Meritus Payment Solutions Review
UPDATE 1/23/19: Meritus Payment Solutions was acquired by Paysafe Group (then known as “Optimal Payments“) in 2014. The company is has now been fully absorbed into the Paysafe brand. You can see up-to-date information about Paysafe in our Paysafe review.
Meritus Payment Solutions (merituspayment.com) is a merchant account provider based out of Irvine, California. The company was founded in 2008 and appears to be an independent sales organization and reseller of card processing services provided by numerous direct processors. According to an agent of the company, Meritus primarily sells the processing services of First Data and TSYS. The acquiring bank of Meritus Payment Solutions is Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Walnut Creek, California. Alan Kleinman is listed as the president of Meritus Payment Solutions.
Meritus Payment Solutions Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Total Online Complaints | 10+ |
|---|---|
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | Termination Fees |
Meritus has approximately a dozen complaints filed online, most of which have been posted in the comment section of this review. Nearly all of these mention similar problems. Each complaint reports poor customer service, higher-than-quoted fees after signing up, and/or an extremely high cancellation fee (over $10,000). In the case of one complainant, an executive from Meritus contacted us and stated that the $7,600 they reported to be fined was not a cancellation fee but, instead, a cash reserve that the merchant would receive back once the hold had expired. Overall, Meritus has a very low complaint count in comparison to its size, but the mentions of $10,000-plus fund holds have lowered its grade in this section.
Meritus Payment Solutions Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| Product & Service Complaints | 1 |
|---|---|
| Billing & Collection Complaints | 10 |
| Advertising & Sales Complaints | 0 |
| Guarantee & Warranty Complaints | 0 |
| Delivery Complaints | 0 |
Note: We have adjusted this company’s BBB rating according to our own standards. To better understand why we adjust BBB ratings, please see our Rating Criteria.
As of this review, the Better Business Bureau assigns an “A+” to Meritus, although the profile has only recently emerged from a period of unavailability due to the shuttering of the BBB‘s Los Angeles-area branch. During its downtime, it appears that the profile removed all preexisting complaints from the record. Meritus is currently showing 11 complaints filed in the previous 36 months, with 10 related to billing issues and one due to a product or service dispute. Meritus resolved one complaint to the satisfaction of the merchant, while the remaining complaints were either resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or did not receive a final assessment from the merchant. In light of the company’s complaint total and resolution ratio, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to an “A-.”
Meritus Payment Solutions Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Swiped Rate | Variable |
|---|---|
| Keyed-in Rate | Variable |
| Early Termination Fee | $350+ |
| PCI Compliance Fee | Variable |
| Equipment Lease Terms | Variable |
Pricing and contract terms with Meritus appear to vary based on a merchant’s business type and processing needs. However, an agent stated that the standard contract with most accounts is 36 months with a $395 early cancellation fee and that nearly all terms are negotiable prior to setting up the account. A copy of the company’s standard contract (available below) lists a termination fee of $350 or Liquidated Damages, whichever is greater, so it appears that Meritus may sometimes charge a very large early termination fee. This is confirmed by merchant complaints alleging termination fees in the thousands of dollars, which is far above the industry standard.
High-risk businesses are likely to have customized contracts designed to protect both parties. Merchants considering Meritus are encouraged to carefully read their contract before signing, especially because the terms may vary depending on numerous factors like the merchant’s business type, time in business, and processing history. See the Meritus Payment Solutions Merchant Agreement.
Meritus Payment Solutions Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Employs Independent Resellers | Yes |
|---|---|
| Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Meritus appears to market its credit card processing services through the use of outside independent sales agents, sub-ISOs, and internal sales staff. The company does not use any deceptive marketing tactics that are apparent to this reviewer. Normally, the use of outside independent sales agents results in a high number of complaints for most merchant account providers; however, Meritus only has a handful of complaints about its agents which are not of the quantity or nature that is usually seen with other providers. The company has accordingly been assigned an “A-” rating in this category.
Our Meritus Payment Solutions Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Meritus Payment Solutions appears to be an above average independent sales organization within the industry and a good option for high risk businesses. Since Meritus matches merchants up with a variety of direct processors, it has the ability to customize numerous services based on merchant needs. Meritus can improve its overall rating in this review by offering month-to-month contracts as a standard agreement and removing its Liquidated Damages clause. As with any merchant account provider, merchants are encouraged to read and understand all paperwork before signing up for services.
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Bruce Feller
I called Meritus to ask what their contract was. The person I spoke with at Meritus was a relationship manager Michael M. Michael told me they do not have a contract and that I would be on a month to month arrangement in processing with them.. No contract is what he said. He then told me that they are a core tier 1 processor and that they are the ones who do all the processing. He said they were one of only 20 companies that actually do the processing. According to this website Card Payment Options.com review, Meritus is a middle man. Working through Wells Fargo, First Data and/or TSYS. Apparently they lied to me. This was an in house agent at Meritus who gave me this information. He then told me I would be priced at Interchange Plus 15 basis points. He gave me that quote without knowing what my volume was. That would be an incredibly low discount for my volume which would typically not not support such a steep discount.
If they lied about their contract to me, why would I believe they would give me a discount of of 15 bps and not raise it the first chance they have. My rating of them is Liar, Liar, pass on Fire.
Kim
I have to say I wish I would have read this article earlier. We are a gun store and due to some unfortunate events, our sales sky rocketed and Payment Alliance started withholding funds. We then rushed into several other contracts set up by a third party who ultimately lied/ and still is … we are now dealing with Meritus and Global Payments and we did sign the contracts in haste. However, with Meritus we never EVER used them, don’t have an account set up even if we wanted to use them, don’t even have the account number to call them about but now they want close to $700 bucks to close the account. We notified our agent within 30 days of signing up – we signed on August 14 and we emailed our agent on September 10 saying we don’t need Meritus anymore, that we were going through Chase, and to please handle and to close the Meritus account and he now claims we never did this – I have the email to prove it!! He then called me to warn me about Chase and he also said he would cover the original $43 in fees .. which again he is saying he never said. I’m not making this up … but now I want to get out of Meritus and am having a hard time and I don’t think it is fair to pay the $700 for a service I never ever used or even received. I don’t have an account number for peet’s sake!!! It is dirty dirty dirty and they should be ashamed of themselves!! At the end of the day, I would stay away from BOTH companies …. we actually are going through Chase and it has not been a problem at all. And I’m cancelling my bank account that PAI has access to but I just need to know how much they are holding before I do so cause I certainly don’t want them to steal the money. A business owner should never have to go through this … high way robbery in a white collar ….
Anonymous
Meritus is a wholesale super ISO located in California. They work with several banks and handle their own underwriting. They mainly get their accounts through sales agents (sub ISO’s).
First off, let me start with saying that if you’re considering working with them as a sales agent forget it. They wont budge on terms regarding revenue share and bin fees. You can get a much better deal elsewhere and with more competitive pricing to you help acquire a merchant’s business.
Second, you will be called constantly by merchants complaining about fees being ACH’ed out of their accounts without any disclosure in the monthly merchant statement. Of coarse these fees aren’t included in your residuals and are separate from the monthly fees. So not only will you not get paid, you have to deal with the hassle of disgruntled merchants complaining and yelling at you. These fees include annual fees, compliance fees, and annual compliance fees and so forth.
Third, the reps are clueless. People are constantly leaving and being replaced by clueless untrained individuals.
From deployment division to relationship management. They are incompetent.
Fourth, if you value your reputation, their cancellation fee policy will destroy it completely. Word will get around pretty quickly that you charge insane cancellation fees of 10 or 20 grand or more. A simple task like closing an account that sold their business and is perhaps looking for another location is a nightmare. You can forget about retaining new business relationships after a merchant’s been charged a 12k cancellation fee. Not to mention that you get absolutely NONE of that in your residuals.
Signing up with Meritus is a total mistake whether you are an sales agent or a merchant. These guys are very greedy and will do anything to squeeze out more money from a merchant account. I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long and I have a feeling that eventually it will be run to the ground as less and less agents give them business while they lose merchant accounts over time. No one likes to feel trapped with a 10k cancellation fee and closes the account first chance they get. There are much better ISO companies to work with and Meritus acts as though they are the only boys in town.
Bottom line. If you’re an agent who values their reputation and is looking to build healthy business relationships with merchants and grow your business, Meritus is not the way to go. On the other hand, if you are one of those people who sign up merchants, disappear, simply collect residuals, and likes the fact that theirs a 10k cancellation fee, then Meritus is perfect for you.
PS their high risk program is a joke. Still cant get people signed up through it and revenue share is horrendous if you do manage to get someone signed up.
David Thompson
Meritus Payment Solutions is a terrible company, DO NOT USE THEM, you will regret it. I am currently fighting an attempted $10,483.11 cancellation fee from. After 8 months of receiving very poor and inconsistent service from Meritus we went to another provider at a better rate and no reserve. After two months Meritus released the majority of our reserve ($10,483.11 but still owing us $1779.68). A few days later they attempted to take $10,483.11 out of our checking account,claiming this was our early cancellation fee. I of course stopped this payment. What a coincidence that this “fee” is the exact amount of our partially released reserve. I am working with HEATHER JOHNSON, a “collection specialist” that refuses to release the rest of our reserve and is also insisting we pay $10,483.11 because we canceled early. I have all the emails from her as proof. My next step is today I will be contatcting the Federal Trade Commission and the BBB, I am hoping to put a stop to this without getting my attorney involved at $300 an hour. Any help will be appreciated.
David
Chris H
I have dealt with many merchant providers in the past, many who over promise and under deliver. I’ve been working with Meritus, and specifically our account representative Angela since August of 2012. Throughout our relationship they have always displayed a very high level of professionalism and dignity. Angela has consistently gone above and beyond her call of duty for us, and we are extremely grateful for that.
With many of our previous merchant providers, we’ve been forced to deal with some very poor customer service. Some wouldn’t reply to e-mails or return calls, and we always felt like an inconvenience. In working with Meritus, I must say their excellent customer service has been highly refreshing to say the least.
I would recommend Meritus to anyone looking to grow their business. We feel like they have our best interest in mind, something we’ve never experienced with their competitors.
Phillip CPO
Hi Chris,
In order to authenticate your testimonial and give it more credence, please reply to this comment with your business name and location. Thanks!
Chris H
Company Name: VP Resales
Location: Merrimack, NH
Judith Lear
I have finally found a credit card processor that lives up to what they promise! I had no idea what options were available to me as a business. After my Account Executive reviewed my current billing statement, she helped me to understand I had been literally taken for a ride with my old processing company — and I didn’t even know it! Sure, my fees were high, but I thought everybody paid the same as I! Not so apparently. I was being charged rent on equipment that at the end of my term, I had paid for 5 times over! I was told I wasn’t “PCI Compliant” when indeed I was, and this was all to collect more unwarranted fees from me.
Just like most, I am a little hesitant when it comes to switching credit card processors. Meritus Payment offers a full disclosure and ongoing education. My account representative, and her company worked hard for my business and they continue to work hard to keep it. Having a dedicated representative means there is someone eager and available to take my calls or emails at all time during business hours. Customer Service is extremely important to me and this company offers it in a way that cannot be surpassed! My former processor required me to sign a contract with cancellation fees to guarantee my business terms, but not Meritus! They have my business because I gave it to them; not because of the constraints of a contract, that was demanded by my former processor. I would strongly recommend Meritus Payment Solutions to anyone who wants to save money on their monthly fees and have a dedicated account representative, who works to earn their fees every month.
Judith R. Lear – President
Lear Stevens Aviation Services, Inc.
Carlen
I have been taking cards for my business for 40 years and I have finally found a processing comapny that functions as an extension of my accounting dept. Meritus has provided me with great customer service along with their gateway ( Payment XP ) which is the most functional gateway I have used. I do B2B transactions and I was using Auth.net but Meritus Payment XP is far superior. As far as fees, my overall effective rate for credit card processing has dropped dramatically. I have no early termination fees so I would reccomend them highly.
Phillip CPO
Hi Carlen,
In order to verify your testimonial, please reply to this comment with your business name and location.
Liz Navarro
Meritus is a company that I would never recommend to anyone. They never follow up on important issues and charge fees for everything. They withheld our funds for over a year for legitimate transactions for a dispute that had already been resolved. The supervisor Alvin Ortiz, was reluctant to refund fees that he new were owed to our company. The person that was handling the account at the time the issue occurred never followed up on us canceling the account therefore fees accrued in the meantime. So basically, this is not a company that you want handling your money. Reading the comment above, it seams that Alvin is not doing his job!!
Cody Lasswell
I have never been so unsatisfied with a compnay since I have been in business. My friend suggested that I try Meritus when I originally opening my business. I have not one good thing to say. They are crooks. They charge fees that are hard to figure out in lamens terms but when I compare it to almost every other company, they dont have the same fees/ catagories… so #1, they steal money from you. #2, their customer service is HORRIBLE! My dog is smarter than the people working at this company! They took hundreds of dollars out of my account and one person, out the of the 5 that I spoke to were able to tell me why, etc. I have called several time son other matters and have in to get help and had to explain my issues. I have spent months working with them to reconcile my issues and have gotten no support, just handed from one customer service rep to another.. I think their plan is rather than help you to frustrate you so you give up. Well I did give up, I swiched my processing to another company, and Meritus then started answering my phone calls. They also hit me with a $2085.00 cancellation fee, which Im going to court for and had to get an attorney over. I have spoken to Alvin, who is a manager, Effrin, Jason, Myah, and Lu… they have all sent me over the edge with there horrible customer service. I then spoke to Scott Lamoureux, who is the operations manager, and he was worse. He was yelling at me over the phone and had the nerve to tell me that I better stop trying to get my money back because it wasnt going to happen. And since then, hasnt answered one phone call, but took money out of my bank account, without giving me anything in writing. Under Federal and California Law that is stealing. So, if I were you and youre searching for a new processing compnay… run and run fast when you hear the name Meritus!
Nick
I have been processing with Meritus for over a year. I am in a high-risk industry and I’m a very satisfied customer. They have always provided great services, and in my opinion treated me fairly. They have great employees that will truly take the time to explain things and help you understand complex scenarios and information. If you are doing good business, Meritus is a great place to look to for Merchant Services. A+ all the way.
Phillip CPO
Hi Nick,
Please add a reply to this comment with your business name and location in order to verify your testimonial. Thanks!