Note: as of late 2022, we believe that CardConnectDirect has become CardConnect. Those interested merchants should check out our CardConnect review. We will no longer be updating this profile.
CardConnectDirect Overview
CardConnectDirect is a merchant account provider headquartered in Fishers, Indiana. The company previously operated under the names “AdvoPay” and “Advocate Merchant Solutions” but appears to have rebranded to CardConnectDirect at some point in 2016. CardConnectDirect resells the services of CardConnect, which itself is a large subsidiary of First Data (now Fiserv).
CardConnectDirect Payment Processing
CardConnectDirect offers payment processing for all major debit and credit cards. Their services include EMV card readers and swipers, POS solutions, mobile solutions, e-commerce solutions including virtual terminals, QuickBooks integration, fraud prevention, SmartPay billing services, and ERP services.
CardConnectDirect Location & Ownership
Founded in 2010, CardConnectDirect is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Walnut Creek, CA. and Deutsche Bank, New York, NY. CardConnect is headquartered at 11140 E 106th St, Fishers, Indiana 46037. The company also appears to have operated under the name “Wise Payment Systems” for some time. William Wise is listed as the founder and CEO of CardConnectDirect.
Leadership
Customer Reviews & Sentiment
Low-Moderate Complaint Total
We are currently able to locate more than 10 negative CardConnectDirect reviews outside of the Better Business Bureau, a few of which accuse the company of being a scam or a ripoff. Most of these CardConnectDirect reviews were posted by merchants and complained of difficulty canceling the service, high fees, excessively long contracts, and non-cancellable equipment leases. The other CardConnectDirect complaints were filed by former employees and described a negative, unethical office environment. A company representative replied to some complaints against CardConnectDirect with a copied-and-pasted response that did not appear to be especially helpful. For CardConnectDirect’s size and time in business, this is a low-to-moderate complaint rate. If you have your own CardConnectDirect review to make, please do so in the comments below.
CardConnectDirect Lawsuits and Fines
In 2016, CardConnect, CardConnectDirect’s parent company, was sued through a class-action lawsuit in the matter of Kao et al v. CardConnect Corp. The suit alleged that the company misled merchants with contractual language that bound the merchants to rates that differed from those within their respective contacts. This suit was settled for $7.65 million in early 2021.
CardConnectDirect Customer Service Options
The CardConnectDirect website provides a dedicated phone number and email address for customer support, but it is unclear at this time whether these lines are serviced by CardConnectDirect or First Data (Fiserv).
We have located multiple CardConnectDirect customer service phone numbers:
(888) 570-2386 – Toll-Free Customer Support
(317) 813-1600 – Main Office
(877) 749-7445 – Fax
CardConnectDirect also offers a customer support form on its website as well as a customer service email address at info@cardconnectdirect.com
CardConnectDirect’s communication channels are lacking in comparison to top-rated merchant account providers for customer service.
Client Satisfaction Ratings
| Total Complaints | 1 |
|---|---|
| Resolved Complaints | 0 |
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.
Under 5 Complaints
CardConnectDirect is not an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. As of this review, the company has a “N-” rating with the BBB and has had 1 complaint filed against it in the last 36 months. The 1 complaint was resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response
An “A” Rating
At the time of a previous update, the BBB had posted a notice about excessive complaints related to nondisclosure of the company’s early termination fee, along with a written resolution from CardConnectDirect promising to take action to reduce these types of complaints. This notice has since been removed. The company’s complaint low total is enough for us to adjust BBB’s rating to an “A” at this time.
Card Processing Rates & Fees
CardConnectDirect Pricing
CardConnectDirect is a reseller of CardConnect’s merchant services, which means that its contract terms are likely to be similar to those offered by CardConnect. A CardConnect merchant agreement includes bucket pricing starting at 2.32% for “qualified” transactions. However, a class-action suit against the company alleges that its fees are deceptive as the company attaches a second agreement to its initial contract, adding 0.25% plus $0.07 to the agreed-upon rates.
Reports of the CardConnect contract terms include a high early termination fee, a PCI Compliance fee of $9.95 per month, other monthly fees, and a tiered pricing structure. CardConnectDirect is showing multiple complaints online that mention a five-year contract term with cancellation fees that can exceed $1,000. One CardConnectDirect complaint in the comment section below cites an annual fee of $100 (charged twice to this merchant), a $7.50 statement fee that ballooned to $19 over time, and other assorted fees.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, CardConnectDirect also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. Though CardConnectDirect rates are not disclosed on either of those services, the CardConnect website discloses theirs. Card Connect relies on Payeezy, the First Data (Fiserv)-backed online payment gateway. Payeezy offers 2 separate plans, the Basic Plan and Pro Plan. Neither plan charges setup fees, statement fees, or gateway fees. The Basic Plan charges a rate of 2.90% plus $0.30. Meanwhile, the Pro Plan offers a lower rate of 1.89% plus $0.23 and a monthly fee of $19.95. We always encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of thebest merchant accounts.
Beware Equipment Leases
An advertising brochure from the company also states that the company’s equipment leases (likely provided by First Data Global Leasing) are non-cancellable. Although these reports suggest that CardConnectDirect does not offer especially competitive contract terms, we do not have exact figures for the company’s pricing at this time. According to the available evidence, however, we do not expect CardConnectDirect’s contract terms to be competitive with the cheapest merchant accounts. We will award CardConnectDirect an average grade of “C” until more specific information is available.
Bottom Line
An Average Credit Card Processor
CardConnectDirect rates as an average merchant services provider according to our standards. The company is showing a low-to-moderate complaint rate overall for its size and time in business, but it appears that CardConnectDirect may not offer especially competitive contract terms. We are unable to verify specific details of the company’s standard contract at this time, but we will monitor the company’s reputation to determine whether it will become one of the worst-rated providers or on par with the top-rated providers.
CardConnectDirect Rating
