Prodigy Payment Systems Overview
Updated 2/8/2019: The Prodigy Payment Systems website (prodigypay.com) redirects to EVO Payments International. As a result of Prodigy Payment Systems’ parent organization Encore Payment Systems being acquired by EVO in 2013, it appears that Encore and all of its DBAs have been fully absorbed into the EVO Payments International brand. For up-to-date information about this organization, see our EVO Payments International review.
Prodigy Payment Systems (prodigypay.com) is an alternate business name of Encore Payment Systems. The company is based out of Addison, Texas, and was founded in 2004. Prodigy Payment’s overall rating is based on our Encore Payment Systems review. Along with Momentum Payment Systems, Prodigy Payment Systems appears to have been created for the sole purpose of absorbing complaints that would otherwise have been filed against Encore Payments Systems. The services offered by these three entities do no appear to vary in any significant way, and they are all headquartered at the same address.
About Prodigy Payment Systems
Prodigy Payment Systems Overview
Prodigy Payment Systems was a merchant account provider that offered credit card processing services to small and mid-sized businesses. The company has since been acquired by EVO Payments, which was itself subsequently acquired by Global Payments. Merchants previously serviced by Prodigy Payment Systems now fall under the Global Payments umbrella.
Prodigy Payment Systems operated as a registered ISO and marketed payment processing solutions through a network of independent sales agents and resellers.
Merchant Services & Product Offerings
Prodigy Payment Systems Products
According to our review, Prodigy Payment Systems offered the following payment processing products:
Credit and Debit Card Processing: Standard card acceptance services for Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
POS Systems:Point-of-sale terminal solutions for in-store merchants.
E-Commerce Solutions:E-commerce payment gateway services for online merchants.
Mobile Processing:Mobile payment acceptance for on-the-go businesses.
Customer Reviews & Sentiment
This section is covered in the Encore Review.
Summary:
- Company has received a moderate-to-high number of complaints for its size and time in business.
- Numerous complaints have been filed by former employees and agents.
- Common complaints include expensive and non-cancellable equipment leases, and undisclosed/”hidden” fees.
Client Satisfaction Ratings
| Product & Service Complaints | 148 |
|---|---|
| Billing & Collection Complaints | 93 |
| Advertising & Sales Complaints | 3 |
| Guarantee & Warranty Complaints | 0 |
| Delivery Complaints | 21 |
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.
Prodigy Payment Systems’s Better Business Bureau profile does not list any complaint data and redirects users to the profile for EVO Payments International. As of this review, EVO Payments International has an “A” rating with the BBB and has been accredited since September 2017. The company has received 265 complaints in the past three years, with 148 related to product or service problems, 93 having to do with billing or collection, 21 due to delivery issues, and three stemming from advertising or sales issues. The company has successfully resolved 115 complaints, while 150 either were resolved to the merchant’s dissatisfaction or did not receive a final assessment from the merchant.
It is impossible to know how many of these complaints are related to Prodigy and how many have been generated by EVO’s other subsidiaries. However, Prodigy’s customers will be dealing with EVO, and EVO’s complaint total and resolution ratio deserve a “C” rating according to our standards.
Card Processing Rates & Fees
Prodigy Payment uses the same merchant account agreement as Encore. An older version is available below. In recent months, merchants have reported even more expensive contract terms than those shown in the linked document.
Summary:
- Pricing will vary by merchant based on business type and sales agent.
- Standard contract includes 3- or 4-year service agreement
- Early Termination Fee (ETF) of $195 but some merchants have reported ETFs of $450 or more
- Equipment leases often have a four-year commitment and cannot be cancelled without paying the full lease amount, often in the thousands of dollars (leasing equipment is optional)
- See the Encore Merchant Application
Lawsuits & Legal History
No Known Legal Actions
We have not identified any significant lawsuits, regulatory actions, or legal complaints directly involving Prodigy Payment Systems at the time of this review. The company has since been acquired by EVO Payments and subsequently by Global Payments.
Employee Reviews & Sales Practices
This section is covered in the Encore Payment review.
Summary:
- Ethically questionable marketing
- Use of multiple business names
- “Hiring mill” recruiting strategy of Independent Sales Agents (ISAs)
- Agents appear to receive higher commissions for selling expensive contracts and rates
- Underwriting policies allow for excessive fees and contract terms
- Markets expensive and non-cancellable equipment leases
Bottom Line
Prodigy Payment Systems rates very poorly as a merchant services provider due to its deceptive sales practices, its poor customer service reviews, its expensive contract terms, and its high BBB complaint total. For a full understanding of Prodigy Payment Systems, please visit the Encore Payment Systems review.
Prodigy Payment Systems Rating
