CardSmart Merchant Services 2023: Reviews & Complaints
(702) 792-2771 Company Overview
Founded in 1989, CardSmart Merchant Services is a payment processing company providing merchant accounts and point-of-sale solutions for retail businesses throughout the United States. The company advertises Clover, pcAmerica, and Retail Management Hero as the POS systems it offers. Business owners should note that they may also find reviews under the name of “Card Smart” Merchant Services. eProcessing Network is also referenced by the company’s website as its chosen payment gateway. This means it is likely that the company resells those services through its POS solutions.
Article Summary
Before we dive in, here’s a short summary of what we’ll cover:
- CardSmart Merchant Services’ various payment processing services.
- The company has received few complaints.
- There is little information about the CardSmart contract.
CardSmart Merchant Services Payment Processing
CardSmart Merchant Services processes payments for most major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include smart terminals, Clover POS solutions, mobile payments, and access to the Shift4 and Authorize.net payment gateways. CardSmart provides omnichannel payment solutions, facilitating in-store or online payments based on business requirements.
Integrated Payments
They offer point-of-sale (POS) systems and countertop terminals, integrated into their gateway for secure credit card transactions.
Transaction Security
Transactions are safeguarded through a combination of patented tokenization and point-to-point encryption (P2PE).
Mobile Payments
Out-of-the-box mobile payment processing is available, accommodating all payment types wherever there’s internet connectivity.
Hosted Payment Page
For those not requiring a full shopping cart, simple solutions for creating and linking hosted payment pages are provided.
Dedicated Reporting Centers
Reporting centers provide a high-level overview of business payments in real-time, with functionality for transaction management.
Seamless Integrations
Integration with various B2B or eCommerce software is facilitated as an out-of-the-box add-on feature.
Location & Ownership
The company is headquartered at 5425 S. Eastern Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada 89119, and is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, California, and of WoodForest National Bank, N.A, The Woodlands, Texas. Eric Elam is the president of CardSmart Merchant Services.
Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Appears to offer variable contract terms depending on…
- Complaints & Service: Has received fewer than…
- BBB Rating: Has an “A+” with the Better Business Bureau and has received…
- Sales & Marketing: CardSmart Merchant Services may or may not…
CardSmart Merchant Services Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | <10 |
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | N/A |
| Recent Lawsuits | No |
Low Complaint Total
As noted above, there are only a few CardSmart reviews on this website or other non-BBB consumer protection websites. Common issues include unprofessional conduct by sales agents and excessive fees. Although CardSmart is a smaller merchant account provider, a complaint rate this low seems to suggest that the company provides adequate customer support and prevents internal issues from going public. If you have your own CardSmart Merchant Services review to make, please do so in the comments below.
CardSmart Merchant Services Lawsuits
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against CardSmart Merchant Services. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
CardSmart Merchant Services Customer Support Options
The company lists a general phone line on its website and claims to offer 24/7 phone support for its clients. However, CardSmart is not currently considered to be a top-rated payment processor for customer support.
CardSmart Merchant Services Customer Service Numbers
- (866) 767-2273 – Toll-Free Support
- (702) 792-2771 – Local Office
Other Support Options
- Support form
- Customer service email address at [email protected]
CardSmart Merchant Services Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| BBB Reports | 0 |
No BBB Complaints
As of this review, the company is not an accredited business of the Better Business Bureau and has an “A+” rating. CardSmart has had 0 complaints through the BBB in the past three years. It also has not received any informal reviews through the BBB, although it should be noted that these reviews are not subject to verification by the BBB.
No Rating Assigned
In light of the clean profile, we will not factor a BBB rating into this review. Readers should be aware that there are reasons to be skeptical of BBB ratings.
CardSmart Merchant Services Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Item | Result | >
|---|---|
| Cancellation Penalties | Unclear |
| Monthly & Annual Fees | Unclear |
| Processing Rates | 1.19% - 4.99% |
| Equipment Leasing | Likely |
Variable Contract Terms
As of this update, there is very little publicly available information about the standard CardSmart contract. There is only one public complaint about the company’s pricing, which describes unspecified add-on fees appearing on the merchant’s statement. This low complaint total seems to indicate that the majority of the company’s clients are satisfied with their contract terms. CardSmart’s previous use of a “1.19%” rate quote also suggests that it primarily offers tiered pricing. Additionally, the company references eProcessing Network as a processor for its POS options. This means that in addition to rates offered by merchant accounts, transactions made through POS systems from the company will include eProcessing Network’s rates and fees in addition to CardSmart’s. Typical rates and fees through eProcessing Network include a $0.05 per-transaction gateway fee and a monthly for of $8 to $10. It should be emphasized that these costs are in addition to the transaction rates provided under a merchant agreement with CardSmart.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, CardSmart Merchant Services also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its proprietary virtual terminal and payment gateway services. The company offers access to the popular Shift4 and Authorize.net payment gateways. However, CardSmart’s rates for reselling these services are not disclosed.
No Pricing Complaints
In the absence of many complaints, we have awarded the company an “A” for the time being. However, we do not expect it to outperform the cheapest merchant account providers available. If you have any knowledge of CardSmart’s standard contract terms (including any PCI compliance fees or early termination fees), please share that information in the comment section of this review.
Some of the e-commerce options through CardSmart’s virtual terminal and payment gateways
CardSmart Merchant Services Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Uses Independent Resellers | Yes |
| Telemarketing | Yes |
| Misleading Marketing | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Outside Sales Agents
As of this update, it appears that CardSmart utilizes in-house telemarketing and independent sales agents to market its services. We have found two publicly listed CardSmart Merchant Services reviews about the company’s sales team on non-BBB consumer protection websites. One complaint in the comment section of this review describes the following:
The telesales agent made it seem like we had a relationship with them, but when I asked they said we did not. I asked them to put the upgrade offer in writing but she said she could not, but could schedule an in-person interview. We scheduled a date and time and I asked her to send email confirmation, but it never appeared.
Another Google review complains about a sales agent’s unprofessional behavior. However, this review appears to be an isolated incident specific to that agent.
Former Deceptive Rate Quoting
At the time of a previous update, CardSmart’s website both included information about Interchange-plus and featured a deceptive rate quote on its homepage of “Discounted Rates starting at 1.19%.” This rate quote is misleading because it only names the “Qualified” rate that clients will pay, rather than the “Mid-Qualified” or “Non-Qualified” rates that they will see for the majority of their transactions. In light of the fact that this rate quote no longer appears on the company’s website, we have assigned it an “A” rating in this section. Readers should be aware, however, that a third-party statement audit could help them identify and eliminate high rates.
Our CardSmart Merchant Services Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
CardSmart Merchant Services rates as a better-than-average credit card processing provider according to our criteria. The overall lack of complaints is an encouraging sign for the company, but little is known about the specifics of its hiring practices or contract terms. Until more is known, we will assume the best about CardSmart, but we still advise readers to read their contracts carefully and compare all terms to those of top-rated credit card processors.
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Konstantin Othmer
Smart Card Merchant Services cold called me and said our business rating had changed and wanted to know whether I wanted to accept an upgrade to our account for better credit card processing fees.
The telesales agent made it seem like we had a relationship with them, but when I asked they said we did not. I asked them to put the upgrade offer in writing but she said she could not, but could schedule an in-person interview. We scheduled a date and time and I asked her to send email confirmation, but it never appeared. Strike 1.
On the date in question, I called the number on the website and reached someone who confirmed there was an appointment and they had my email address wrong. So obviously they don’t know much about my business, and when I said it was a cold sales call, they insisted it was not since they knew our credit rating had improved.
I told her I would be a little late for the meeting since it wasn’t confirmed. I was five minutes late – the rep was 45 minutes late. Strike 2.
During the meeting, the rep would not put anything in writing and proceeded with a number of hard sell / hard close sales gambits. He was vague about details and said I have to commit, they only review accounts once a year and I have to decide now. I told him I needed to talk to my partners and he continued to try to close the sale.
He finally wrote some things on his business card with a *not guaranteed* on it. He said he was not selling me, but rather his goal was to screen me out.
I called the next day and told him we were interested and whether he could send me the contract so we can review the terms and sign. He told me he can only meet in person. Since my partner is in another state, I told him we would be happy to do that but he would have to fly across the country. He said he can’t do that. Strike 3.
We decided the sales process and business practices are too sketchy for us to engage with them. They promise great rates, but won’t put anything in writing and keep saying “it depends”.
While we have not done business with them, they managed to waste a lot of my time and proved to be incompetent with sketchy business practices at best. At least as far as we are concerned, they are out.
It’s strange they behave so unprofessionally. We are currently paying sky-high rates for credit card processing and it appears they can save us a lot of money. But we can’t risk a core part of our business dealing with a vendor who:
1) Has deceptive sales techniques
2) Insists on meeting in person and is 45 minutes late
3) Won’t send a contract to review