Crescent Processing Company 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.

Customer Reviews & Sentiment
High Complaint Total
For a provider of its size and time in business, Crescent Processing Company has a high number of complaints. In particular, there are many complaints about the company posted by former sales agents on Ripoff Report. The common themes among the merchant complaints are claims of higher-than-quoted processing fees and other unexpected/undisclosed fees, and that agents failed to disclose a $495 cancellation fee in connection with a three- to four-year auto-renewing contract. Several merchants have also reported that Crescent continued to debit fees even after the account was canceled.
Poor Customer Service
A few reviews also indicated a poor level of customer service and long wait times when attempting to resolve problems. Most of the problems appear to be traced back to the sales agent as the source of the problems due to non-disclosure of terms and fees; however, Crescent’s business practices seem to allow for these types of problems to occur.
Industry Scores & User Ratings
| Product & Service Complaints | 137 |
|---|---|
| Billing & Collection Complaints | 86 |
| Advertising & Sales Complaints | 64 |
| Guarantee & Warranty Complaints | 0 |
| Delivery Complaints | 1 |
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.
As of this review, Crescent Processing Company is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau. Previously, the BBB reported 288 complaints filed in the last 36 months against the company. Yet, inexplicably, the BBB awarded Crescent an “A“ rating. Of the 311 complaints, 137 are regarding service problems, 86 with billing and collection disputes, and 64 with advertising and sales issues. Of the total, 48 were not resolved to the merchant’s satisfaction, and 4 were not resolved at all. Based on the amount of complaints and the fact that some have gone completely unresolved, we are adjusting the rating to an “F” for the purposes of this review. You can learn more about why we adjust BBB ratings in our rating criteria.
Processing Rates & Fees
Crescent Processing Company Contract
Pricing and contract terms seem to vary based on the merchant and the agent setting up the account. However, Crescent’s standard contract appears to be a four-year automatically renewing contract with a $495 Early Termination Fee (ETF). It is unclear at the time of this update if the company also charges an annual or monthly PCI Compliance Fee. Merchants are encouraged to carefully read and understand their contracts before signing with the company.
Crescent sales agents also appear to receive additional commissions for selling credit card terminal leases that may come with additional and expensive contracts. This reviewer advises to never lease processing hardware because it is the most expensive way to obtain it. Buy your equipment and shop around before purchasing it.
If you have any additional information about Crescent Processing’s fees or contract, please leave it in the comment section of this review.
Crescent Processing Company Competitors
Compare Crescent Processing Company to competitors that earned top marks.
Bottom Line
Crescent Processing Company has received a low rating in this review because of its heavy use of independent resellers, unfavorable underwriting policies, and high complaint count. Now that it is no longer in business as Crescent, we suggest reading our reviews for Merchant Processing Company and Talus Pay, which are the new names Crescent is operating under.




