Banc Certified Merchant Services Reviews & Complaints

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How did they treat you? ▼

Company Overview

Banc Certified Merchant Services, founded in 1996, is a merchant account provider focusing on web-based credit card processing platforms for small to mid-sized businesses. Banc Certified Merchant services is a reseller of Elavon contracts, although documents can be found online that also link the company to Sage Payment Solutions. Banc Certified Merchant Services prominently markets a service offered by a separate company called CardX that advertises the ability for merchants to effectively pay 0% on credit card processing fees by adding surcharges to customers' transactions. The CEO of Banc Certified Merchant Services is an investor in CardX and shares a last name with CardX's CEO. The company also partners with Talech for POS solutions. Other services include mobile processing and e-commerce services.

Location and Ownership

Banc Certified Merchant Services is located at 5006 Cemetery Rd, Hilliard, Ohio 43026-1640 and is a registered ISO/MSP of Elavon, Inc., Georgia. Ali Razi is listed as the founder and CEO of Banc Certified Merchant Services.

Banc Certified Merchant Services Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints <10
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint N/A
Recent Lawsuits Yes

Minimal Complaints

We’ve located a few Banc Certified Merchant Services reviews on various consumer protection websites apart from the BBB, and a recent comment on this review raises a Banc Certified Merchant Services complaint regarding poor customer service and rate misrepresentation by a sales agent. Another complaint mentions annoyance with the company’s sales calls.

Legal Matters and Fines

In 2016, BCMS faced a lawsuit for alleged violations of the TCPA due to excessive faxes. As of 2023, the case remains ongoing.

Elavon, the merchant account provider associated with BCMS, has also encountered legal issues. In 2012, a restaurant named Cisero’s sued Elavon for PCI compliance fines. The situation arose when U.S. Bank (Elavon’s parent company) was fined $90,000 by Visa and MasterCard for alleged network insecurities leading to fraudulent transactions. Dissatisfied clients seeking non-litigious solutions should consider reporting their concerns to relevant supervisory organizations.

Customer Support by BCMS

Although Banc Certified Merchant Services is affiliated with Elavon, there’s no evidence suggesting that complaints directed at BCMS are rerouted to Elavon’s profiles. BCMS provides a dedicated phone line and an email form for customer inquiries. However, these support options are insufficient to merit BCMS as a top-rated credit card processor for customer service.

BCMS Customer Service Number

  • (877) 861-8008 – General Support

Other Support Options

  • Support Form

Banc Certified Merchant Services Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
BBB Reports 0

No BBB Complaints

Banc Certified Merchant Services maintains an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau as of this update and has been BBB accredited since 2002. 0 complaints have been filed against the company’s profile. Because of the company’s affiliation with Elavon, it is possible that some complaints about Banc Certified may have been improperly diverted to Elavon’s BBB profile. However, we have seen no evidence of this.

What Merchants Say

BCMS has not received any informal reviews in the past 36 months.

An “A” Performance Overall

Given the company’s complaint rate and resolution ratio, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time. Business owners should note, however, that there is reason to be skeptical of the BBB’s reviews.

Banc Certified Merchant Services Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Cancellation Penalties No
Monthly & Annual Fees Yes
Processing Rates Variable
Equipment Leasing Yes

An Elavon Reseller

Banc Certified Merchant Services (BCMS) operates as an Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of Elavon and additional providers, which grants it some flexibility in adjusting the terms of processor contracts. For context, a standard Elavon contract generally features a swipe rate of 2.65% + $0.19 and a keyed rate of 3.50% + $0.19, alongside a PCI compliance fee between $29 and $59 monthly, and a $10 monthly service fee.

A BCMS representative highlighted that the company predominantly offers a month-to-month agreement that doesn’t include an early termination fee (ETF), setting it apart from Elavon’s typical contracts. The terms provided by BCMS may vary based on how the account was established.

For POS solutions, BCMS collaborates with Talech, which offers three plan tiers: Starter, Standard, and Premium. The Starter Plan is priced at $528 annually or $49 monthly, suited for cafes or basic retail. The Standard Plan, aimed at casual and medium-sized retail, costs $744 annually or $69 monthly for the initial POS system, with additional devices at $420 annually or $39 monthly. The Premium Plan is designed for full-service restaurants and larger retail operations, at $1,068 annually or $99 monthly for the first system and $528 annually or $49 monthly for extra devices.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

Banc Certified Merchant Services also promotes its virtual terminal and payment gateway services on its website, though specific pricing details are not publicly disclosed. E-commerce services such as these typically involve additional costs, including gateway fees, technical support, batch fees, and transaction rates.

BCMS Contract Pricing Complaints

Previously, online feedback indicated that Banc Certified’s contracts could include early termination fees ranging from $195 to $295 and monthly statement fees between $5 and $10. However, current practices suggest new clients are offered month-to-month contracts. Since BCMS employs independent sales agents, actual pricing might differ based on the agent handling the account setup. It’s worth noting that many contract terms, including fees, are typically negotiable. Business owners looking for competitive services are encouraged to review our selection of the best merchant accounts.

Banc Certified Merchant Services Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Uses Independent Resellers Yes
Telemarketing Yes
Misleading Marketing No
Discloses All Important Terms No

Outside Sales Agents

Banc Certified appears to hire independent sales agents and use telemarketing to market its services. The use of independent sales agents is a common industry practice that unfortunately can result in an unregulated, untrained sales team. We were able to locate a few Banc Certified reviews that mentioned misrepresentation by sales agents, but there does not appear to be an overall pattern of nondisclosure by the company’s sales team. In general, this compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.

That said, if you suspect that Banc Certified’s sales team is charging you undisclosed fees, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit to find and eliminate hidden charges.

Pricing Models

The company’s website offers a page explaining interchange fees and touting its “cost-plus” pricing structure, which is described as “the basic interchange rate plus a few basis points to cover our services.” At first glance, it is unclear whether BCMS is referring to interchange-plus pricing, which is the most transparent pricing plan available. According to a company representative, BCMS provides both tiered and interchange-plus pricing to clients, but the company strongly prefers to offer interchange-plus whenever merchants are comfortable with it. We would encourage businesses to request interchange-plus pricing through Banc Certified Merchant Services in order to receive the most transparent pricing model.

Our Banc Certified Merchant Services Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Banc Certified Merchant Services rates as a reliable credit card processing provider by our standards. The company has a low complaint rate for its size and time in business, and its current contract terms are more favorable than industry averages. Even when dealing with highly rated providers, business owners are advised to read their contracts carefully and to compare the company’s terms to the top-rated merchant account providers.

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Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did Banc Certified Merchant Services Treat You?

3 User Reviews

  • Leo

    I am owner of SemBro Outlet and sign up with BCMS about 3-4 month ago. We had several trouble with processing, some fees was not explained, and when spoken with representative – two times they gave us wrong answer. We are on the line right now, thinking to switch to different merchant service.

    • Kevin James

      Leo,
      I am not an employee of BCMS nor am I authorized to speak on their behalf.

      Speaking as a veteran ISO in this industry, I noticed that you’ve only been with BCMS 3 to4 . Honestly, your account is still within the “ramp-up” window. This means, there are probably integrated services such as online invoicing, ecommerce and other services that a processor may not get perfect to your liking until the 3rd or 4th invoice.

      The bottom line is, you may have wasted your time looking for a different processor. BCMS has been around for decades and has a solid reputation. Based on their website they “white label” the services of Elavon, Sage and several other big boys. Service doesn’t get any better than what BCMS brings to the table.

      Good luck.

      • Eric Espinoza

        Kevin, i agree with you. i am not a merchant, but an independent agent. I do have a relationship with the owner and staff at BCMS, but I work for another company. If I ever made a change in my career it would be to work with those guys. They are very transparent with the shortest customized merchant application Ive seen in the industry. The last time I checked they have over 90% of their clients PCI compliant. They have a gal who calls hundreds if not thousands of merchants to help complete their PCI questioannaires as well as performing their quarterly scanning. If there are fees that dont make sense, i would take a guess its interchange not BCMS causing the confusion. As we all know interchange is much more than a “rate and a per item fee”.

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