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Advanced Credit Systems Review

Phillip Parker
Phillip Parker

I was tired of watching unethical merchant services companies take advantage of unsuspecting business owners, so I built this website and wrote hundreds of reviews to expose their shady business practices.

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Advanced Credit Systems Overview

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Rating

4.8/5
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Website
(800) 814-3163

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Rating:
4.8/5
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View Rates & Fees
(800) 814-3163

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A Reseller of National Payment Processing, Elavon, and First Data

Advanced Credit Systems is a small, privately owned merchant account provider founded in 1996. The company specializes in providing retail credit card processing and payment gateways through National Payment Processing, Elavon, First Data, and Authorize.net.

Advanced Credit Systems Location and Ownership

Advanced Credit Systems is headquartered at 4200 Castlebridge Ln #1925, Sarasota, Florida 34238 and is an affiliate of a point-of-sale (POS) provider called TASQ Technology. Christine V. Phillips is listed as the president of Advanced Credit Systems.

Advanced Credit Systems Review Table of Contents

  • Costs & Contract: Advanced Credit Systems appears to offer variable contract terms through National Payment Processing, Elavon, and First Data.
  • Complaints & Service: Advanced Credit Systems has not received any public complaints.
  • BBB Rating: Advanced Credit Systems has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 0 complaints in the past 3 years.
  • Sales & Marketing: Advanced Credit Systems does not appear to hire independent sales representatives and has not received any complaints about its sales team.
  • Rates & Fees: How Merchants Got The Best Rates With Advanced Credit Systems
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Advanced Credit Systems Rates, Fees, and Costs

Advanced Credit Systems Rates, Fees, and Costs

Cost Summary

Swiped Rate 1.00% - 4.99%
Keyed-in Rate 1.00% - 4.99%
Swipe Rate (AmEx) 3.5% + $0.21
Swipe Rate (Discover) 1.69% + $0.21
Virtual Terminal Rate 2.21% + $0.21
Virtual Terminal Rate (AmEx) 3.50% + $0.21
Monthly Statement Fee (e-Commerce only) $5
Gateway Fee $6 Per Month
Early Termination Fee Up to $495
PCI Compliance Fee Up To $59 Per Month
Equipment Lease Terms 48 Month (locked)

Variable Contract Terms

There is very little publicly available information regarding the standard Advanced Credit Systems contract. The company advertises “rates as low as 1.49% plus $0.21” on its website but offers no definitive pricing schedule. However, the company does disclose an AmEx rate of 3.5% plus $0.21 and a Discover Card rate of 1.69% plus $0.21.

There is a high likelihood that the company’s contract terms are similar to those offered by its backend processors (National Payment Processing, Elavon, and First Data) and its gateway provider (Authorize.net.). Early termination fees among these companies are as high as $495 in a typical First Data contract. PCI compliance fees can be as expensive as $59 per month in a standard merchant agreement through Elavon. Authorize.net implement a $25 monthly gateway fee alone. These companies all offer dramatically different contract terms, so merchants are advised to read the terms of their contracts carefully.

It is also unknown whether the company leases POS equipment to merchants. Non-cancellable equipment leasing terms through First Data Global Leasing are another expensive condition within First Data merchant agreements that could be resold by Advanced Credit Systems. Merchants are encouraged to purchase equipment outright rather than lease it whenever possible.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, ClearGate also dedicates a portion of its website that advertises its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. Advanced Credit Systems utilized Authorize.Net and Quick Commerce for its e-commerce services. As a reseller of those providers, ACS reserves the right to alter their typical terms and conditions. The company imposes a rate of 2.21% plus $0.21 for e-commerce transactions (3.50% + $0.21 for AmEx). Those same rates apply to mail order transactions through its payment gateway. Additionally, the company charges a $6 monthly payment gateway fee and a $5 monthly statement fee. Additional rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates may also apply to these e-commerce services.

Potential for Costs or Savings

Advanced Credit Systems’s multiple backend processors are capable of offering some of the worst contracts in the industry and some of the cheapest pricing available. If you have any specific knowledge of the standard Advanced Credit Systems contract, please share that information in the comment section below this review.

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Advanced Credit Systems BBB Rating Summary

BBB Summary

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

Clean Complaint Record

Advanced Credit Systems has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and is not showing accreditation at this time. The company has had 0 complaints in the past three years. Advanced Credit Systems is also not showing any informal reviews on its BBB profile, although it should be noted that these reviews are typically not subject to verification by the BBB.

An “A” Performance

In light of the company’s clear complaint record, we agree with the BBB’s grade at this time. However, merchants should note that there are good reasons to be skeptical of the BBB’s grades.

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Truth In Marketing & Advertising

Key Points

Employs Independent Resellers No
Advertises Deceptive Rates Yes
Discloses All Important Terms No

In-House Sales Team

Advanced Credit Systems appears to market itself primarily through strategic partnerships and traditional advertising. There is no evidence at this time that the company employs independent sales agents, and we are unable to locate any negative Advanced Credit Systems reviews that accuse the company’s sales team of nondisclosure or misrepresentation of fees.

Incomplete Rate Quotes

The only factor lowering the company’s score in this section is the way it quotes transaction rates on its website. Advanced Credit Systems’s “Retail” page quotes MasterCard/Visa rates as low as 1.49% plus $0.21 per transaction, American Express rates of 3.5% plus $0.21 per transaction, and Discover rates of of 1.69% plus $0.21 per transaction. Its “Internet / Mail Order” page quotes a similar series of rates. The rates shown are likely the company’s “Qualified” rates, while its website makes no mention of the higher “Mid-Qualified” and “Non-Qualified” rates that merchants will pay on the majority of their transactions. We consider this type of rate quoting to be deceptive, as it could give merchants an unrealistic expectation of the rates they will pay. If you suspect that Advanced Credit Systems has misrepresented your rates, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit.

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Sales & Marketing Example

Our Opinion Of Advanced Credit Systems

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A Solid Option for Most Business Types

Advanced Credit Systems rates as a reliable merchant services provider according to all available information. The company is very small and has not had an active website for months at a time over the past few years, so merchants should be sure to double-check the identity of the company they are interacting with. The one area in which ACS can improve its rating in this review is in its rate quoting tactics. Merchants should be sure to compare its pricing to that offered by top-rated merchant account providers.

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Why I'm Qualified to Write About Credit Card Processing

I’m a small business owner who previously worked in the credit card processing industry. I started this blog in 2009 to help other business owners by exposing credit card processors that engage in unethical marketing, rate and fee trickery, and fine-print-contract schemes. Over the last decade, I’ve reviewed hundreds of merchant services providers which has helped to educate over 5 million businesses on the nuances of credit and debit card acceptance. I’ve appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Inc. Magazine and a host of other publications to offer insight on the subject of card acceptance. 

I offer merchant account and credit card processing consultation for the following needs:

  • Selecting the right credit card processing services for your business.
  • Reducing credit card processing fees with your current merchant account provider.
  • Negotiating credit card processing fees when changing merchant accounts.
  • Strategies for reducing and recovering funding holds and chargebacks.

 

Schedule a call with me today!

 

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