Durango Merchant Services Review: Is It Right for You?
Meaghan has provided content and guidance for indie retailers as the editor for a number of retail publications and a speaker at trade shows. She is Fit Small Business’s authority on retail and ecommerce.
Anna’s experience in business and finance led her to work for a US risk mitigation company in Singapore. She has contributed to POS and payments topics in the Retail section across Fit Small Business.
This article is part of a larger series on Payments.
Durango Merchant Services is a payment services provider that specializes in high-risk merchant account solutions. Its features include international and multicurrency merchant accounts, ACH and e-check processing, and chargeback and fraud protection. The system also offers ecommerce gateway services, wireless mobile payment, and cryptocurrency processing.
Durango Merchant Services is a popular alternative for merchant accounts that conduct business in a high-risk industry or have been previously canceled. It is also optimal for those with a low credit score.
Durango Merchant Services
What We Like
- Fast onboarding with high approval rate
- Free quote and consultation
- Built-in fraud reduction tools
- Dedicated 24/7 account manager support
What's Missing
- Ecommerce gateway is an add-on feature and costs extra
- ACH and e-check payment processing comes with additional cost
- Lacks age-verification tools
Deciding Factors
- Monthly fees:
- Low risk: $10–$15
- Medium-High risk: Custom
- Transaction fees: Interchange plus
- Low risk: 0.5% + 20 cents
- Medium-High risk: 0.25%–2%
- Gateway fees: Average $10–$15 per month and 10 cents per transaction (free set up)
- High risk e-check/ACH processing: 1%–5%
- Chargeback protection: 5–15 cents per transaction depending on the service level
- Chargeback fees: $25–$30
- Average monthly minimum: $500/month
- Fee for not meeting the average monthly minimum: $25
- Hardware: $49–$250
- No signup, cancellation, or early termination fees
When to Use Durango Merchant Services
Durango Merchant Services can cater to traditional, low-risk businesses; however, it is more popular for high-risk merchant account solutions. Durango allows high-risk businesses to accept payments via countertop terminals, mobile card processing, ecommerce gateways, and online shopping cart integrations.
In particular, Durango Merchant Services is best for:
- Businesses considered as high-risk by financial institutions: Durango Merchant Services provides merchant accounts for “high-risk” businesses. It houses a team of expert consultants to help you through your application process and has a network of processing banks to get your merchant account approved in no time.
- Businesses with a terminated merchant account: Businesses with a terminated merchant account become blacklisted by all acquiring banks and are included in the Terminated Merchant File (or MATCH list). Durango Merchant Services works with businesses in the TMF list to help get them approved by acquiring banks in its network.
- Businesses that need a high level of fraud and chargeback protection: As a high-risk merchant account provider, Durango Merchant Services offers a number of fraud protection tools, such as Verified by Visa, Mastercard 3D Secure, and fraud scrubbing. These tools ensure that you are able to prevent fraudulent chargebacks and orders before they happen.
- Online businesses that want to accept different currencies: Durango Merchant Services is among our recommended high-risk merchant account providers, particularly for online businesses. It offers proprietary shopping cart and ecommerce gateway technology with key features such as recurring billing modifiers, integrated terminals and EMV support, and full digital receipts and signature storage.
- Businesses that accept cryptocurrency payments: Durango Merchant Services allows you to accept popular cryptocurrencies—such as Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin—as a mode of payment online, in-store, and through invoice.
When to Use an Alternative
- Traditional small businesses and startups: If your small business or startup does not fall under the “high-risk” category, you might not need to sign up for a direct merchant account. Consider POS providers like Square that offer built-in payment processing and business management tools, a free mobile card reader, and zero monthly subscription. Or consider our other recommended merchant service providers for small businesses.
- Businesses looking for free merchant account providers: While Durango Merchant Services does not charge any setup fees, other expenses such as management tools, online selling features, and hardware can be expensive. Consider free merchant account providers as an alternative, so you don’t have to worry about setup fees, monthly subscriptions, or long-term contracts.
- Businesses that require age-verification tools: Durango Merchant Services does not provide age-verification tools and, therefore, is not the best option for high-risk businesses that sell age-restricted products. These types of businesses should consider other merchant accounts, like PaymentCloud, that support this function.
Not sure if you’re getting the best credit card processing rates? Visit our roundup of cheapest credit card processing companies (Dharma made our list!) and compare credit card transaction rates on the market.
Durango Merchant Services Alternatives & Fees Comparison
 |  |  | |
Best for | Businesses looking for flexible pricing | Hard-to-place businesses | Online CBD sales |
Pricing structure | Any | Interchange-plus | Interchange-plus |
Monthly account fee | $25–$30 | $14.99 | From $0 |
Transaction fee | 2.69%–4.25% (flat rate) | Custom | From 0.6% + 10 cents per transaction |
Gateway fee | $15 | Not disclosed | From $0 |
Chargeback fee | $25 | Not disclosed | $20–$45 |
Since Our Last Update:
While not much has changed, Dharma Merchant Services continues to provide its payment processing expertise to medium- and high-risk business and has recently included the BBPOS mobile card reader among its list of hardware, along with a new mobile app. We take a look at those in this update, as well as pricing, comparing the rates for low- and high-risk merchants. We also look into tits onboarding procedures and highlight features, particularly around ACH and e-check processing.
Durango Merchant Services Pricing
Durango Merchant Services offers month-to-month billing; however, financials and the level of risk involved will always be the determining factor, so expect the possibility of long-term contracts of up to three years for businesses with higher risk. Like other high-risk merchant service providers, its pricing is highly customized, so specific details are not disclosed.
We reached out to Durango’s sales team who have been kind enough to share core pricing information with us:
Medium-High Risk | Low Risk | |
|---|---|---|
Monthly account fee | Custom | $10–$15 |
Setup fee | Custom | $0 |
Transaction fee (interchange-plus) | 0.25%–2% | 0.5% + 20 cents |
Gateway fee | $10–$15 per month and 10 cents per transaction (free setup) | |
Chargeback fee | $25–$30 (average) | |
E-check/ACH processing | 1%–5% depending on the account | |
Other incidental fees include:
- Chargeback protection: 5 to 15 cents per transaction depending on the service level
- Cryptocurrency: 1% with no per-transaction, monthly, or setup fees
- Average monthly minimum: $500/month
- Fee for not meeting the average monthly minimum: $25
- Cancellation fee: $0
- Early termination fee: $0 (for all types of accounts)
Durango Merchant Services offer several echeck and ACH options for high-risk businesses. While the transaction fee ranges from 1% to 5% depending on Durango’s risk assessment of your merchant account, there are other fees tied to signing up for this service.
Below is an example of a custom quote for accepting digital check payments with Durango:
- 1.90%–3.9% discount rate per check
- 75 cents minimum per transaction
- 48-hour approval
- 24-hour funding
- $150 refundable deposit upon approval
- $20 monthly fee minimum
- $99 setup fee
Note that Durango Merchant Services work with multiple acquiring banks and the rates will depend on the proposed bank. The discount rate will then reflect the final underwriting, which can be negotiated after three to six months. The minimum charge takes precedence over a lower per-transaction fee. For example, if the e-check you process is only $10 and your rate is 2.9%, Durango will bill you the minimum charge of 75 cents instead of 29 cents.
Durango Merchant Services Hardware
Durango Merchant Services also carries its own card reader solutions. Its sales team emphasized that it does not want to burden potential clients with upfront fees, so it’s safe to assume that it offers payment terms for purchasing hardware.
- Mobile card reader: Accepts EMV payments and connects with your mobile device via Bluetooth. Costs $115 (approximate), BBPOS chip and card reader (From $49)
- Card terminals and PIN pads: EMV chip card-ready terminals that can also accept contactless payments (Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Wallet). Comes with 3G and/or Wi-Fi support. Touch-screen terminals are also available. Costs range from $150 to $250 (approximate).
Durango Merchant Services Features
Setup & Application
Durango Merchant Services supports both low-risk and medium-to-high-risk merchant accounts. Approval takes anywhere from three to five business days and there are no signup fees, while setup fees depend entirely on the type of merchant account and service you require. Your application starts by filling out an inquiry form from the website. Durango Merchant Services will then assign you an expert consultant to help double-check your application and complete your requirements.
A representative from Durango Merchant Services will contact you within 24 hours after signing up for a no-obligation quote.
(Source: Durango Merchant Services)
Contract & Terms of Service
A copy of Durango’s contract & terms of service is not publicly available, but a closer look on its website and communication with the provider’s account experts provide us with concrete ideas of what to expect when signing up for a Durango Merchant Services merchant account.
- Initial required documentation: Copy of your driver’s license or passport, voided business check or bank reference letter, DBA registration, business license, articles of incorporation or articles of organization (for partnerships or corporations).
- Verification: Expect the processor to hire a third party to investigate and review your personal credit and your business model.
- Risk assessment: Like other processors, Durango will also verify if you or any of your partners are listed on the MATCH list.
- Contract length: All account types are considered for a month-to-month contract but will be assessed based on the following:
- Poor credit
- High volume or high ticket size
- Any industry with historically high chargebacks
- Account that has high chargebacks showing on their current history
- Businesses dealing with any future deliverable product
- Hardware purchase: Durango may offer hardware by installment, but this may mean being tied to a long-term contract.
- Additional fees: Add-on services such as digital check processing and use of third-party gateways may include additional cost.
MATCH List:
A record of merchants maintained by the Card Network who have had a merchant account terminated for violating a merchant agreement.
Credit Card Processing
Durango Merchant Services allows merchants to accept debit and credit cards, ACH and e-checks, and cryptocurrency payments, along with recurring billing and electronic invoicing tools. It also includes a mobile card reader and payment app for mobile payment processing and features tools for setting up point-of-sale payments for brick-and-mortar shops.
Part of Durango’s credit card processing tools include advanced mid-routing that gives you the support of multiple merchant accounts with different bank processors so that your business keeps running even if you encounter problems. Batch Processing allows you to process multiple transactions at the same time.
With a customer vault, you can securely accept, track, and process recurring payments.
(Source: Durango Merchant Services)
Mobile Processing App (iProcess™)
Durango now offers a mobile processing app compatible with both iOS and Android mobile devices. This mobile payments solution allows you to accept credit card payments via manual key-in of credit card payment details or by using a compatible mobile card reader. Other features include access to customer vault, custom tipping and taxing, transaction reporting, and digital signature capture.
Durango’s mobile payment app is available to merchants through their gateway credentials.
(Source: Durango Merchant Services)
Customer Vault
The Customer Vault is Durango’s Level 1 PCI certified data facility that provides merchants with the ability to process their customers’ payment through an encrypted (SSL) connection. This tokenization feature is ideal for merchants that accept automatic payments or processing recurring transactions. Durango Merchant Services also features a “Three-Step Redirect Method” that allows merchants to process payments without transmitting their customer’s payment information through the web application using Customer Vault.
Add and manage your customers’ payment details safely with tokenization features offered through Durango’s customer vault.
(Source: Durango Merchant Services)
Ecommerce Payment Gateway (Durango PayTM)
Durango Merchant Services comes with an ecommerce payment gateway that includes a virtual terminal that allows your customers to send payments from any device with an internet connection and lets you access your payment processing tools from the platform. It also comes with a free shopping cart and “Buy Now” button generators and a recurring billing tool so you can send out and manage recurring transactions from the same platform.
Also included are integrations with third-party shopping carts, API-based options for developers, its very own DurangoCart™ for ecommerce merchants with no coding skills, and a gateway emulator that makes switching from your current gateway to Durango PayTM an easy task.
Process payments anywhere with a browser through Durango’s virtual terminal.
(Source: Durango Merchant Services)
ACH & E-check Processing
Electronic payments allow you to use Durango to send e-check payments to vendors and employees and accept payments by phone. It can also perform bill payments and check deposits on your behalf and capture IP addresses and send electronic receipts to customers who pay online using e-checks. Ecommerce integrations for e-checks processing include built-in plugins for third-party shopping carts like WooCommerce and Shopify. You can accept payment by phone. You can even customize settings with options for same-day or next-day funding.
Cryptocurrency Processing
For those accepting cryptocurrency payments, Durango Merchant Services includes features for processing cryptocurrency. You can accept multiple cryptocurrencies from any e-wallet, invoice, online, and in-store payments and enable cross-border transactions and process refunds with guaranteed price protection and instant settlement. It also includes tools for easy development and integration with your current checkout system.
Fraud & Chargeback Protection
Durango Merchant Services offers a variety of fraud and chargeback protection tools for each of its payment processing solutions. It comes with fraud protection tools, AVS and CVV rule matching, iSpy Fraud, payer authentication, and more. It also includes being able to decline or approve transactions before or even after authorization.
Durango lets you set custom rules for accepting or rejecting transactions.
(Source: Durango Merchant Services)
Durango Merchant Services Ease of Use
Month-to-Month Contract
Durango offers a month-to-month contract to all of its clients and approves short-term contracts. With its team of experts, Durango Merchant Services is able to consider merchants medium or low risk for what others may see as high risk. It also assigns a dedicated account manager for every client.
Plug-and-Play Add-ons & Integrations
This provider offers plug-and-play shopping carts and “Pay Now” buttons so that users with no coding skills can easily set up more payment options for their customers. It also offers a variety of integrations such as:
- iSpyFraud Detailed Overview
- QuickBooks™ SyncPay Plug-In Instructions
- Three-Step Redirect Overview
- Authorize.net Emulator Integration Instructions
Customer Support
Its website includes an FAQ and Glossary section, as well as a Get Help page, which lists the company’s email and phone details. Current merchant account holders have a dedicated account manager available 24/7. Phone support is available during business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mountain time.
What Users Think of Durango Merchant Services
The number of reviews online for Durango Merchant Services have increased, improving its rating, which is an overall good sign. Recent feedback from longtime users is more than favorable. Overall, users rave about this provider’s excellent customer service and ability to secure merchant accounts.
- Trustpilot: Around 30 users rated Durango Merchant Services an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
As in our earlier review, there is hardly any negative feedback written for this provider that you can find online. One reviewer’s concern is the high fees that they are paying for the service since their business is not high-risk, while another expresses disappointment over not being qualified for a merchant account with Durango.
Users Like | Users Don’t Like |
|---|---|
Professional, excellent customer service | Cannot support every high-risk business |
Fast approval | Undisclosed contract terms |
Reasonably priced |
However, Durango’s mobile app is not enjoying a similar user response. It gained a score of 3.3 out of 5 stars from around 180 Android users while some 10 Apple users gave the app 3.1 out of 5 stars.
Bottom Line
Durango Merchant Services draws on its almost three decades of experience to come up with one of the most reliable services for businesses that need high risk-merchant accounts. This is obvious from the online reviews available and the number of years these reviewers have been with Durango as clients. Overall, we recommend Durango Merchant Services for high-risk online companies such as online auctions, telemarketing, and mail or telephone order businesses. Contact Durango for a free, no-obligation quote.
