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This review takes a close look at Coastal Pay, a payment processing provider offering POS systems, mobile payments, virtual terminals, and e-commerce solutions to U.S. small businesses. We’ll highlight key points, such as cancellation fees, pricing, and any possible legal issues. Customer reviews, including any recurring complaints and testimonials, about service quality will also be covered.
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Carlsbad, California, Coastal Pay is a merchant services provider offering payment processing solutions to businesses of various sizes. The company provides services such as credit and debit card processing, ACH payments, and supports alternative payment methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal. Coastal Pay offers integration with over 2,000 software platforms and point-of-sale systems, catering to industries including retail, e-commerce, and high-risk sectors. Their services include features like dual pricing programs, virtual terminals, and a proprietary payment gateway. The company advertises instant merchant onboarding and emphasizes security measures like tokenization and end-to-end encryption. Coastal Pay operates as a registered Independent Sales Organization (ISO) of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., and Axiom Bank, N.A.
Coastal Pay appears to have made great strides in improving its client satisfaction, as the company has virtually eliminated its complaint volume over the last five years. Prior to 2019, we had identified around 100 negative Coastal Pay reviews across several platforms. These reviews frequently highlighted concerns over undisclosed fees, aggressive sales tactics, challenging lease terms, and issues with service quality. Customers had also voiced frustrations with telemarketing, misrepresentation of contract details, high termination fees, service cancellation obstacles, and difficulties in contacting customer support.
Interestingly, the volume of negative feedback has seen a significant reduction since 2019, likely due to policy changes related to early termination fees and the dissolution of Northern Leasing Systems, which had been contracted for providing payment hardware leases. Northern Leasing Systems was forced to shutdown by the New York Attorney General due to predatory business practices.
| BBB Rating | 5 |
|---|---|
| Google Maps | 3 |
| Yelp Rating | 4.1 |
| Average Rating | 4.03 |
Coastal Pay has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and is accredited since April 5, 2019. The company has been in business for 10 years. On the BBB website, Coastal Pay has an average customer review rating of 5 stars based on 3 customer reviews. There are no customer complaints filed against the business.
There are no negative reviews available about Coastal Pay on the BBB website.
I’ve been in the payment processing industry for over a decade, and Coastal Payments is the best company I’ve ever worked with. Their support and care for agents are unparalleled, providing an environment that fosters success and growth. Coastal Payments excels in client retention, with business owners not only staying but actively referring new clients due to their exceptional service. As a merchant, their dedication to top-notch service, security, and innovative solutions gives me peace of mind. Coastal Payments is a partner invested in your success, consistently going above and beyond in every way.
Coastal Pay has a 3 out of 5 star rating based on 84 user reviews on Google.
I’ve been using Coastal pay as my merchant account for my credit repair business. Now I have had some issues, all user errors lol, and everytime their customer service is right there to help!
Don’t work with them. There are much better companies out there. CP is highly disorganized and bureaucratic, not to mention they charge a lot more than others.
Coastal Pay has a 4.1 out of 5 star rating based on 39 user reviews on Yelp.
I have been a Coastal Payroll client for 2 years now. Before Coastal, I was with “the other guys” and it was poor service, not cost, that prompted my switch, so I believe I have more than sufficient experience to judge Coastal Payroll, a superior organization for running payroll for an LLC or S-corp. What sets Coastal apart is their concern for their clients. Coastal payroll specialists are always willing to take a call and straighten out an issue or talk through a payroll change and are willing to communicate so that the inevitable changes are made with both the specialist and the client in perfect agreement. For me, two years in, the service I have received has been flawless. If they can do such a good job for a single employee corporation, just think what they would be able to do for a larger organization.
Very bad web deseign with the “new look” update. Nothing works as it should. Very frustrating for all employees that have had to start using this software at our office (including the administrators, they talk more shit about it than the regular emplyees do.) Overall, bad system and bad customer service. 1 out of 10, do not recommend.
Coastal Pay has informed us of a recent update that they no longer charge cancellation fees. The company advertises a flat processing rate of 2.5% and 15 cents per transaction on its website, but it’s unclear whether this rate applies universally or varies by transaction type or industry. A merchant application we obtained lacked filled-in fields, leaving uncertainty regarding potential rate changes. Notably, the application listed additional fees including a $25 monthly minimum fee, a $5 monthly PCI Compliance fee, and a $10 monthly fee.
Generally, employee feedback regarding Coastal Pay is positive with negative reviews ceasing in 2019. The company appears to utilize both in-house sales staff as well as independently contracted agents that are compensated on commission-only.
Compare Coastal Pay to competitors that earned top marks.
Coastal Pay has greatly improved its business practices since 2019 and appears to have aligned its strategies with maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. We have improved the company’s rating from 2-stars to 4-stars, with the remaining star retained due the company’s past issues. If Coastal Pay maintains its current trajectory, the review could see a full 5-star rating in a subsequent update.
| CEO | Kavan Thanasith |
|---|---|
| President Co-founder | Travis Chrisman |
| Phone | (888) 266-1715 |
| Website | coastalpay.com |
