About
Prior to the bankcard industry I worked as a stockbroker for a Wall Street firm. After spending a few years in that industry I decided that I wanted to try something different, that’s when I was introduced into the bankcard industry by a friend.
I first started working in the bankcard industry in 1999 as an independent sales representative for a couple different ISO’s. After six months in the industry and as I excelled as an agent and studied the industry to exhaustion, I decided to take it to the next level and open a sales office which would give me the ability to hire sales reps in order to bring in more customers.
In less than two months of opening the office we went from 20 new customers a month to around 80. As we were seeing this huge growth, my business partner & I decided it was time to register our business with direct credit card processing company.
We signed a long term contract with the industry leader First Data Corporation. The choice was easy. By partnering up with a $20 billion a year, fortune 200 Company we would be able to leverage their products and resources for the benefit of our merchants. We were very confident in our abilities to build a successful company and by signing with First Data we took this huge chance that has paid off in so many ways, we have never looked back.
We have built our company to over 6000 active merchants nationwide. We plan to expand into Canada and the UK in the near future. Our company’s main focus is the small to mid sized businesses. That has been our niche marketplace due to the fact that we have the best resources available for those merchants and can thoroughly support them.
Merchant Service Group, Inc. has been built on providing our customers with three basic things. Great pricing, Added value, and Superior service.
One of the most important things I learned early on in my professional career as a stockbroker was the importance sales & marketing, it has been the cornerstone of my career and it is a passion of mine. In order to be a good salesman you must understand your products and services and have the passion behind you.
The bankcard industry is very exciting because it’s constantly changing, therefore you must be ahead of the curve or you’ll get crushed by the competition. I attend all the industry conferences, read every industry publication, browse industry web sites as well as become friends with many of my fellow peers. There’s plenty to learn in bankcard and I try to soak it all up.
Charles Baratta, Co-Founder Merchant Service Group, New York
516-730-2442