Read what our members have to say about our programs and services.
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“Thank you for the professional, friendly, and excellent customer service in all areas. Your prep work when making changes allows for easy transition in a timely manner on our end, and you are always respectful of how busy I am in administration. I am truly grateful for the help!”
— Genevieve Snyder, Davison Road Optical, Lockport, NY
“The Retail Council has given me friendly support, competitive rates and reliable credit card processing equipment over the last 14 years. I am happy to be a member.”
— Chris Cuttita, Kips Bay Wine & Liquor, New York, NY
“Michele Coons and the staff at the Retail Council have been incredibly helpful over the past six seasons making sure our credit card processing at the Altamont Fair runs smoothly. Michele comes onsite to train staff, test the terminals and assist with set up to be sure we are ready for opening day. If any of our terminals have issues, she comes to pick them up, repairs them and then returns them promptly to ensure we can continue operations. The hands-on care and customer service is unbeatable, and we’re glad to have the Retail Council in our corner.”
— Pat Canaday, Altamont Fair, Guilderland, NY
“We (New York Folklore Society) moved our credit card processing to the Retail Council when we needed to upgrade our equipment to accept chip processing and smart phone payments. We couldn’t be happier with the equipment pricing, processing rates, the always-friendly customer service and the availability of staff to help when questions arise.”
— Ellen McHale, Executive Director, New York Folklore Society
Schenectady, NY
“This was the first year we made the change to the Retail Council’s credit card processing service. We did not even have a shut down in our processing. It went very smoothly and the costs ended up being less than we were previously paying. We have been very satisfied.”
— Elma Phillips, Elma’s Tax Service, Pattersonville, NY
“The Retail Council and its credit card processing staff have been wonderful to work with and have met all of our expectations. We also have a great low processing rate.”
— Doug Sharp, RV&E Bike and Skate, Fairport, NY
“Our farm signed up with the Retail Council last year. We immediately saved money on the updated equipment and fees associated with credit card processing. The service has been outstanding. Retail Council staff are available, quick to respond, and helpful. Our farm is very happy with the service.”
— Charlene Spoth, Kelkenberg Farm of Clarence, Clarence Center, NY
“The Retail Council goes over my credit card processing numbers with me monthly. Their customer service is phenomenal, and I know they’re always keeping a close eye on my rates. I also like the newsletter that comes out and enjoy reading the articles in it. It keeps us up to date on things we should know. The Council’s work on behalf of retailers in the legislature is also very important. We have to have a representative.”
— Peter L. Musler, Musler’s, Schenectady, NY
“I’m very glad I switched my credit card processing to the Retail Council of New York State. Having a restaurant, it makes it so much more convenient for the servers to bring the terminal to the table. Carly added the percent option for tips so it’s easier for the customer. She also trained the staff so I didn’t have to. These are the best rates I’ve had in my 29 years of small business self-employment. I highly recommend changing your credit card processing to the Retail Council of New York State.”
— Richard Busse, Pioneer Patio Restaurant, Cooperstown, NY
“I’m very happy with the credit card processing service. I get calls all the time from companies interested in my business and I tell them no thank you. It took me long enough to find such great service and I won’t be switching because we’re very happy.”
— Carole Beitz, Lancaster Discount Liquor, Lancaster, NY
“In January 2015, when the museum shop began researching ways to upgrade our credit card processing system so that we would be compliant with the new security standards, we were told by our point of sale tech support provider that we would have to install both new hardware and new software before our current point of sale system could accommodate the new chip card readers. Like many museums and small businesses, we had not budgeted several thousand dollars for this kind of upgrade. From my previous position as an independent bookstore manager, I knew that the Retail Council of New York State provided credit card processing services, so I called the Retail Council to find out if they could help. I was delighted to discover that, as a member of MANY, the Albany Institute could purchase chip card readers from the Retail Council for $50 each. With the excellent technical support of the Retail Council staff, we were able to install our new credit card terminals in a way that allowed us to process credit cards “outside” of our point-of-sale system. This allowed us to avoid unnecessary upgrades to our point-of-sale system, which saved the museum thousands of dollars. The new credit card terminals are easy enough for our volunteers to use, and the Retail Council has consistently responded promptly any time we have called with a question or a problem. We are lucky in New York State to have a trade association who is helping museums and retailers deal with the issue of credit card compliance and credit card processing.”
— Elizabeth F. Bechand, Museum Shop Manager, Albany Institute of History & Art, Albany, NY
“We’ve had our chip compliant credit card machine since April 2015. We originally switched for the significantly lower rates. We have been completely satisfied with the machines. If we ever have a question or concern, which is rare, it gets addressed immediately. The customer service is nothing short of outstanding. We are so glad to have switched all of our business accounts to the Retail Council of New York State credit card processing program.”
— Kathryn Busse, Silver Fox Gift Shop, Cooperstown, NY
“We had our credit card processing through a bank program and the costs became so high it was difficult to bring in revenue. We shopped around and the Retail Council had the least expensive program out there. They were able to reduce our costs considerably, thanks to their group buying power. We joined the Retail Council just for their processing program but have experienced many more benefits since and have referred many people to the Council!
When we were looking over our budget this year to decide what to keep and what to eliminate, the Retail Council was the first on our list of memberships to keep. We reap way more benefit from our membership than the dues we pay each year.”
— Jill Thompson, Office Manager, Joanne Darcy Crum, Land Surveyor, Cobleskill, NY
“We’ve been a Retail Council member for 20 years and have been very pleased. The membership dues have always been well worth the cost. The Retail Council has maintained our low workers’ compensation insurance rates, in addition to the money we’ve received from the Safety Group dividend each year. Whenever we have questions or need additional help, we get a response very quickly and our problems always get resolved. I would be surprised to hear anything but positive comments from other Council members.”
— Conrad Gordon, Fulton Stores, Brooklyn, NY
“I get calls at least once a month from salespeople inquiring about my credit card processing. I always tell them, ‘I’m not interested. I’ve got people.’ Michele and the whole team at the Retail Council provide such great service I won’t consider any other offer. It’s not about the money, it’s about the service.”
— Robert DeRoo, Pedallers Bicycle Shop, Ltd., Rochester, NY
“Everyone who works at the Retail Council is always very, very helpful in answering any questions I have. The Council saves me money with my workers’ compensation and disability insurance and with credit card processing. Whenever Dennis, or anyone else, answers the phone they are always so polite and informative. I would recommend every New York State retailer or other eligible business owner become a member of the Retail Council.”
— Bette Lee Meci, AVC Hearing Aid Center, Middletown, NY
“The Retail Council was recommended to me by local business owners who said the Council had the best credit card rates. Their rates are great, and their staff is superb! The member services department at the Retail Council is helpful and honest, friendly and intelligent. I appreciate their sense of integrity, and always feel like they are on my side. In this electronic age, it means a lot to talk to a helpful person, right away, every time.”
— Bonnie Poss, TOPKA, Woodstock, NY
“We rely on the Retail Council in our small business. They are invaluable for companies who have no time to research and analyze where we can save the most on business services. The Retail Council does the research so we don’t have to. The newsletter keeps us up-to-date on things that affect us. We are pleased and satisfied with the credit card processing program and are looking into their other money-saving programs.”
— David Bergan, Bergan’s Men’s Shop, Syracuse, NY
“The Retail Council took care of our credit card processing for a few years. We switched to a different company that promised better rates. When our rates went up and additional fees were added, we came back to the Retail Council. I am happy to say that the Retail Council saved us 17% on our processing costs, and we were up and running in less than a week.”
— Frank Cici, Quick Stop Beverage & Grocery, Elmira, NY
