Century Business Solutions: Reviews & Complaints
(888) 500-7798 Company Overview
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 (now Fiserv) 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.
Article Summary
Before we dive in, here’s a short summary of what we’ll cover:
- Century Business Solutions’ various payment processing services.
- The company has received very few complaints.
- There is little information about the CBS contract, but it is likely very similar to that of First Data/Fiserv.
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.
Location & 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. (https://voltagecoffee.com/)
Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Appears to offer variable contract terms through…
- Complaints & Service: Has received more than…
- BBB Rating: Has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received…
- Sales & Marketing: Does not appear to hire independent sales agents and has not…
Century Business Solutions Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | 10+ |
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | Sales Tactics |
| Recent Lawsuits | No |
Low Complaint Total
We have found just over 10 negative Century Business Solutions reviews, 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. If you have your own Century Business Solutions review to make, please do so in the comments below.
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 business owners researching the Century Business Solutions that is the subject of this review. Readers 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 clients 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 clients. 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.
Century Business Solutions Customer Service Number
- (888) 500-7798 – Toll-Free Customer Support
Other Support Options
- Customer support form on its website
- Customer service email addresses
- [email protected] – Support
- [email protected] – Partnership
- [email protected] – Collaborative Content
Century Business Solutions Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| BBB Reports | 9 |
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 5 complaints to its BBB profile in the past 36 months. 1 complaint was either resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response. The other 4 complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the client.
What Merchants Say
The company has received 4 informal reviews on its BBB profile, 3 positive and 1 negative. It should be noted that these reviews are not subject to authentication by the BBB. The negative review describes unexpected rate increases and poor customer support:
After being a very satisfied customer of ******************** for 6 years with great rates, we suddenly noticed our rates increased without notification, fees increased, and invalid charges for PCI Compliance were being made.When we reached out to CBS to inquire why, they informed us that their processor, PaySafe, increased the rates without telling anyone. Then, CBS researched and found there was a mistake and a large amount of funds were due to be refunded.We worked with them for over a year and still have yet to receive any refund that they have agreed to provide.Now, when calling, we only get voicemails and no response from email. No call backs. Nothing.We are NOT happy as a customer being ghosted by a vendor that owes thousands of dollars as this is not a way to do legitimate business.We would not recommend anyone else use this service, and for those that are current customers, you may want to get out your magnifying glass for your statements.
Clients 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.
Century Business Solutions Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Item | Result | >
|---|---|
| Cancellation Penalties | Yes |
| Monthly & Annual Fees | Yes |
| Processing Rates | 1.00% - 4.99% |
| Equipment Leasing | Yes |
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 client 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/Fiserv affords it a great degree of flexibility to customize pricing for each client, so the company’s terms may vary depending on each applicant’s business type, time in business, and processing history.
First Data/Fiserv 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. Businesses that 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. Businesses 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 WooCommerce 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 readers to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant services.
Century Business Solutions Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Uses Independent Resellers | Yes |
| Telemarketing | No |
| Misleading Marketing | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
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.
Our Century Business Solutions Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Century Business Solutions rates as a reliable credit card processing 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, readers 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.
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How Did Century Business Solutions Treat You?3 Responses
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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.
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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.