SecureChoice Merchant Services Review

Secure Choice Merchant Services Logo
4.4
full star full star full star full star empty star

How did they treat you? ▼

Update 2/8/19: The SecureChoice Merchant Services website (securechoicems.com) is no longer active and has disappeared from search results. Given the fact that the company was acquired by BlueSquare Resolutions in 2014, it seems likely that SecureChoice has been retired as an independent brand. If you have any information about the current state of SecureChoice Merchant Services (including any alternate business names or rebrandings), please share that information in the comment section of this review.

SecureChoice Merchant Services is a merchant account provider headquartered in Holladay, Utah. The company was founded in 2012 according to the Better Business Bureau and was subsequently acquired by BlueSquare Resolutions in March 2014. Despite the fact that it is owned by BlueSquare, the company appears to still conduct business under the SecureChoice name. SecureChoice (sometimes spelled “Secure Choice Merchant Services”) offers debit and credit card processing through First Data, credit card terminals, loyalty programs, e-commerce solutions, payroll services, mobile processing, and sales analytics for merchants.

There is strong evidence to suggest that the owner and president of SecureChoice, Cameron Montgomery, was named as the defendant in a February 2009 lawsuit filed by a business training and education company called Video Professor, Inc. The lawsuit alleged that Cameron Montgomery was the registrant and owner of a website called “Ripoff-Review.org” that listed a falsified negative review from a non-existent customer of Video Professor named “Dr. William J. Tomlin.” The lawsuit also alleged that Cameron Montgomery advertised against the Video Professor trademark with this falsified review in order to direct visitors to competing companies owned by Cameron Montgomery. Cameron Montgomery is the owner of two online business training companies called Vanuity, LLC and Horizon Learning, LLC. Video Professor's complaint contended that Cameron Montgomery authored the fake review and that the webpage containing the review constituted false advertising (among other violations). This suit was settled in March 2009.

SecureChoice Merchant Services is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Walnut Creek, California, and is headquartered at 4685 S Highland Dr #101, Holladay, Utah 84117.

SecureChoice Merchant Services Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints <10
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint N/A

As noted above, we have located only one negative SecureChoice Merchant Services review across all consumer protection forums. This complaint accuses the company of charging costly undisclosed fees and of falsifying reviews on the same page. There are also a number of complaints filed online against SecureChoice’s owner, Cameron Montgomery, and his various non-credit card processing business ventures. It appears that two of his most commonly reviewed companies, Vanuity, LLC, and Horizon, LLC, are no longer active. It should also be noted that they do not appear to be related to SecureChoice in any respect. In light of SecureChoice’s complaint total and the content of those complaints, we have adjusted its grade to an “A-.”

SecureChoice Merchant Services Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
Product & Service Complaints 0
Billing & Collection Complaints 0
Advertising & Sales Complaints 0
Guarantee & Warranty Complaints 0
Delivery Complaints 0

SecureChoice Merchant Services has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and is not showing accreditation. The company’s profile has received zero complaints since its creation and has also not received any informal reviews. The BBB cites SecureChoice’s short time in operation as the primary factor lowering its score. In this case, we agree with the BBB’s assessment and will not adjust its “A+” rating.

SecureChoice Merchant Services Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Swiped Rate Variable
Keyed-in Rate Variable
Early Termination Fee Unknown
PCI Compliance Fee Unknown
Equipment Lease Terms Variable

We are unable to locate any verifiable public information about the standard SecureChoice contract at this time. The company is a reseller of First Data, which means that its contract terms may resemble those found in the standard First Data contract. First Data offers a wide variety of pricing plans and rate structures, but its most common terms often include a minimum contract length, early termination fee, monthly minimum fee, and PCI compliance fee. In addition, it is possible that SecureChoice resells equipment through First Data Global Leasing, which typically offers a 48-month, non-cancellable leasing term.

Given the absence of any clear information about SecureChoice’s pricing and fees as well as the lack of complaints regarding its terms, we will award it an “A” in this section for the time being. If you have any specific knowledge of the company’s contract terms, please share that information in the comment section below this review.

SecureChoice Merchant Services Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Employs Independent Resellers Yes
Advertises Deceptive Rates No
Discloses All Important Terms No

SecureChoice appears to primarily market its services through the use of telemarketing and outside sales agents. It is unclear whether these agents are full W-2 employees of the company or commission-only independent reps. The combination of preset phone appointments and traveling independent agents is typically linked to elevated complaint rates within the credit card processing industry, but in this case, we have located only one SecureChoice merchant complaint that accuses the company’s representatives of deceptive sales practices. This complaint mentions that the company promotes deceptive rates and does not disclose the costs of its equipment leases.

The SecureChoice website does not promote any misleading rate quotes at this time, but the company’s former domain name of “lowrateprocessor.com” did list a rate of “0.95%” as recently as May 2014. Since this domain is no longer active, we will not penalize the company for this type of rate quote at this time. However, merchants should be aware that SecureChoice has made use of what appear to be “teaser” rate quotes in the recent past.

Our SecureChoice Merchant Services Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

SecureChoice Merchant Services rates as a decent merchant services provider according to all available information. We are currently unable to verify the company’s pricing and fees, and there are only a handful of negative reviews filed against the company and its principals. SecureChoice’s overall rating is likely to change once we have a better understanding of its contract terms and have received more feedback from its merchants.

If you found this article helpful, please share it!

Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did SecureChoice Merchant Services Treat You?

Tell Us How They Treated You

Sharing your experience influences our rating and helps other business owners make informed decisions. Please take a moment to tell us if they are serving you well. Your email address will never be published, shared or sold. We only use it to authenticate that you are a real person and, if you select the option for it, to let you know if someone replies to your comment. Required fields are marked *

Comments must contain details about your experience. Please do not use ALL CAPS. Self-promotion, marketing content, or contact information of any kind will not be published. By submitting a comment, you are agreeing to our Comment Policy

Copyright

Copyright © 2024 CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. (Digital Fingerprint: 0d38c6720f0d78a701b74d58653af608). Getting paid to re-write this page? Click here to earn a reward.

Any unauthorized copying and reproduction of the content of this page, including all meta data and computer code, is strictly prohibited. While the information in the above article is believed to be accurate as of its publish date, the author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided “as is,” and without warranties. Any and all use of trade names and/or marks are for identification purposes only and shall not be construed as a claim of affiliation, or otherwise, with CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. ("CPO") in any form. The sole purpose of the material presented herein is to alert, educate, and inform readers. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. We may earn revenue if you obtain services from a provider that we recommend. See this page to learn how we support our operations.