Advantage Payment Processing Review

Potentially Variable Terms

There is very little publicly available information regarding the standard Advantage Payment Processing contract. The company is a First Data reseller, which means that its contract is likely to resemble the standard First Data contract. First Data is capable of offering a wide range of contract terms.

A typical First Data offers a wide variety of contract terms and pricing plans, but its standard agreement is typically a multiyear 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.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Advantage Payment Processing also dedicates a portion of its website that advertises its virtual terminal and payment gateway. The company refers to these services as its Orbital Payment Gateway. However, pricing on either of those services is not disclosed. Additional rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates typically apply to these e-commerce services.

No Long-Term Equipment Leases

The company’s website states that it does not lease processing equipment to merchants, so potential merchants do not need to fear expensive leases through First Data Global Leasing. Given the fact that there are no public complaints regarding Advantage’s pricing and contract terms, we will assign it an “A” rating for now, but merchants should still compare the company’s rates to the cheapest merchant account providers.

Clean Complaint Record

We are unable to locate any negative Advantage Payment Processing reviews, which is a positive indicator that the company is not a ripoff or a scam. This clean complaint record may be a product of Advantage’s stated policy of giving each merchant a dedicated “personal consultant,” or it may simply be that the company is not very large. It is also possible that complaints intended for Advantage Payment Processing are instead mistakenly filed against First Data, but we have found no evidence at this time that this is occurring.

Advantage Payment Processing Lawsuits

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

Advantage Payment Processing Customer Support Options

The company offers live phone support for its merchants, which appears to do an effective job of resolving complaints. Despite its “A” rating in this section, this payment processor is not considered to be a top-rated provider for customer service.

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.

No BBB Complaints

Advantage Payment Processing is not an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. As of this review, the company does not have a rating and does not have any public complaints filed against it with the BBB. The BBB has also not received any informal reviews related to Advantage.

An “A” Performance

Given the company’s clean record, we are awarding the company an “A” in this section. Merchants should note, however, that there are good reasons to be skeptical of the BBB’s rating system.

No Sales Complaints

Advantage Payment Processing appears to primarily market itself via referrals, its website, and traditional advertising. There is no evidence at this time that the company employs independently contracted sales agents, and we have not found any Advantage Payment Processing complaints that mention nondisclosure or misrepresentation of terms by sales representatives.

No Deceptive Quotes

The company also does not list any deceptive rate quotes on its website. In light of these factors, we will award Advantage an “A” rating in this category for the time being. If you suspect that Advantage Payment Processing is charging you undisclosed fees, we recommend seeking an independent statement audit to find and eliminate sneaky charges.

Serving High Risk Merchants

Merchants can be designated as a high risk account for a multitude of reasons. From their credit history, transaction volume, to the size of their business, these considerations can have a huge impact on their rates and transaction fees as they are offered non-qualified rates. Cannabis businesses face a unique set of circumstances that make them high risk merchants. Advantage Payment Processing advertises its specialization of serving these businesses and other high risk accounts.