Century Business Solutions Review

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 multiyear 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.

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.

Low Complaint Total

We have found only a few negative Century Business Solutions reviews, one of which accuses the company of being a ripoff. Complainants primarily mention poor communication, difficulty closing accounts, and unauthorized charges made after account cancellation. One complaint did not receive a public response from the company, while another (filed with the Better Business Bureau) was resolved through refunds of the improperly charged amounts. All complaints appear to be isolated incidents and do not seem to reflect a larger issue at the company.

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

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 Support 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.

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 had 0 any complaints to its BBB profile in the past 36 months.

What Merchants Say

The company has received 4 informal reviews on its BBB profile. 2 reviews were positive and two were negative reviews. It should be noted that these reviews are not subject to authentication by the BBB. The most recent 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.

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.

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.