High service, better deal

GIVING CREDIT: East Commerce Solutions Inc. built its business by offering merchants contracts for credit card terminal services at half the going rate. From left: Asst. Vice President Business Development Kristina DiMeo, CEO Edward G. Medeiros and Chief Operating Officer Joe Santoro. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO
GIVING CREDIT: East Commerce Solutions Inc. built its business by offering merchants contracts for credit card terminal services at half the going rate. From left: Asst. Vice President Business Development Kristina DiMeo, CEO Edward G. Medeiros and Chief Operating Officer Joe Santoro. / PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

In 1995, shortly after incorporating, East Commerce Solutions Inc. began offering four-year contracts for credit card terminal services to merchants for $19.95 – $20 off the going rate.

“I decided I was going to make less profit and give them a better deal,” said founder and CEO Edward G. Medeiros. “I was able to keep customers with the lower price. They couldn’t believe it.”

Today, Medeiros’ firm provides credit services to restaurants, retailers and companies that include Alex and Ani, Navigant Credit Union, and its first customer, Stevie D’s Auto Sales and Service in Warwick. The company also has clients in every U.S. state and a concentration of customers in the Northeast, Medeiros said.

Today, in volume, East Commerce Solutions processes about $3 billion worth of business a year for more than 20,000 clients and is ranked in the top 1 percent nationally by Visa and Mastercard, Medeiros said.

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East Commerce Solutions provides credit card processing and merchant services, gift card programs, e-commerce merchant services, equipment and point-of-sale systems across the country.

Using the tagline “credit card processing made simple,” he credits his success to his customer service principles.

“Always answer your phone and always show up,” he said. “It’s really important and a lost art in the industry today. Our technicians do support right at the locations. We’re hands on. If they need us, we’re there.”

Part of that responsiveness includes Medeiros’ own business sense. In 2006, hearing from customers that they wanted point-of-sale systems at restaurants and retail establishments, he bought Write Touch, formerly of Sharon, Mass., and now in Seekonk. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of East Commerce Solutions.

“We have a whole division,” he said. “We quadrupled the size of Write Touch.”

Despite the successes, Medeiros acknowledges industry challenges, including keeping up with technology, having adequate regulation in the industry and getting Rhode Island’s major banks to subscribe to his services.

“Our industry is not regulated enough [by the processing networks],” he said. “People out there do bait and switch on our customers. Most customers who leave come back because what they’re promised they never get. I’d like to see more regulation on registration of sales representatives in the field.”

In addition, the larger banks tend to go outside of Rhode Island for services, a situation Medeiros would like to change.

But for now, continued growth, while providing a high quality of service and keeping employees who enjoy full benefits and high salaries, is the goal, Medeiros said.

“If you pay them well you can have expectations for people to perform at a greater level,” he said, “and they know our philosophy has to be the customer comes first.” •

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