Capital Bankcard Review: Fees, Comparisons, Complaints, & Lawsuits
(877) 788-2836 Cayan’s Independent Sales Division
Capital Bankcard is a merchant account provider that serves as an outside sales branch of Cayan. Capital Bankcard has been in business since 1998 and boasts that it manages over 80,000 merchant accounts, processes over 7 million transactions per month, and has over 170 dedicated employees. Capital Bankcard uses First Data for the actual processing of the card transactions, but First Data plays a minimal role beyond that. Customer service is provided and the accounts are managed by Capital Bankcard’s in-house team.
Capital Bankcard Payment Processing
Capital Bankcard processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services are strangely not listed on their site, though it is likely they include in-person and online payment processing.
Capital Bankcard Location and Ownership
Capital Bankcard is headquartered at One Federal St, 2nd Floor Boston, MA and Henry Helgeson is the CEO of the company. Capitalbankcard.com is a registered ISO/MSP US Bank-Minneapolis MN, National Association Buffalo, NY; Elavon, Inc. Georgia; and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA.
Capital Bankcard Review Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Capital Bankcard appears to offer variable contract terms through First Data.
- Complaints & Service: Capital Bankcard complaints number fewer than 10 on public complaints forums.
- BBB Rating: Capital Bankcard has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 0 complaints and 0 reviews in the past 3 years.
- Sales & Marketing: Capital Bankcard appears to hire independent sales representatives and has received a few merchant complaints about its sales team.
Capital Bankcard Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
Key Points |
|
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | <10 |
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | N/A |
Low Complaint Total
Capital Bankcard complaints are few for the length of time it has been in business. There appears to be only one serious Capital Bankcard complaint filed against the company (documented here), which received a very professional rebuttal from the representative in question. The remaining complaints tend to cite customer service issues. In the past year, Capital Bankcard has received a slight increase in complaints, but these reports do not cite any consistent issue.
Capital Bankcard Lawsuits and Fines
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Capital Bankcard. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
Capital Bankcard Customer Service Options
Capital Bankcard offers dedicated phone support, a customer support form, and email support to merchants. The in-house support team can be reached from Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm EST. Capital Bankcard’s low complaint rate seems to indicate that this team does an adequate job of anticipating and responding to complaints, but it falls short of the top-rated payment processors for great customer service at this time.
We have located a single Capital Bankcard customer service phone number:
(877) 788-2836 – Toll-Free Support
Capital Bankcard also offers a customer service email address at [email protected]
Capital Bankcard Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
Online Ratings Summary |
|
|---|---|
| Product & Service Complaints | 7 |
| Billing & Collection Complaints | 7 |
| Advertising & Sales Complaints | 0 |
| Guarantee & Warranty Complaints | 0 |
| Delivery Complaints | 0 |
Note: Capital Bankcard’s main BBB profile is no longer listed. All that remains on the BBB website is a profile bearing the company’s name and logo in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Capital Bankcard website still uses its Boston, MA address. As such, this review contemplates the data from when its verified profile was last accessible.
Over 10 Complaints
As of this review, Capital Bankcard has an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 14 complaints filed with the BBB in the last 36 months. Of these complaints, seven were related to billing and collection issues, while the other seven were related to product or service problems. The company resolved three complaints to the merchants’ satisfaction, while the other 11 either were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or did not receive a final assessment from the merchant.
What Merchants Say
The company also has 3 negative informal reviews posted to its profile. 2 of the reviews appear to have been intended for Capital One rather than Capital Bankcard, but one describes difficulty canceling service:
This merchant processor is giving us the run around. We are closing the account and need information to unlock the terminal. They lie and say it is not locked. It is locked. The rep says to mail them a letter. I tell him that is unacceptable, we are closing account today.
Merchants can avoid “locked” terminals by purchasing their own EMV-enabled card readers directly.
A “B” Performance
Given the company’s complaint rate and resolution ratio, we have slightly adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “B” at this time.
Capital Bankcard Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
Key Points |
|
|---|---|
| Swiped Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
| Keyed-in Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
| Early Termination Fee | Undisclosed |
| PCI Compliance Fee | $79 Per Year |
| Equipment Lease Terms | Undisclosed |
Variable Contract Terms
Most of Capital Bankcard’s accounts are brought in by independent resellers who have a certain level of pricing control in the merchant account agreement; however, Capital Bankcard seems to consistently promote fair pricing and flexible contracts. Capital Bankcard rates will vary by business type, processing volume, and the agents who set up the account. Capital Bankcard offers month-to-month contracts, but resellers can add a cancellation fee of their choosing that turns it into a three-year agreement. A copy of the company’s standard merchant application includes a $79 PCI Compliance fee but leaves all other rates and fees to the agent’s discretion.
No Red Flags
Overall, Capital Bankcard offers low-commitment, low-cost terms to most of its merchants. Its pricing ranges from industry-average to those competitive with even the cheapest merchant accounts.
We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.
Capital Bankcard Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
Key Points |
|
|---|---|
| Employs Independent Resellers | Yes |
| Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Outside Sales Team
Capital Bankcard uses independent sales agents to market its services. This is a standard industry practice that can often result in an untrained and unmonitored sales force. However, there are very few Capital Bankcard complaints regarding its sales agents, which indicates that the company does a better job than most of regulating agents’ behavior. The available complaints describe slow response times and poor customer service rather than any kind of intentional deception. In general, this compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
No Deceptive Rates
Capital Bankcard does not list any misleading quotes or unrealistic guarantees on its website. This, combined with the company’s low complaint rate, seems to indicate that its agents are generally forthright when it comes to rate quoting and contract term disclosure. If you suspect that Capital Bankcard is charging you more than you agreed to, however, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit.
Our Capital Bankcard Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
A Reliable Option for Most Businesses
Capital Bankcard rates as one of the better merchant account providers in the credit card processing industry according to our criteria. The company does a great job of managing its resellers to avoid problems and encourage fair pricing and fair contracts. Aside from cost, Capital Bankcard does an excellent job of servicing its merchant customers and working to resolve problems before they turn into complaints filed elsewhere. The only word of caution regarding Capital Bankcard is to be sure to deal with an agent you trust and compare their pricing to top-rated overall merchant accounts.
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How Did Capital Bankcard Treat You?22 Responses
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Capital Bankcard is just a fee-driven rip off of small businesses! I switched to them under the assurance their processing fees were lower than square. NOT so, they have recently started charging me an extra $125 per month for “PCI non-compliance” — when I challenged them on this I was told I had to ensure my network was “compliant.” I completed a 200+ question form and then they scanned my “network” — (I use a mobile device for customer credit card charges) and it repeatedly “failed” their scan. At that point I chose to close my account and switch to another card processor, and was told told that since I cancelled after the 5th business day of the month, I would be charged a full months fees, even though I have had no transactions! I challenged that, as was told it was “policy” and I just had to suck it up…
If you’re a small business, you should avoid them like the plague. Their hidden fees will kill you.
Jp
I am on the Do Not Call List and they called to solicite to me. I will never do business with a company that violates the law.
Demond
Eric Morales did everything as promised. He also from time to time checks in to make sure things are still going o.k. plus keeps me updated on what Capital has available. I look forward to a long productive business relationship.
Zach
Just started with these Gents. We are in an indutry where getting a processing account is difficult at best. We do few transactions but large transactions leaving a lot of risk to the processor. After 3 failed attempts we were connected with BBC. They got us over the hurdles and had us up and running in no time. With great service, fair fee structure and excellent cust. serv I know we will be working together for a very long time.
Thank you again
S
CPO
Hi Zach,
Please reply to this comment with your business name and location in order to authenticate your testimonial. Thanks!
scot daros
My sales associate Eric is awesome, always there helping me set up and knowledgeable . If he’s not avaible Chris is. both very helpful and there for me,
i started with the mobile app, had a few glitches at first setting up. they help me thru it and all good to go even got my reader, it came with 2 little rubber duckies for my kids,they love them, kind ,helpful. great experience working with them.
Scott Boggess
Capital Bankcard is a Great Card Processing / Financial Products Provider, State of the art products and services, Competitive Rates and reachable, attentive customer service. We were using Square– couldn’t get anyone on the phone, when they (Square) balked at processing $10k+ transactions, creating crisis and headaches for us, we contacted Chris Kille with Capital Bankcard. It may sound cliche but they really are small enough to serve and big enough to provide… what Square could or would not do and for a lot less $.
CPO
Hi Scott,
Please reply to this comment with your business name and location in order to authenticate your testimonial. Thanks!
David Bradley
Called customer service to help with a problem. No help. Had difficulty understanding employee, no help. Supervisor would not get on phone. 0 stars
This post will help: Best Merchant Accounts for Great Customer Service
-Phillip
Anthony Siders
Typical credit card processing company “we can save you money” but they don’t. If you need assistance don’t bother calling customer service its always a run around. Every merchant processor I have worked with provided terminal paper etc free of charge however don’t expect anything from these people. Save your time and money work with a company who doesn’t disappear after they close the deal or decided to find any and every way to nickel and dime you.
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Randy Wheeler
Eric Morales and Chris Kellie have been excellent in customer service and getting the approval my company needed to be able to offer financing with several options. Would recommend Capital Bankcard South to other Companies needing to offer financing on their tickets.
Randy Sea Side Holdings, LLC
Alla Hatcher
We had an awful experience. We have been talked into opening 2 additional accounts back in 2014, then we realized that we would not need them and requested cancellation, they were not cancelled and stayed inactive so this merchant has been billing us for 4 years for something that we do not use without getting back to us about those accounts.
Stuart Long
Do not rely on Chris Kille to be of any use. He is dishonest and lazy. I call & email – he does not respond. When he does respond, it is always the same – he has no training in his company services and blames the customer for the problem.
INGRID J
We have been using their service since 2011. In October 2017 we contracted with a new provider and I contacted Capital Bankcard to cancel. I was told to go through my agent who opened the account which I did. I was told by my agent that the cancellation notice needed to be signed by the person who opened the account. I mentioned that this person was no longer with the company and my agent said that was not a problem and that the account would cancel automatically if nothing was processed for 2 months. After 2 months I expected the fees charged to our bank account to stop, but they didn’t. I sent numerous emails to my agent… no response. Our bank account was just charged again in April. I called Capital Bankcard again, spoke with a representative and explained, was promised that a supervisor would call… again no response. Just called again spoke to another rep, was told that I was misled by the rep yesterday and there was nothing she could do. Transferred me again to another department where they told me they couldn’t help me and transferred me back to the customer service department. I hung up. I guess I will have to go through my bank and see if they can block any further charges on our bank account. Basically it is impossible to cancel their service.
Dale
Seems like they messed up entering my EIN number. Now 4 months later they stopped giving me my money until I can prove who I am. No warning, no explanation, I have been on the phone for hours trying to just thru all the hoops they have given me and still no luck. But I did learn one thing. No matter how many times you call you never get an american. Ireland, the Philippines, and the last one wouldn’t tell me. I think he was Ireland judging by his accent. My point is, all customer service is out of the country. And it sucks.. I rate them –5
Peter Capizzi
Chris Kile with Capital Bankcard is very responsive, easy to work with, and is genuinely interested in helping you improve the point of service experience. He is knowledgeable and has helped us and our clients greatly.
Joshua Ball
This is a follow up to my previous comment. For anybody dealing with the 1st level of customer service that answers, good luck to you. Luckily I had to resubmit the application process, which sent me to the customer service team in Boston. The process was taken over by a gentleman named Kyle, that has been excellent. This process would have been much easier and far less painful had I reached this team of folks first. Anybody banging your head against a wall with the first line of customer service, maybe see if you can get transferred to the Boston location, even Kyle had to wait a couple days, and said he couldnt get ahold of the person that started the process (from the 1st team of reps.)
Joshua
As a small business owner I am shocked. I purchased an existing business that has been using Capital Bankcard/ Cayan. Heres my experience so far…
This started 6 weeks ago. OK, I tried to switch the bank account (since our bank was taken over by another), should be easy right? Well, they still had the old doctor on the account. Ok, no problem lets switch it. They send me a form to fill out. I fill it out, get a call saying they sent the wrong form, here is the correct form, ok. Fillout new form, and send it in. They call, “we need the articles of incorporation.” Ok, call my accountant, he sends me those articles, I fill out the form and send the paperwork, via fax, as it says at the bottom of the form. 3 days later I get an email (that you cant respond to) saying they closed the case because they didnt receive paperwork! Ok, I stepped away from it for a month becuase, well I value the glass windows at my office.
Enter today. Call to start again. Lady tells me they need article of incorporation with my name on it. Call accountant, no such form exists, because I simply purchased the stock of an existing corporation, no new articles of incorporation needed. Call back, they tell me that they had been sending me the wrong form and would call me back. They call back and say they will transfer me to proper dept = on hold for 30 mins, only for the lady to get back on and tell me that dept is busy and is not answering, and they will call me back.
I dont know where this “in house” customer service center is as, most have such thick accents that I can only understand half of the 10 people Ive talked to so far. One of the worst customer service experiences of my life and that’s saying alot. Im waiting for them to call me, they said 2 days, let’s just say Im skeptic.
Federico Roe
I don’t do many transactions a month with this merchant account but in the first couple months everything was working fine. Ever since then, every single time I need to use my mobile billing, I have to make a phone call and a series of password resets, uninstall and reinstall apps to no avail. Always resorting to going onto the computer to charge cards.. Now that isn’t even working anymore and I have spent the last two phone calls only to be on an automated hold for twenty minutes each, and still cant charge a card. After a good at least five months of this, I have to look for another merchant account if I want to keep any sanity left in me..
Dave P
This place is a bit of a joke! You can never get any help or speak with anyone beyond a 9-5 business hours. If you want to cancel their services because of their incredibly high fee structure you are told you have to speak with your ‘agent’ who is never going to call you back. You have to try for a week to get a hold of him and then call them back and say you did not get them and then THEY have to try and contact him., So the whole cancel process can take 2 weeks just so that they can get their fees!
Stick with a PayPal as they are way better than this outfit.
Fred Smith
I’ve been working with Capital Bank Card for over three and half years and I feel this is a company that truly cares about both it’s agents and merchants. Outstanding customer service, agent support, and training. My merchants love it, I love it, outstanding!!
Lynn Loichle
I have been working as an agent with Capital Bancard for about a year now.
I can honestly say they are a they are a great company to work with!
They have a wonderful support team, the merchants are always very happy with the help they get if they need it. This is a company that really seems to care about their agents and it’s merchants!