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(888) 500-7798 A California-Based First Data Reseller
Century Business Solutions is an Irvine, California-based merchant account provider that specializes in developing custom payment software for merchants. The company was founded in 2005 and is a reseller of First Data’s merchant services. There is another company called Century Business Solutions that may be confused with the company that is the subject of this review. This other Century Business Solutions is an office supply retailer based in Santa Fe Springs, California, and it does not appear to be related to the Irvine-based Century Business Solutions.
Century Business Solutions Payment Processing
Century Business Solutions processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include the EBizCharge payment platform, EMV card readers and swipers, virtual terminals, text-to-pay, mobile solutions, e-check processing, and QuickBooks integration.
Century Business Solutions Location and Ownership
Century Business Solutions is headquartered at 20 Pacifica Suite 1450 Irvine, CA, and the company is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Walnut Creek, California, and Wells Fargo Bank N.A., Canadian Branch. Helen Chu is the CEO and owner of Century Business Solutions.
Century Business Solutions Review Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Century Business Solutions appears to offer variable contract terms through First Data that depend on each merchant’s business type and processing history.
- Complaints & Service: Century Business Solutions has received more than 10 public complaints.
- BBB Rating: Century Business Solutions has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 1 complaint and 18 reviews in the past 3 years.
- Sales & Marketing: Century Business Solutions does not appear to hire independent sales agents and has not received any complaints about its sales practices.
Should You Trust Century Business Solutions?
Lawsuits, Reviews & Complaints
Complaint Summary
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Total Online Complaints
10+
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Live Customer Support
Yes
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Most Common Complaint
Sales Tactics
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Low Complaint Total
We have found just over 10 negative reviews about Century Business Solutions, one of which accuses the company of being a ripoff. The most common trend among complaints refers to the company’s sales tactics. Complainants mention spam emails and telemarketing tactics which suggest the company resorts to slamming.
Potential for Confusion
It should also be noted that there are a large number of complaints filed against an unrelated, Santa Fe Springs-based company called Century Business Solutions. This could cause some confusion among merchants researching the Century Business Solutions that is the subject of this review. Merchants should understand that the two companies do not appear to be related.
Century Business Solutions Lawsuits and Fines
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Century Business Solutions. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
Century Business Solutions Customer Service Options
Century Business Solution provides 24/7 phone and email support to all of its merchants. Although this is a level of availability that many providers do not offer, the scattered complaints filed against the company prevent it from ranking among our top-rated payment processors for great customer service.
We have located a single Century Business Solutions customer service phone number:
(888) 500-7798 – Toll-Free Customer Support
Century Business Solutions also offers a customer support form on its website and the following customer service email addresses:
[email protected] – Support
[email protected] – Partnership
[email protected] – Collaborative Content
Is the BBB Rating for Century Business Solutions Accurate?
Better Business Bureau Profile
BBB Summary
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Product & Service Complaints
0
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Billing & Collection Complaints
1
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Advertising & Sales Complaints
0
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Guarantee & Warranty Complaints
0
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Delivery Complaints
0
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Clean Complaint Record
Century Business Solutions currently has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since May 2014. The company has received 1 complaint to its BBB profile in the past 36 months. The single complaint was due to a billing or collections issue and was either resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response.
What Merchants Say
The company has received 18 informal reviews on its BBB profile, all positive. It should be noted that these reviews are not subject to authentication by the BBB. A previous negative review describes false promises of software integration:
Century states on their website that they offer software integration solutions with their credit card processing. We approached them for that reason. The sales person was more interested in signing us as a customer with the promise that we would not be charged monthly and annual fees until the integration was completed. After several months of no software progress after numerous conference calls, the monthly and annual fees debits starting occurring. We have asked multiple sales reps, a VP Scott McEwing, and a Client Ambassador Kristina Engen to stop charging and for a complete refund. Despite numerous verbal promises and apologizing emails, nothing has happened. One excuse or the other. We now have no other option to file with our bank a fraudulent transactions claim to recover our funds. The worst part is not the effort to recover the money, but the 10-15 hours wasted by our technical staff working on a now meaningless project.
Merchants who are interested in integrating their payment processing service with in-house software should consider working with a top-rated processor for developers.
An “A” Performance
Given the company’s lone complaint and effort toward resolution, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time.
How Expensive is Century Business Solutions Service?
Rates, Fees, and Contract Terms
Cost Summary
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Swiped Rate
1.00% - 4.99%
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Keyed-in Rate
1.00% - 4.99%
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Virtual Terminal Rate
1.00% - 4.99%
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|
Payment Gateway Fee
Undisclosed
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Early Termination Fee
Up To $495
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PCI Compliance Fee
$19.95 Per Month
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Equipment Lease Terms
48 Month (locked)
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Variable Contract Terms
There is very little specific information available at this time regarding the standard Century Business Solutions contract. The company does not list its pricing on its website, and there are no merchant complaints that describe the company’s fees in detail. In general, this is a positive sign that Century tends to offer low-commitment contracts with reasonable fees.
It is likely that the company’s reseller partnership with First Data affords it a great degree of flexibility to customize pricing for each merchant, so the company’s terms may vary depending on each applicant’s business type, time in business, and processing history.
First Data offers a wide variety of contract terms and pricing plans, but its standard agreement is typically a multi-year contract with an early termination fee of $495, a monthly PCI compliance fee of $19.95, and tiered pricing. Merchants who process up to $50,000 each month will receive a swiped rate of 2.69% plus $0.19 and a keyed-in rate of 3.69% plus $0.19. Merchants whose monthly charges exceed $50,000 will receive a swiped rate of 2.29% plus $0.19 and a keyed-in rate of 3.29% plus $0.19. Another facet of these contracts are non-cancellable, long-term equipment leases through First Data Global Leasing.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Century Business Solutions also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway, the EBizCharge Payment Gateway. The company advertises Woo Commerce and Magento as its payment gateway providers. However, pricing is not disclosed 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 Contract Complaints
Given the total lack of complaints related to its pricing and fees, we will assume for the time being that Century Business Solutions generally provides competitive rates and terms. However, we do not expect its standard pricing to compete with that offered by the cheapest merchant accounts. If you have any specific knowledge of the standard Century Business Solutions contract (including any early termination fees or PCI compliance fees), please share that information in the comment section below this review.
We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant services.
Does Century Business Solutions Use Deceptive Marketing?
Advertising & Sales Strategy
Key Points
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Employs Independent Resellers
Yes
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Advertises Deceptive Rates
No
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Discloses All Important Terms
No
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Inside/Outside Sales Team
Century Business Solutions appears to primarily market itself through an inside sales team, strategic partnerships, and traditional advertising. The company does not seem to employ a large number of independently contracted sales agents, and there are no Century Business Solutions complaints that accuse the company’s sales team of deceptive sales practices.
This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
No Deceptive Quotes
As an additional point in its favor, Century Business Solutions does not list any misleading rate quotes or unrealistic guarantees on its website. We have therefore assigned the company an “A” rating in this category. However, if you suspect that you are overpaying for your Century Business Solutions account, you can double-check your pricing with a third-party statement audit.
Does Century Business Solutions Deserve Your Business?
Review Summary & Our Thoughts
A Solid Option, But Some Questions Persist
Century Business Solutions rates as a reliable merchant services provider according to all available information. The company has received a handful of complaints and we are unable to determine the specifics of its pricing at this time. For this reason, merchants are encouraged to compare the company’s pricing to that offered by top-rated credit card processors in order to obtain the best possible deal.
Grant
We acquired a company that used Century Business Solutions. We wanted them to export the company’s data so we can port it over to a new, lower-cost processor. They refused and their bedside manner was horrible. It appears to me that they want to lock customers in so they cannot switch processors.
Kimberly Hobbie
Have been a client for over three years. Using their software inside of our accounting software, Sage100. We have walk in customers that pay with their credit card. Their hardware and software is not compatible with the use of a chip reader. Chargebacks are inevitable – so beware going with this company. No support after the sale, especially if you are an unhappy customer.
From The Editor
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Phil Lisle
If this is the same merchant service account company (or parent company) as First Data which has a boat load of negative reviews (no surprise), then beware. We’ve been in business for 32 years and it appears we will not be approved. Crazy! I’ve even offered personal guarantee. We were told 1-2 days and it’s now been 11 days and they won’t even return our calls. LabLogic made no mention of this being a potential problem. Otherwise we would have done that step first. I hate to think what our next step may have to be.