When you an an e-business person is considering adding merchant services, it is useful to speak to the references of several credit card processing companies before you make the decision on where your business is going to go. These references are business people just like you who are more likely to offer up the unbiased story about a certain provider’s strengths and weaknesses. But unless they are in the same business you’re in, keep your questions non-specific, as the needs of one e-retailer’s business will differ from another’s. Plus, the things you should be asking about will be applicable to any business, because you’ll be addressing the overall services of a company. And make sure any provider you’re considering doing business with has 24/7 technical support, and does not charge a fee for accessing it. The time you spend asking some questions and doing some basic research will be an investment that will provide a healthy return as your business grows.