Alpha Card Services Review

Given its size and time in business, ACS is showing a low-to-moderate number of publicly listed complaints. Common themes among these complaints include deceptive or aggressive tactics by independent sales agents, undisclosed hidden fees and contract terms, and apathetic or unreachable customer support. It’s possible that ACS customer service is handled by the corporation that provides processing for Alpha Card Services, which appears to be either First Data or Global Payments.

An accredited member in good standing with the Better Business Bureau, ACS has an “A+” rating with seven consumer complaints filed in the last three years. These complaints consist of three problems relating to a product or service and four having to do with billing and collection. Three of these complaints were resolved with the assistance of the BBB while the remaining complaints either were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the complainant or did not receive a final assessment from the complainant. Given the breakdown of the complaints and the fact that only one of them was filed in the last year, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time.

According to complaints filed on this site and elsewhere, the standard ACS contract is a three-year agreement that renews automatically for one-year terms following its expiration. A sample copy of the standard Alpha Card Services merchant agreement is available below, and it quotes an $89.99 annual membership fee, a $35 monthly minimum fee, a $10 statement fee, a $19.99 quarterly regulatory compliance fee (which may be a PCI compliance fee), a $40 monthly PCI noncompliance fee, a $35 chargeback fee, and a tiered pricing schedule. There is also an early termination fee associated with most ACS contracts that begins at $250 but can include the remaining months of a contract. This fee is a liquidated damages fee, which has the potential to increase a merchant’s overall termination fee by a significant and unpredictable amount. Merchants are advised to read the small print of any contract they are given to ensure that they will not be held accountable for more than the $250 cancellation fee (and even this fee is often negotiable). See the Alpha Card Services Merchant Application and the Alpha Card Services Program Guide.

Alpha Card Services rates as an average merchant services provider according to our criteria. The company uses independent sales agents to market its services, which seems to be the primary cause of complaints filed against the company. Its contract terms are roughly average for the industry, although it does claim to make an effort to inform merchants of the fees they will encounter. Additionally, it seems possible that something resembling a liquidated damages fee is included in some ACS contracts.