Bluefin Payment Systems Reviews & Complaints

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Overview

In this article, we explore the key aspects of Bluefin Payment Systems, a leading merchant account provider known for its secure e-commerce and payment processing services. Our review covers a range of topics including rates and fees, contract terms, customer complaints, industry and employee ratings, marketing tactics, and user reviews.

We'll take a closer look at Bluefin's point-of-sale (POS) systems and e-commerce solutions, emphasizing their security features like encryption and tokenization. This article also examines Bluefin's virtual terminal services, recurring billing, and invoicing capabilities, as well as their reporting and analytics tools. Customer support, a vital aspect of their services, is also evaluated.

We address the legal context surrounding Bluefin, including notable lawsuits and their impact on the company's operations. Finally, we provide insights into Bluefin's online ratings and overall reputation, giving a comprehensive overview to help potential clients make informed decisions about their payment processing needs.

About Bluefin Payment Systems

Bluefin Payment Systems is a merchant account provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company was launched in 2007 and formerly operated under the name Capital Payments. Since mid-2012, it has grown its market share under the BluePay brand. BluePay offers a proprietary payment gateway called PayConex and specializes in secure e-commerce merchant accounts. They focus on encryption and tokenization to create their security. In 2022, Bluefin acquired TECS Payment Systems.

Point-of-Sale Systems

A key offering from Merchant Account Solutions is their range of point-of-sale (POS) systems. These systems are designed to accommodate the unique needs of different businesses, from small retail stores to large restaurants. The POS systems help merchants manage inventory, track sales, and streamline customer transactions, ensuring smooth and efficient operations.

E-Commerce Solutions

For online businesses, Merchant Account Solutions provides comprehensive e-commerce solutions. They enable merchants to accept payments through their websites or online stores, with secure payment gateways and customizable shopping cart integrations. This allows e-commerce businesses to offer their customers a seamless and secure online shopping experience.

Virtual Terminal

Merchant Account Solutions offers a virtual terminal for businesses that don't require a physical payment terminal. This web-based application allows merchants to process payments securely from any device with internet access. The virtual terminal is suitable for businesses such as e-commerce stores, phone order companies, and professional services providers that need a flexible and convenient payment processing solution.

Recurring Billing and Invoicing

For businesses that require regular billing, Merchant Account Solutions offers a recurring billing and invoicing feature. This allows merchants to set up and manage recurring payments easily, enabling consistent cash flow and more efficient billing processes.

Reporting and Analytics

With Merchant Account Solutions, merchants have access to detailed reporting and analytics tools. These tools help businesses track sales data, monitor customer spending habits, and analyze overall financial performance. This valuable information enables merchants to make data-driven decisions for business growth and improvement.

Customer Support

Merchant Account Solutions provides customer support through various channels, including phone, email, and live chat. Their support team is available to help merchants with any questions or concerns they may have while using the payment processing services, ensuring a seamless experience for both businesses and their customers.

Location & Ownership

Bluefin Payment Systems is headquartered at 8200 Roberts Drive, Atlanta, Georgia 30350, and is a registered ISO/MSP of Elavon, Inc., Georgia; and the Canadian branch of U.S. Bank National Association and Elavon. John Perry is the CEO of Bluefin.

Video Summary

Bluefin Payment Systems payment gateway
Bluefin Payment Systems offers a proprietary payment gateway focused on security
Pros & Cons
Pros: Cons:
E-commerce and POS system support. Issues with transparency and communication.
No setup fee. Undisclosed pricing structure.
Diverse industry compatibility. Three-year contract terms.
Mobile, online payment solutions. Variable early termination fees.
PCI compliance and data security. Complaints about customer service.
Multiple payment options (credit, debit, ACH). Some negative online reviews.

Bluefin Payment Systems Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints 25+
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint Fund-holds
Recent Lawsuits Yes

Low Complaint Total

We have located more than 25 negative Bluefin reviews, many of which can be found in the comment section of this review. Complainants cite delayed payouts, unreachable customer service, and difficulties with delays or fees upon canceling service. These negative Bluefin reviews have primarily been filed in the past three years with some consistency, but they do not paint an especially troubling picture of the company’s operations. If you have your own Bluefin review to make, please do so in the comments below

Public Complaint Response

We have seen multiple recent complaints regarding the way that Bluefin responds to public complaints. One such complaint describes pressure to remove or alter the complaint:

This company charged our non-profit organization for 10 months after we closed the account. Our numerous efforts to contact the and resolve the problem did not help. Stay away.

UPDATE:
After posting the Google reviews, the company did attempt to resolve our issue. We later discovered that they were primarily interested in us updating or removing our Google reviews. They contacted us multiple times by phone and email asking for us to change the reviews. If you are considering Bluefin, be aware that it is possible that they have asked others to remove or modify negative reviews.

We are interested in doing business with organizations who always demonstrate care for customers, rather than those who only care after receiving a negative review, and then only care until the negative review is removed.

Another complainant shared a similar experience:

Too much to write about here and we’ve already wasted enough time with this company. Take a few minutes to read the other reviews. Then take your business elsewhere.

UPDATE: We contacted Bluefin 7 times to correct the issue. They refused every time – until we posted a negative review. Then, they became very motivated to correct the issue. So, if you are having trouble, you may want to start there.

Once they began attempting to resolve the issue, we became aware of other significant deficiencies. It took more than 3 weeks to fully resolve the issue. Our team and volunteer fielded 14 phone calls (almost daily calls) over a period of 3 weeks before the issue was finally resolved. Many of the calls were the vendor asking if the issue had been resolved when it had not been.

Again, unfortunate situation.

In response to the first complaint, Bluefin stated that “it is our policy to respond to every review our company receives, both positive and negative. It is also our policy to ask reviewers if a resolution was reached, if they would like to change their review.” It appears the Bluefin is extremely responsive to public complaints, but Bluefin clients should not consider amending any of their public reviews until their situation is fully resolved to their satisfaction.

Bluefin Lawsuits

In February 2016, Bluefin reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission following charges that it enabled a telemarketing scheme called The Tax Club to use merchant accounts to process consumers’ credit card payments. The Tax Club allegedly scammed consumers who were trying to start home-based businesses, and Bluefin (then operating as Capital Payments) was accused of processing payments for The Tax Club despite numerous red flags that the company was engaging in fraudulent activity. As a condition of the settlement, Bluefin “is banned from payment processing or acting as an ISO for several categories of clients and prohibited from assisting or facilitating any merchant it knows or should know, is violating the FTC Act or the TSR. In addition, Bluefin must screen prospective clients that meet certain criteria, monitor their sales activity to detect indications of deceptive conduct, and terminate contracts with those engaged in deceptive conduct.”

Bluefin Payment Systems Customer Support Options

Bluefin’s website offers a direct customer support line as well as an email form.

Bluefin Payment Systems Customer Service Number

  • (800) 675-6573 – Toll-Free General Customer Service

Other Support Options

These options are consistent with our expectations of the top-rated payment processors for great customer service, but recent merchant reports have lowered Bluefin’s score in this section.

Bluefin Payment Systems Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
BBB Reports 4

Under 5 Complaints

The company has been accredited by the BBB since 2017. The BBB awards Bluefin BBB accreditation and an “A+” rating with 1 complaint filed in the last 36 months.

What Merchants Say

Currently, Bluefin has 3 reviews posted in the last 36 months. The most recent review cited poor customer support:

So disappointed in this company. I have had nothing but issues. I was sent in all different directions, asked to resubmit, fill out new forms etc for days and then they tell me I need to create a brand new account. They could care less about their clients. After being a customer for 10 years they act like you are nothing. We have not been able to process a card for a whole week and now we are looking at another week with no credit card processor. The amount of my time they have caused me to waste is absurd. You would think they would work hard to keep your business but it seems like they could care less.

Clients can avoid this situation by taking the proper steps to cancel their merchant account without paying a fee.

An “A” Performance

Given the fact that the company has received only 1 complaint, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time.

Bluefin Payment Systems Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Cancellation Penalties Undisclosed
Monthly & Annual Fees Undisclosed
Processing Rates 1.00% - 4.99%
Equipment Leasing Undisclosed

Variable Contract Terms

There is very little publicly available information regarding the specifics of Bluefin’s contract terms. The company’s program guide through First Data (Fiserv) is available, but it does not outline any specific costs or terms except for the fact that the contract lasts for three years and includes an undisclosed termination fee. We have found 1 or 2 complaints related to fund-holds, but given Bluefin’s 2016 settlement (covered elsewhere in this review), it’s reasonable to assume that the company is now hyper-aggressive with respect to potentially fraudulent payments. Merchants in borderline-high-risk industries should be aware of this possibility and consider working with a high-risk specialist.

Bluefin Payment Systems e-commerce solutions
Bluefin Payment Systems offers e-commerce solutions

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Bluefin also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its secure virtual terminal and payment gateway service, called Payment iFrame. However, is not disclosed pricing 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.

No Red Flags

Bluefin doesn’t appear to have any publicly listed complaints about its contract terms, but we were able to locate one complaint filed under the Capital Payments name regarding unauthorized fees. Since it has been some time since Capital Payments completed its rebranding, this older complaint will not negatively impact Bluefin’s score in this category. Bluefin has been awarded an “A” rating. Businesses are encouraged to compare Bluefin’s pricing to that of our best credit card processors.

Bluefin Payment Systems Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

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

Inside Sales Team

Bluefin’s website is easy to navigate and generally much more informative than the average industry website. The company markets its proprietary PayConex gateway and clearly explains the terms of PCI compliance, for which it offers its clients a free reporting tool. Bluefin does not appear to use independent sales agents or practice deceptive marketing strategies, and there are currently no complaints that accuse the company’s sales team of nondisclosure or misrepresentation of costs. If you suspect that Bluefin is overcharging you, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit.

Partnership With The Tax Club

Bluefin’s 2016 FTC settlement does suggest that the company may have improperly processed payments for a company that was bilking customers out of their hard-earned money. However, this type of conduct doesn’t negatively impact the experience that other Bluefin customers may have. While we would normally condemn any company’s efforts to intentionally scam other business owners, we don’t see the 2016 settlement as a red flag about Bluefin’s merchant-facing sales team. Still, we would encourage business owners to compare Bluefin to our list of best merchant services providers.

Our Bluefin Payment Systems Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Bluefin Payment Systems is a decent e-commerce credit card processing provider and appears to have carried over a low complaint record from its time as Capital Payments. The company’s straightforward website and lack of publicly listed complaints have resulted in a high overall grade. A 2016 FTC settlement could have forced the company to tighten the range of business types it serves, so higher-risk businesses will likely be better off searching elsewhere. As always, business owners are encouraged to carefully read all contract terms and compare them to those offered by top-rated overall processors.

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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 Bluefin Payment Systems Treat You?

23 User Reviews

  • HB Brooks

    Bluefin charged me a made-up “non-compliance” fee, monthly, that they never once warned me about or notified me of

    My bill went up by $50/month, they absolutely refuse to refund any of these bogus fees and were extremely rude and unhelpful when I pointed out that not only did I not agree to these fees, I was never told they would be happening

  • Emily Jiang

    Called 3 times to request a rate review. Took them 1 month to finally get back to me. Spoke with a customer service representative who was professional but could not explain about 40% of the fees on my statement. They quoted me a 1.6% fee but there are hidden fees or double charges that they could not explain which added up closer to 3.7%. It feels like they are misleading me to convince me I am getting a good rate but the math doesn’t add up!

  • Dr. Mary Tseng

    We use Bluefin as part of our payment system and service has been great, we haven’t had any issues with communication, payments, or billing. Would recommend Bluefin because they streamline and make things easy.

  • Julaine

    Please do your research before you choose Bluefin. While I am a current customer, I am only using them because they are one of two companies we can choose from that works with our software. Had I known how they would handle my issue I would have chosen the other company. This is a company that refuses to accept responsibility for their errors. I strongly urge anyone who has more than one choice to use a payment gateway to choose the other company. An error in the initial setup of my account has cost my small business over 10,000 dollars. The SVP of Integrated Payments continually blames a third party software provider for the error. I have asked for documentation from Bluefin from their “said” investigation into this matter. I had a chain of emails with the SVP and the minute I asked for the documentation on May 9, 2019 I did not receive a response. I filed a complaint with the BBB and I requested the documentation again during a rebuttal on August 2, 2019 and the case was suddenly closed out. This company has blamed everyone but themselves for this error and has remained silent when asked to provide documentation to prove they are not responsible.


    This post will help: Best Payment Processors for Great Customer Service

    -Phillip

  • James Conner

    Awful company to work with. They have charged my account $90.90 every month for the past 20 months and never processed a single transaction. I am a franchised small business and the franchisor made a last minute decision to shift to another processing company right after BlueFin started. I have emailed on EIGHT separate occasions, called countless times, and tried to chat more times than I can count. They say the matter is being reviewed, and now they are just ignoring me and my emails. I would suggest another company if you are looking for card processing services.


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

    -Phillip

  • Andrei Tarassov

    Worst experience with merchant processor. They were recommended by a software company that we switched to because of integration. Called and spoke with a sales rep. Told them that I want to try them at a new location. Explained that I need a terminal that will work over a phone line because there’s no internet at that location and won’t be there for another 2-3 months. They said no problem, sent me a terminal and charged me for it. When the terminal arrived, it was the one that requires computer and internet… Called them several times asking what are my options – if I can get another terminal instead, the answer was NO. Asked what can I do instead – no solution offered. Closed the account and still getting charged. Was promised the charges removed since I never was able to use the account. No refunds, got more charges instead. Trying to figure it out since July, they just keep charging me monthly and bouncing from one person to another. Stay away.

    • Ryan

      I would talk to your software provider. Some only integrate with certain types of hardware or processor machines(I.E internet vs phone jack) im just my ehrs only integration partner is Bluefin and i have had a problems.

  • Mimi Darvish

    Bluefin is a complet rip-off. I originally subscribed to Payquake and have used their platform for nearly 12 years for recurring CC and ACH. Last month I contacted them to change my bank account and it has been a complete disaster. Come to find out the Bluefin is the processor behind Payquake and they took it upon themselves without my knowledge or permission to switch me to their own new platform. Fortunately I noticed the change and contacted them right away, otherwise I would have lost ALL of my clients data. After I contacted them I was informed that I had to re-enter 12 years of CC information as the new platform did not carry over any of the info from Payquake. After hours of arguing, I was told they could revert me back to Payquake and I would continue using the system as previously, with the new bank account for the funds to be deposited.

    Unfortunately, today which is 5 days after the ACH and the CCs were processed, I received an email that they will not release any of my funds because they do not have verification as to the payments are being processed!!! Yet, they conveniently charged and withdrew their own processing fees out of my old bank account (which I had only kept a certain amount for a few checks to clear prior to closing it), and caused several NSF fees.
    Absolutely ridiculous. Clearly as others have also indicated they are using excuses to hold the customers money.

    I called and requested to speak to a supervisor, but I was being refused. After 30 minutes of being bounced around and told they have to take a message, I was finally put to speak with Lizette who introduced herself as a “Team Leader”. I proceeded to tell her the ongoing situation and how I needed her to take care of it to release my funds. Well, finally after drilling her I was told that she’s just a “Messaging Service” !!!! It’s clear this company is not professional and only putting on a show to portray themselves as an existing large company. I fear they are going out of business and taking my entire monthly salary (all of my clients funds) with them.

  • Jonnie Grosshans

    Blue Fin is a rip off. They will sit on your payment forever. They will find any reason to sit on your money even after the client has paid their balance in full. They have done that to my business three times and cost me money in overdrafts. I have changed companies. They also charge many hidden fees.

  • Sam Monroe

    Beware of hidden fees deducted monthly by Bluefin for 3rd party services that either do no exist or are crap. It seems these “fees” are mostly for them to cover their butt in case of a data breach or other security incident. I went to one website that it seems I am paying for and it was a joke! They are taking money each month and giving nothing in return. Look out!

  • Bridget Griego

    Awful company. Their customer service reps are not trained properly. They don’t know what they are doing. I cancelled and closed my account the end of November and paperwork was never completed thoroughly. January comes around and they continue to deduct fees out of my bank account. Causes my account to become overdrawn and they refuse to accept responsibility or refund me bank service charges. Funds deducted from my account on January 4th I won’t see funds replaced in my account until the 20th!!! Horrible service!! Horrible company!!

    • Bridget Griego

      After leaving this review the VP of operations reached out to me. Apologized for my inconvenience, said that they were implementing new training and refunded all of my fees including overdraft. As of today all my fees have been returned to my account.

  • Melvin Benson

    Very unhappy client! We do tens of thousands of dollars a month with this company. We had a client dispute a charge. There was no validity to this claim, and before informing us of the dispute Bluefin put a hold on my account until we responded. Not only did they hold the amount disputed, but they held all charged amounts totaling over $12,000.00! Stay away or have a different contract!

  • Chris Williams CEO of Tennis Solutions

    I closed my account 2 years ago and continued being charged for services not rendered. I personally closed this account and opened with another company. I faxed a closure form in and as of today, they will not reimburse me for the months that they charged me for no order processing. FRAUD! I am in the process of contacting the BBB, Federal Trade Commision, my Attorney General, and John Perry (CEO of This less than above board company). Sad I have to waste my valuable time with this circus because of their greed. Just reimburse me and all would have been well and good. If you are willing to give me 3 months back, why not the entire time that there have been no processes? Admittance of guilt…

  • KIKI

    Bluefin was one of the worst processor i have ever had the displeasure of doing business with.They do not process funds in a timely manner.I might process $100 one day. three days later i would $22.next day $60.next day $18.00.the excuse i got was different credit cards different payment processing time.Getting anybody on the phone was nonexistent.they want you to leave a message so they can never call you back.I have been trying to close my account with them since august 2014.They have a new excuse for what I didnt do correctly to close form.They said mail it in.I did.three times. account still open.DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO HOLD YOU HOSTAGE. DO NOT TRUST THEM THEY WILL RIP YOU OFF.

  • Andreas Kisslinger

    After 5 years of using Bluefin we have to say, Bluefin has gone rogue. Yes, they have always had some strange downsides such as only processing USD and no other currencies, or their buggy interfaces with some elementary security features missing in the way the interfaces are programmed, but they have at least collected and paid reliably over a 5 year period.

    However, in September they suddenly stopped passing on collected payments for a period of 2 weeks during which we tried to contact them and find out what the issue might be. The answers were sketchy and the included reasons such as “missing business information”. They never asked us for any updates to the business information they have on file. After all we had been a client since 5 years. They never inquired on anything, but suddenly decided to stop passing on collected funds and claimed they had no email addresses on file to contact us (while our accounting department and our tech support emails them every other month due to malfunctions of interfaces or other questions related to their software and services).

    We instantly sent them everything they wanted. They released the funds again. A few weeks later we started to receiving emails without signatures and from different addresses with a link to a URL and service we had never heard of (“cardconex”). The emails looked like phishing emails and our staff was reluctant to register at the linked site and submit additional business information. With phone calls we were able to finally verify the validity of these emails and the trustworthyness of the link, created an account with cardconex and filled out the online form as well.

    Then we received another email claiming that we also needed to send back the signed “Program Guide” which is nothing else but a 40+ page fine print of new Terms and Conditions. The email clearly stated that “in order to continue to fund our account we also had to sign and return this additional document”. Once received and reviewed we discovered that this document granted Bluefin unlimited rights to suspend and withhold funds for no specified reason and indicated that we would be locked into a new 3 year contract with penalties for early termination. Upon asking for further details on these two items in the 40+ page terms document, we received no answers. The questions were entirely evaded and our account was frozen again. It ended up being a blackmailing situation, as we had no choice but to sign the new questionable terms in order to protect our business, our staff and our clients. We sent the signed document without having received any answers to our questions and have to this very day not received the funds. Bluefin is unreachable and does not respond to emails any longer. They are now holding over 60,000 USD which is a lot of money for us. We don’t know what to do and will have to contact our lawyer today in order to probably take Bluefin to court.

    This is our experience with Bluefin.

    Andreas Kisslinger
    CEO, Cross Media / Lightcast.com

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