Q:  Do free merchant accounts exist?

No.  Just as you need to provide for yourself and your family, sales agents of merchant accounts have families of their own to take care of, too.  The realization you need to come to is that it *will* cost you something to accept credit cards.  I find some people saying $20 or more per month for a merchant account is expensive.  I bet those same people pay at least $30/month for cable TV.  Wouldn't you want to invest at least that amount or more in your business to accept credit cards?  Accepting credit cards will easily increase business by 25%.  The more ways you accept payment, the more money you'll make.  Investing in a good merchant account will bring a terrific return on investment.  I highly doubt the cable TV company will be sending you a check for watching TV.

If you look hard enough there are some really great deals out there.  Some that do not have monthly minimums, large setup fees, cancellation fees, etc.  If you cannot afford a merchant account, then consider looking at PayPal for the time being.  Otherwise, maybe you should reconsider about going into business.  Chances are if you can't afford to accept credit cards, then you probably cannot afford other necessary essentials to run a business.  I'm not trying to be harsh, just realistic.

Company Suggestions

Recommended Resources:

Merchant Accounts to accept credit cards - MerchantSeek.com - Eliminates the hassle of searching the internet for credit card processors by providing a one stop resource for merchants looking for credit card processing information.