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Advanced Merchant Services Review: Fees, Complaints & Lawsuits

  • March 19, 2022
  • By Payments Industry Analyst, Phillip Parker
  • See User Reviews
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see who will offer you the lowest pricing and best service

Rating

 3.5/5
Advanced Merchant Services Logo
Website
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(888) 355-8472

Most Recent Comment

  • Chad J Mull: says:
    September 26, 2019
    "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. O..." Read More
See All User Comments

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Rating:
 3.5/5

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Advanced Merchant Services Logo
View Pricing
(888) 355-8472

Most Recent Comment

  • Chad J Mull: says:
    September 26, 2019
    "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. O..." Read More
Leave a Comment

A Company With Complaints Due to Telemarketing Tactics

Advanced Merchant Services is a merchant account provider in operation since 1999 that serves most standard-risk, domestic business types. 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 processes most major credit and debit cards for standard-risk businesses. Their services include Clover POS solutions, wireless payments, MOTO, e-commerce solutions, EMV readers, B2B Tier 2 and 3 processing, 24/7 customer support, check processing, cash advances, gift and loyalty solutions, and fuel and petroleum cards through WEX.

Advanced Merchant Services 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.

Advanced Merchant Services Review Table of Contents

  • Costs & Contract: Advanced Merchant Services appears to offer variable contract terms through First Data (Fiserv) with an early termination fee of up to $495.
  • Complaints & Service: Advanced Merchant Services has received more than 30 public complaints.
  • BBB Rating: Advanced Merchant Services has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 2 complaints and 0 reviews in the past 3 years.
  • Sales & Marketing: Advanced Merchant Services appears to hire independent sales representatives and has received a high number of complaints about its sales practices.
Advanced Merchant Solutions payment processing
Advanced Merchant Solutions offers a variety of standard payment processing services

Should You Trust Advanced Merchant Services?

Lawsuits, Reviews & Complaints

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Complaint Summary

Total Online Complaints 30+
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint Sales Tactics

Moderate Complaint Total

We are currently able to locate over 30 negative Advanced Merchant Services reviews, many of which accuse the company of scamming merchants. The vast majority of these complaints have been posted in relation to the company’s sales tactics, specifically the slamming-style telemarketing pitches that have been alleged by some merchants. These complainants often state that they do not trust the company at all after receiving this sales pitch and then subsequently dealing with Advanced Merchant Services customer support.

Advanced Merchant Services Lawsuits and Fines

We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Advanced Merchant Services. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.

Advanced Merchant Services Customer Service Options

Advanced Merchant Services has responded to some public complaints, stating that “issues with the call process” were to blame for many of these sales-related complaints. It is unclear whether merchants who post about being tricked into unwanted equipment are ultimately released from their agreements.

We have located multiple Advanced Merchant Services customer service numbers:

(888) 355-8472 – Toll-Free General Customer Service
(904) 800-7323 – Sales Inquiries

Advanced Merchant Services also offers a number of customer service emails:

[email protected] – Sales
[email protected] – General Info
[email protected] – Customer Service
[email protected] – Technical Assistance

Advanced Merchant Services offers dedicated phone and email customer support to all of its merchants, but these channels are not enough to qualify it as a top-rated merchant account provider for customer service.

Is the BBB Rating for Advanced Merchant Services Accurate?

Better Business Bureau Profile

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BBB Summary

Product & Service Complaints 1
Billing & Collection Complaints 1
Advertising & Sales Complaints 0
Guarantee & Warranty Complaints 0
Delivery Complaints 0

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 2 complaints in the past 36 months. 1 complaint is in relation to product or service problems while 1 other complaint has to do with a billing or collection issue. 1 of these complaints was resolved to the satisfaction of the merchant, while the remaining 1 was not resolved this complaint to the merchant’s satisfaction or it did not receive a final communication.

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.”

How Expensive is Advanced Merchant Services?

Rates, Fees, and Contract Terms

This processor offers the lowest rates and best service we've seen

Cost Summary

Swipe Rate 2.69% + $0.19
Keyed-in Rate 3.69% + $0.19
Virtual Terminal Rate 1.00% - 4.99%
Payment Gateway Fee Undisclosed
Early Termination Fee Up To $495
PCI Compliance Fee $19.95 Per Month
Equipment Lease Terms 48 Month (locked)

Advanced Merchant Services Contract Terms

There is very little public information about the standard Advanced Merchant Services contract at this time. The company does not disclose its pricing and fees on its website, and there aren’t many merchant complaints that focus on specific costs. One complaint describes an early termination fee of either $395 or $495, and most complaints about the company’s sales tactics also seem to mention long-term merchant account contracts and equipment leases. Beyond these reports, however, there isn’t a lot of evidence as to the company’s pricing and contract terms.

Variable Pricing

As a reseller of First Data (Fiserv) contracts, Advanced Merchant Services may have contract terms similar to those offered by First Data (Fiserv). First Data (Fiserv) offers a wide variety of contract terms and pricing plans, but its standard agreement is typically a multi-year contract with an early termination fee of $495, a monthly PCI compliance fee of $19.95, and tiered pricing. Merchants who process up to $50,000 each month will receive a swiped rate of 2.69% plus $0.19 and a keyed-in rate of 3.69% plus $0.19. Merchants whose monthly charges exceed $50,000 will receive a swiped rate of 2.29% plus $0.19 and a keyed-in rate of 3.29% plus $0.19. Another facet of these contracts are non-cancellable, long-term equipment leases through First Data Global Leasing.

The available evidence suggests that Advanced Merchant Services’ contract terms are not competitive with the cheapest merchant accounts. The company’s reliance on independently contracted sales agents may result in some variation in pricing and fees from agent to agent.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Advanced Merchant Solutions also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. However, pricing is not disclosed on either of those services. Additional rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates typically apply to these e-commerce services.

General Contract Dissatisfaction

It is also likely that the company offers credit card terminals and POS systems through First Data Global Leasing. Despite the lack of complaints related to Advanced Merchant Services’ contract terms, the available evidence seems to indicate that merchants who accidentally sign up for service with the company aren’t pleased with the costs incurred. If you have any specific knowledge of the standard Advanced Merchant Services contract, please share that information in the comment section below this review. We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.

Advanced Merchant Services point of sale
Advanced Merchant Services offers POS solutions through Clover, the First Data (Fiserv) product

Does Advanced Merchant Services Use Deceptive Marketing?

Advertising & Sales Strategy

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Key Points

Employs Independent Resellers Yes
Advertises Deceptive Rates 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 complaints 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 merchants have claimed that Advanced Merchant Services is engaged in a practice called “slamming.” Slamming occurs when a sales agent calls a merchant’s place of business posing as the merchant’s current credit card processor in order to convince the merchant to open a new account with that agent’s company. In Advanced Merchant Services’ case, multiple merchants claim to have received calls from Advanced Merchant Services reps claiming that the merchants need 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 merchant to merchant 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

Merchants who 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.

Does Advanced Merchant Services Deserve Your Business?

Review Summary & Our Thoughts

An Average Processing Option

Advanced Merchant Services rates as an average merchant services provider according to our rating criteria. The company has received an alarming number of complaints about its sales tactics, and a few merchants 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. Merchants are encouraged to read and review all contract terms (including the identity of the company involved) before signing up for any service. For now, merchants will be better served by dealing with a top-rated overall payment processor.

5-Star Rated Advanced Merchant Services Competitors

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About The Author

Phillip Parker is a Payments Industry Analyst and creator of this blog, CardPaymentOptions.com. Phillip is passionate about researching merchant service providers and payment industry trends. He is often quoted as an expert source in national publications such as INC Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur, and many others.

“I started this blog because I was disgusted by the business practices of the merchant services industry. I wanted to empower business owners by providing insight on how to avoid shady merchant account providers and costly credit card processing mistakes.” 

Phillip’s Processor Comparisons

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What Others Are Saying About Advanced Merchant Services

Customer & Employee Reviews

One Response

  1. Chad J Mull says:
    September 26, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    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

    Reply

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