MLM Merchant Account Solutions

An MLM merchant account is a kind of high-risk merchant account which is specifically for businesses that are involved in the direct selling, network marketing or multi-level marketing. These accounts help MLM companies accept credit card payments for product sales, distributor sign-ups and autoship programs, as well as manage the commission structures that are typical for the MLM business model. Standard merchant accounts are not as robust as MLM merchant accounts which were created to meet the special operational and risk needs of direct selling companies.

Why MLM Businesses Need Specialized Merchant Accounts

The following payment processing problems are unique to the direct selling industry, and they require the use of special merchant accounts:

• Complex Commission Structures: The MLM businesses operate on a mode of compensation plans that have several levels of commissions that are paid out to the distributors within the network. This is because standard payment processors do not have the ability to process commissions in the manner required by the business.
• Higher Chargeback Rates: The industry has higher chargeback rates than other industries due to factors that include product dissatisfaction, distributor misunderstanding, and consumer's confusion with respect to the automatic shipping of products.
• Reputation Management: The direct selling industry has been viewed with suspicion by financial institutions and payment processors due to past issues with certain segments of the industry.
• Recurring Billing Complexity: The majority of MLM companies use the autoship program extensively and therefore need robust recurring billing features with sophisticated retry rules and account updater.
• International Operations: Direct selling businesses often have operations in different countries and therefore need payment solutions that can support different currencies and meet different legal requirements.

Quality MLM Merchant Accounts: Important Features

While selecting the MLM payment processing options, the following features should be considered by the businesses.

1. Commission Management: Tools to calculate and pay out complicated multi-level commissions according to your actual compensation plan.
2. Reliable Recurring Billing: Strong auto-ship management to ensure that the order is placed according to the schedule, there is a way of retry and account updater.
3. Fraud Prevention Tools: Well-defined fraud control tools for the direct selling industry's typical transactions.
4. Multi-Currency Support: The ability to accept payments in different currencies and make payments to international distributors in their local currency.
5. MLM Software Integration: Easy interface with commonly used direct selling software applications to achieve full operational integration.
6. Chargeback Management: Measures to prevent chargebacks and resolve disputes in order to keep your merchant account in good standing and to avoid losses.
7. Detailed Reporting: Clear and distinct reports that give clear view of the sales, commission report, distributors and financial report.

Best Practices for MLM Payment Processing

To keep on the right track as regards payment processing and maximize your direct selling efforts, use the following tips.

• Clear Product and Opportunity Descriptions: Ensure that you give proper and adequate information about the products, the compensation plans, and the auto-ship programs in order to avoid confusion and possible chargebacks.
• Documented Distributor Agreements: Have a clear and signed agreement with the distributors that will include details of the policies, the rules and the commission.
• Robust Customer Support: Provide quality customer service to ensure that your clients’ concerns are well addressed on time to avoid them escalating to chargebacks.
• Commission Transparency: Provide detailed reporting on commission calculations to ensure that your distributor knows what you are paying him or her and therefore reduces payment enquiries.
• Regular Compliance Reviews: It is recommended to perform periodic checks of marketing claims and photographs, activities of distributors and payments made.
• Diversified Payment Methods: Provide a number of payment choices to meet the needs of different distributors and customers.

The Adaptiv Advantage for MLM Merchant Accounts

Adaptiv is a company that offers all-round payment processing for MLM companies that are characteristic of the direct selling industry. Therefore, our approach allows network marketing companies to benefit from:

• Commission management systems that are able to calculate and pay commissions based on the compensation plan
• Autopilot recurring billing for the auto-ship programs with multiple attemp
• Possible integration with popular MLM software platforms
• Multi-currency processing of transactions for international distributors and customers
• Calibrated for direct selling transactions fraud detection
• Chargeback management to keep your merchant account in good standing
• Dedicated account managers with understanding of the direct selling industry

When you decide to apply for MLM merchant account from Adaptiv, you are connected to a payment processing platform that is suited for your business with complex operating needs and facing the risk of being classified as high-risk. We concentrate on direct selling companies to ensure that your organization can accept payments and pay commissions accurately to enable you to concentrate on growth and distributor development as opposed to payment processing.