Advanced Merchant Services Reviews & Complaints
Overview
In this comprehensive analysis of Advanced Merchant Services (AMS) we explore the various facets of their offerings, customer experiences, and business practices. As a reseller of First Data (now Fiserv) products and Clover POS solutions, AMS positions itself to serve standard-risk domestic businesses with payment processing solutions. This article explores the nuances of AMS's services, including their rates and fees, contract terms, and EMV-ready terminal offerings through programs like Clover®. Furthermore, we investigate the common complaints against AMS, focusing on issues like aggressive telemarketing tactics and customer dissatisfaction. Industry ratings and employee reviews are also scrutinized to provide a holistic view of the company's standing in the market.
This piece delves into the specifics of AMS's payment processing services, highlighting their technology solutions, customer support options, and the balance of pros and cons associated with their offerings. A significant portion of this analysis is dedicated to understanding the implications of the Visa & MasterCard lawsuit settlement and its impact on merchants. Customer reviews and legal history are also examined to gauge the overall client experience with AMS, along with a thorough evaluation of their contract terms, pricing variability, and virtual terminal and payment gateway pricing.
Finally, our article sheds light on AMS's marketing tactics, employee experiences, and the alleged use of misleading sales practices, critically assessing their approach to business development and customer engagement. Our objective is to provide an informed perspective on Advanced Merchant Services, aiding businesses in making well-informed decisions regarding their payment processing partnerships.
About Advanced Merchant Services
Advanced Merchant Services is a merchant account provider in operation since 1999 that serves most standard-risk domestic businesses. The company initially boarded high-risk merchant types under its subsidiary, Next Level Payment Solutions, but the subsidiary seems to no longer be active. Advanced Merchant Services appears to resell the products and services of First Data (now Fiserv) and Clover as a POS solution. Unfortunately, the company has received a high volume of complaints regarding telemarketing tactics from its ISOs and independent sales agents.
Advanced Merchant Services Payment Processing
Advanced Merchant Services (AMS) offers a range of payment processing solutions for businesses. They emphasize their commitment to providing competitive rates and staying at the forefront of processing technology. This suggests a focus on offering cost-effective and technologically advanced payment processing options.
EMV-Ready Terminal Offerings
AMS promotes the availability of free EMV-ready terminals for businesses that process with them. EMV terminals are crucial for meeting current global processing standards, indicating AMS's commitment to ensuring their clients' compliance with these standards.
Clover® Program
The company offers the Clover® program, which includes the latest payment processing technology. Businesses can start with a free Clover® Go or potentially qualify for a free Clover® Mini, indicating AMS's effort to provide modern and versatile payment processing hardware.
Location & Ownership
The company is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, NA, Walnut Creek, California; and Esquire Bank of Jericho, NY; and it is headquartered at 6440 Southpoint Pkwy Suite 140 Jacksonville, FL. Jason Felts is the president and CEO of Advanced Merchant Services. LinkedIn lists Brian McElroy as owner of Advanced Merchant Services.
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Latest Tech Solutions | Variable Processing Rates |
| A+ BBB Rating | Variable Contract Terms |
| Competitive Rates | Over 30 Complaints |
| Free Terminal | Aggressive Sales Tactics |
| Offers Dedicated Support | Cancellation Penalties |
Advanced Merchant Services Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Total Online Complaints | 30+ |
|---|---|
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | Sales Tactics |
| Recent Lawsuits | No |
Overview of Advanced Merchant Services Reviews
We’ve identified over 30 negative reviews of Advanced Merchant Services, with numerous allegations pointing towards scamming practices by the company. A significant portion of these grievances centers around the company’s sales techniques, particularly aggressive telemarketing strategies reminiscent of slamming, which have led some businesses to distrust Advanced Merchant Services entirely. We invite you to share your experiences with Advanced Merchant Services in the comments below to provide further insights into the company’s practices.
Legal and Regulatory Status of Advanced Merchant Services
Our search has not revealed any active class-action lawsuits or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints against Advanced Merchant Services. For those seeking to address their disputes outside of court, contacting appropriate regulatory bodies is recommended.
Evaluating Advanced Merchant Services Customer Support
Advanced Merchant Services has acknowledged some of the public complaints, attributing many sales-related issues to “problems with the call process.” It remains unclear whether customers reporting deceptive practices related to unwanted equipment leases have been able to terminate their agreements satisfactorily.
Advanced Merchant Services Contact Information
- (888) 355-8472 – Toll-Free General Customer Service
- (904) 800-7323 – Sales Inquiries
Additional Support Resources
- Email support for various inquiries:
- [email protected] – Sales
- [email protected] – General Information
- [email protected] – Customer Service
- [email protected] – Technical Support
While Advanced Merchant Services provides a range of contact options for support, the effectiveness of these channels in resolving client issues does not elevate the company to the status of a leading merchant account provider for customer service.
This updated content seeks to offer a balanced view of Advanced Merchant Services, highlighting customer reviews, legal standing, and the available support channels. By integrating SEO-optimized keywords related to “reviews,” “complaints,” “customer service,” and “technical assistance,” the revision aims to enhance visibility and provide valuable insights for individuals researching Advanced Merchant Services.
Advanced Merchant Services Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| BBB Reports | 1 |
|---|
Under 5 Complaints
Advanced Merchant Services currently has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and is not BBB-accredited. The company has received 1 complaint in the past 36 months.
An “A” Performance Overall
As of a previous update, the company received 1 positive informal review, although it should be noted that these reviews are not subject to verification by the BBB. At this time, the company has no informal reviews on its BBB profile. With such a low complaint total, we agree with the BBB’s assessment of an “A.”
Advanced Merchant Services Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Cancellation Penalties | Yes |
|---|---|
| Monthly & Annual Fees | Yes |
| Processing Rates | Variable |
| Equipment Leasing | Yes |
Obscured Contract Terms
There is limited public information available regarding the standard contract terms of Advanced Merchant Services. The company does not openly disclose its pricing and fees on its website, and there are few client complaints providing specific cost details. However, some complaints mention an early termination fee ranging from $395 to $495, often associated with extended merchant account contracts and equipment leases. Yet, comprehensive evidence regarding the company’s pricing and contract terms remains elusive.
Variable Pricing Structure
As a reseller of First Data (Fiserv) contracts, Advanced Merchant Services might offer contract terms akin to those provided by First Data (Fiserv). Typically, First Data (Fiserv) implements multi-year agreements with an early termination fee of $495, a monthly PCI compliance fee of $19.95, and tiered pricing. For transactions under $50,000 per month, the swiped rate is 2.69% plus $0.19, while for amounts surpassing $50,000, the rate drops to 2.29% plus $0.19. Additionally, clients may encounter non-cancellable, long-term equipment leases via First Data Global Leasing.
Available evidence suggests that the rates and contract terms offered by Advanced Merchant Services may not be competitive with the cheapest merchant accounts. The company’s reliance on independently contracted sales agents might contribute to pricing discrepancies across agents.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Services
Aside from its brick-and-mortar payment processing services, Advanced Merchant Solutions also advertises virtual terminal and payment gateway solutions. Unfortunately, the pricing for these services is not openly disclosed. Additionally, clients should expect ancillary fees such as gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates for e-commerce services.
General Discontent with Contracts
It is probable that Advanced Merchant Services offers credit card terminals and POS systems through First Data Global Leasing. Despite the scarcity of complaints specifically concerning Advanced Merchant Services’ contract terms, available evidence suggests that clients who inadvertently engage with the company express dissatisfaction with the incurred costs. If you possess specific insights into Advanced Merchant Services’ standard fees or contract terms, please share them in the comments below. We also encourage merchants to peruse our compilation of the best merchant accounts.
Advanced Merchant Services Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Uses Independent Resellers | Yes |
|---|---|
| Telemarketing | Yes |
| Misleading Marketing | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Sales Complaints
Advanced Merchant Services appears to market its services primarily through a combination of telemarketing and independently contracted sales agents. This marketing strategy is often linked to elevated complaint rates within the credit card processing industry, and Advanced Merchant Services appears to be no exception. We are currently able to locate dozens of Advanced Merchant Services reviews that describe aggressive telemarketing tactics and deceptive conduct by the company’s sales team. This does not compare favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
Slamming Allegations
Specifically, a large number of Advanced Merchant Services reviews claim that the company is engaged in a practice called “slamming.” Slamming occurs when a sales agent calls a place of business posing as the business’ current credit card processor in order to convince the business to open a new account with that agent’s company. In Advanced Merchant Services’ case, multiple business owners claim to have received calls from Advanced Merchant Services reps claiming that the business needed to update their credit card processing machines due to the new EMV regulations. The following complaint describes a typical exchange:
Company claims to be Advanced Merchant Services and says that our business credit card machine needs to be upgraded to new one. We are on the national Do Not Call List. They still call almost daily and hound our staff about us needing a new machine. They finally faxed us paperwork that must be filled out so we can get new machine. Paperwork needs bank account number and is thru a different bank than our usual bank who already had our credit card merchant service account and who already knows our bank account number. Liars, as they appear to be from your same card merchant company, but they are NOT. They try to trick you into filling out/signing their forms, which will switch your card business to them instead of your usual merchant company. Sorry way to do business!! Don’t give them info. Don’t deal with them.
The reports of Advanced Merchant Services using this tactic are consistent from business to business and can be found across multiple online forums. This makes it less likely that this issue is simply confined to a few agents.
Ensure Your Provider’s Identity
Businesses that are contacted by Advanced Merchant Services (or any credit card processor, for that matter) should make absolutely certain that they are dealing with their actual merchant account provider before signing up for any “upgrades” or “rate reviews.” Additionally, If you suspect that Advanced Merchant Services is charging you undisclosed fees, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit to find and eliminate hidden costs.
Our Advanced Merchant Services Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Advanced Merchant Services rates as an average credit card processing provider according to our rating criteria. The company has received an alarming number of complaints about its sales tactics, and a few clients accuse the company of being a rip-off. Advanced Merchant Services does not appear to distinguish itself in terms of its pricing or contract terms. Business owners are encouraged to read and review all contract terms (including the identity of the company involved) before signing up for any service. For now, clients will be better served by dealing with a top-rated overall payment processor.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
Chad J Mull
We have worked with, faxed, called numerous times to have a simple bank change take place. We received the pdf bank change form on 9-4 -19. On 9-13-19 i faxed that form and letter from new bank with information to come and find out that it was unacceptable because i signed it and not my wife on 9-20-19. I called back on 9-24-19 after faxing a new document change form with my wifes name and signature on 9-23-19 to find out that a new ticket had not been made and sent. Today 9-26-19 i called back to check on progress because now money owed has become over $3,200 and yet no money into this account. We are a small business with limited cash only to have been in a position to borrow money to pay bills due to the timely manner this company operates over a name and signature. We have been depositless since 9-4-19 granted our choice to have a bank change, however the lack of speed over now a 2 week period we are still $3,200 owed by Advanced Merchant Services. We are very upset how these requests have taken place and how we have been treated. I have recorded all calls and have a timeline charted for history purposes. We just wanted a simple bank change and our money for sales owed to us like has happened previously. I guess who would have thought a change in bank accounts could be so difficult to the tune of $3,200 plus and counting.
Chad & Lisa Mull
RJS Lounge
109 Main
Conrad, IA
This post will help: Best Merchant Accounts for Great Customer Service
-Phillip