- Sales & Marketing: Certified Payment Processing hires independent sales agents and has received a high number of complaints about its sales practices.
- Costs & Contract: Certified Payment Processing appears to offer a three-year contract through First American Payment Systems with an early termination fee of up to $595.
- Complaints & Service: Certified Payment Processing has received more than 70 public complaints.
- BBB Rating: Certified Payment Processing has an "A-" rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 89 complaints in the last three years.
- Rates & Fees: How Merchants Got The Best Rates With Certified Payment Processing
Certified Payment Processing Review
We take our role in providing guidance and education regarding the card payment industry very seriously. At our own expense, we have vigorously defended our right to continue expose unethical and predatory practices in the industry, successfully defeating every attempt to silence us. However, fending off frivolous lawsuits is costly. To sustain these efforts, one of the ways we generate revenue is through affiliate partnerships with ethical providers. This means that some of our outgoing links connect business owners to trustworthy, low-cost payment processors, which is what most of our readers seek. We see this revenue channel as a win-win-win for everyone involved. Business owners find good processors, processors get good clients, and we are able to continue to provide a valuable service to the small business community. We also recommend and link to many services that do not compensate us. Our priority is to guide you to the best solutions for your needs, regardless of potential revenue. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.
All mentions of rate and fee costs are estimations based on publicly available information and client feedback. Actual costs may vary based on a variety of factors unique to your business.
Certified Payment Processing
Rating
Customer Reviews & Sentiment
We are currently able to locate over 70 Certified Payment Processing complaints, most of which accuse the company and its related businesses (Summit Merchant Solutions and TransTech Merchant Group) of being a ripoff or a scam. A large number of these complaints are from current and former sales employees of the company who allege a lack of training or support, bad leads, and a high-pressure, aggressive work environment. Among merchants, complainants tend to cite expensive contract terms, misrepresentation of rates and fees (either over the phone or in person), an inability to resolve the issue through the company’s customer service, and rude or unprofessional communication on the company’s end. Numerous complainants also describe expensive equipment leases through Lease Finance Group. The Certified Payment Processing website does not appear to list dedicated support contact information.
Industry Scores & User Ratings
| Product & Service Complaints | 21 |
|---|---|
| Billing & Collection Complaints | 13 |
| Advertising & Sales Complaints | 55 |
| Guarantee & Warranty Complaints | 0 |
| Delivery Complaints | 0 |
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.
Certified Payment Processing is not an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. As of this review, the company holds an “A-” rating with the BBB and has had 89 complaints filed against it in the last 36 months (down from 186 at the time of our last review). Of those complaints, 13 involved billing or collections issues, 55 were filed regarding problems with advertising or sales tactics, and 21 had to do with product or service problems. Out of all 89 complaints, only 25 have been successfully resolved. Five received what the BBB did not consider to be a good faith effort toward resolution, while the remaining 59 either received a dissatisfactory resolution or did not receive a final response from the merchant. Taking this high complaint rate and low resolution rate into account, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “D.”
Processing Rates & Fees
The standard Certified Payment Processing contract appears to be a modified version of the standard First American Payment Systems contract, which is a three-year agreement with automatic renewal, an early termination fee of $495-$595, an annual fee of $95, and various other fees that may include a monthly minimum of $25, a PCI Compliance fee of $124.75, and variable other fees. In addition, some merchants state that they were signed up for long-term equipment leases with exorbitant cancellation fees through Lease Finance Group. Overall, the consensus among complainants is that the rates offered adhere to a tiered pricing model, and these rates are often misrepresented at the point of signing. The service length and early termination fee also appear to be a source of confusion among merchants. The company’s contract terms are less competitive than industry averages according to nearly every source, and most complaints about Certified Payment Processing’s contract express a sentiment among merchants that they are overpaying for services.
Certified Payment Processing Competitors
Compare Certified Payment Processing to competitors that earned top marks.
Bottom Line
Like other companies in the First American Payment Systems network of businesses, Certified Payment Processing rates as a substandard credit card processor according to our rating system. The company’s high volume of complaints, many of which have been filed by current and former employees, coupled with its pedestrian contract terms and poor complaint resolution rate, have all lowered its overall rating in this review. Business owners are advised to carefully examine all contract terms before signing an agreement with this merchant services provider.
