Be very careful while signing up for a seemingly innocuous Low Cost Merchant Account. You may be fooled into thinking that you are getting it almost free of cost but there may be hidden charges which you are not aware of and this is where the catch lays. Sometimes, a merchant may think it is too expensive to buy the account outright. An unscrupulous provider may encourage that thought and egg him on to settle for the lease but without providing the full implications. Normally, the lease fee does not include sales tax or the damage/loss amount. You have to pay them separately. Also, if you wish to change your provider, your lease fees for that account have to be written off. Sometimes, it works cheaper to purchase right away rather than lease even if you are looking for a Low Cost Merchant Account because the various costs may add up to more than your actual purchase expense.