Should You Choose Aliant Payments for Processing?

Low Complaint Total

We have located over twenty negative Aliant Payments reviews in various online forums. Most of the complaints describe persistent, unwanted telephone calls from Aliant Payments and occasionally rude phone exchanges with sales representatives. Aliant has not publicly responded to most of these complaints, but it has stated in response to this review that it no longer engages in outbound telemarketing. These complaints are generally more than four years old and therefore have a minimal impact on the company’s score in this section. As an additional point in the company’s favor, there are very few complaints that describe poor customer service or expensive contract terms from Aliant.

Aliant Payments Lawsuits

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

Aliant Payments Customer Support Options

Aliant offers live phone support and chat support through its website. These contact options are close to what we expect from top-rated credit card processors.

No BBB Complaints

Aliant Payments currently has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since June 2013. The company has received 0 complaints in the last 36 months.

What Merchants Say

Aliant has received 20 positive reviews on its BBB profile, although it should be noted that these reviews are not verified by the BBB. Aliant itself has admitted that it “hired outside companies to monitor our service and provide reviews that can be found online,” which likely means that it has retained a reputation management firm. As with much of the content found on the BBB, we believe that there are reasons to be skeptical of the large amount of positive feedback the company has received.

An “A” Performance

Given Aliant’s improved complaint total and resolution ratio, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time.

Global PaymentReseller

Aliant was a reseller of TSYS prior to the Global Payments acquiring TSYS, so it is likely that its standard contract resembles the standard TSYS or Global Payments contract. TSYS offered a wide variety of contract terms and pricing plans, but its standard agreement was typically a multiyear contract with a quarterly PCI compliance fee of $18.80 and tiered pricing. An Aliant representative has stated that the company does not charge early termination fees.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Aliant Payments also dedicates a portion of its website that advertises its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. 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.

Variable Contract Terms

There is very little publicly available information about the standard Aliant Payments contract at this time. The company’s website states that agents can earn revenues on Qualifieddiscount rates, Mid-Qualified discount rates, Non-Qualified discount rates, transaction fees, monthly minimum fees, statement fees, Merchant Club fees, and annual fees. It does not list amounts for these fees or mention whether it charges PCI compliance fees.

In general, it appears that Aliant offers industry-average contract terms and has maintained a low rate of complaints regarding its fees.

Outside Agents and Telemarketing

Aliant Payments appears to utilize independent sales agents, online marketing, and traditional advertising to market its products and services. Telemarketing and independent sales agents tend to produce elevated complaint totals among providers, and Aliant used to be no exception. We are able to locate over two dozen complaints that describe persistent, aggressive sales calls or misrepresentation by sales staff.

Telemarketing Complaint Details

These two pages contain the bulk of Aliant’s telemarketing complaints. Merchants claim that the company continues to call them after it has been asked to stop, and that its in-person sales representatives do not disclose all fees that will be charged. An Aliant representative has claimed that the company no longer engages in outbound telemarketing, but this change in policy must have been made within the last few years given that a complaint from November 2015 mentions telemarketing as the primary issue. As of this update, it appears that the company’s revised marketing strategy has had a positive effect on merchants’ sales experiences.

No Deceptive Rates

To its credit, Aliant does not list any misleading rate quotes or unrealistic guarantees on its website. Its complaint record still warrants a “B” rating as of this update, but this is on pace to improve by our next update. If you suspect that Aliant is charging you undisclosed fees, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit.

A Solid Option for Standard and High-Risk Merchants

Aliant Payments rates as an above average merchant services provider according to all available information. The company has received some complaints about its sales practices, but it claims to have ceased the program that was generating these complaints. There also are not any especially severe complaints about its pricing or service. Our rating may be subject to change once more is known about Aliant’s contract terms. For now, merchants are advised to compare the company’s pricing to top-rated credit card processors to obtain the best deal.