Capital Processing Network (CPN) Review

We are currently able to locate more than 60 negative Capital Processing Network reviews. The comment section below this review contains the highest concentration of publicly available complaints filed against the company, with most of those complaints reporting trouble with equipment leases or aggressive, misleading sales tactics. The company’s owner and CEO responded to many of these complaints with varying degrees of success up through December 2012.

On other consumer protection websites, there appears to have been an increase in the rate of posted complaints over the last year, which suggests that the company may be growing more rapidly under Pivotal’s ownership. In one complaint from a former employee (which has been removed since the last update of this review), Capital Processing Network responded by threatening to sue the individual if he did not remove his complaint. Unprofessional rebuttals like these are hopefully not representative of the culture at Capital Processing Network. The company’s website offers an email template and 24/7 phone support.

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.

As of this review, Capital Processing Network is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an “A+” rating with 18 complaints filed in the last 36 months. Six of these complaints are related to problems with the product or service, seven have to do with advertising or sales issues, four are related to billing problems, and one is a delivery error. Eleven complaints have been resolved to the merchants’ satisfaction, while the remaining seven either were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or did not receive a final response from the merchant. CPN also has 12 negative informal reviews filed against it alongside one positive review.

The company’s accreditation was pulled and its rating was lowered from an “A” immediately following the publication of the 2012 CBS 5 news story, but the BBB‘s current page makes no mention of why these changes were made. Because of this unexplained alteration, and in light of the other information on the page, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “B.”

The standard Capital Processing Network contract (available below) outlines a three-year agreement with a variable early termination fee, although merchants have consistently reported that this fee is $495. Other reported fees include a $139.80 annual PCI compliance fee and a $25 monthly minimum fee. Many merchants complain of being lured into expensive, 48-month equipment leases but only 36-month merchant account agreements. This puts merchants in the awkward position of being forced to keep one more year of service with Capital Processing Network in order to fulfill the First Data Global Leasing equipment lease. Not only does this upset merchants, but the leases cost merchants thousands of dollars for machines that could be bought for as little as $150. See the CPN Program Guide.

Capital Processing Network appears to be an average to below-average credit card processor. The company’s complaint total has held steady since the last update of this article, but it’s still plagued by concerns over its hiring practices and contract terms. The company can raise its rating by working to decrease its public complaints and putting the alarming reports of its hiring practices behind it.