons of integrations.”
“We also needed something that was easy to use,” continued Proper. “The gateway we used previously was not user-friendly. Setup could’ve been easier, and once a merchant’s gateway was active, you were locked out of the backend, which made support difficult.”
MerchantX also needed a gateway that offered more tools for merchants and more opportunities to generate revenue. Proper explained that, “Not every option we looked at offered commissions on the core gateway, let alone extra products we could sell. We knew whatever gateway we chose needed to offer more value and more opportunities.”
Proper learned about NMI through a recommendation from a friend in the industry. With over 150 processor connections, a full suite of value-added services and the industry’s best support, the NMI Gateway checked off all the boxes. MerchantX partnered with NMI as a reseller and began rolling the platform out to merchants.
We signed up and immediately saw how much better the experience was. From an integration and ease of use standpoint, it was incredible. We’re at a point now where as soon as we sign a new merchant, we can collect the necessary information and get a gateway up and running for them in about 10 minutes. And, because it’s so straightforward to use, it’s also easy for us to offer support, which really elevates the quality of service our merchants enjoy.
“We signed up and immediately saw how much better the experience was,” Proper said. “From an integration and ease of use standpoint, it was incredible. We’re at a point now where as soon as we sign a new merchant, we can collect the necessary information and get a gateway up and running for them in about 10 minutes. And, because it’s so straightforward to use, it’s also easy for us to offer support, which really elevates the quality of service our merchants enjoy.”
MerchantX also found that the resale opportunities provided by NMI’s suite of value-added services far exceeded expectations.
“Right off the bat, the commissions on the core gateway sales were great, but the rest of the product side was a really pleasant surprise,” continued Proper. “The number of additional products we’ve been able to offer has really improved our ability to support our merchants. Things like invoicing, fraud protection, tokenization — there are so many needs we can meet. And, not only does each one represent an additional source of revenue, but these have also become really sticky features for business retention.”
With the NMI Gateway and value-added services powering its payments stack, MerchantX can deliver exceptional service to even the trickiest merchants. That has enabled it to outcompete some of the industry’s biggest players.
“We win merchants away from big box payment platforms all the time,” said Proper. “Being an NMI partner is a huge part of that because we can offer merchants a complete solution under one roof instead of forcing them to try to piece together everything they need. And with white-labeling, we can do everything under our brand. That, combined with our expertise in high-risk verticals and our ability to get more merchants approved, is a pretty unbeatable value proposition.”
Proper also credits the partnership between MerchantX and NMI with driving growth, especially since the company relies heavily on its reputation to bring in new business
“We’ve onboarded tens of thousands of merchant accounts now with the NMI Gateway, and our customer satisfaction has been top-notch,” said Proper. “Our business is very referral driven, so maintaining that complete, elevated level of service is critical to our growth, and that, in turn, makes NMI critical to our growth.”
We’ve onboarded tens of thousands of merchant accounts now with the NMI Gateway, and our customer satisfaction has been top-notch. Our business is very referral driven, so maintaining that complete, elevated level of service is critical to our growth, and that, in turn, makes NMI critical to our growth.