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Merchant-level salespeople who attempt to sign up merchant accounts with promises of customized point-of-sale terminals or ultra-low transaction rates when no such deals exist harm the reputation of independent sales organizations, says Kevin Jones, vice president for sales and marketing at First American Payment Systems LP, a Fort Worth, Texas-based ISO. "Our industry has been damaged by the unethical tactics of the few. They have made it difficult for all the other ISOs," Jones tells CardLine sister publication ISO&Agent. "I am constantly offended by their smoke-and-mirrors tactics. They are damaging our reputation and our industry." The pressure to close sales at any cost often serves as the catalyst for ethics problems, says Mark Dunn, owner of Hartland, Wis.-based Field Guide Enterprises LLC, the publisher of FieldGuideForISOs.com. "We are a service industry but if all management talks about is closing, that is step No. 1 down the road to questionable practices," Dunn tells ISO&Agent. Most payment card professionals agree that commonly abused scams can result in short-term sales, but they come back and bite ISOs over time, Dunn says. With so many agents making so many sales calls each day, a competitor is sure to come by and reveal your sleight of hand, he says. When that happens, an ISO will not merely lose a customer. An angry merchant will share the bad experience with industry associates, potentially endangering an ISO's other accounts, he says.
