First Choice Payments Review

First Choice Payments Logo
1
full star empty star empty star empty star empty star

How did they treat you? ▼

UPDATE 3/1/2019: The First Choice Payments website is currently unavailable, and we cannot find any evidence that it has been active since 2017. The company's partner processors, North American Processing Solutions and Smart Choice Payments, are still active brands, and the Smart Choice Payments website even describes it as “First Choice Payments, LLC doing business as Smart Choice Payments.” It therefore appears that First Choice has been shuttered in favor of a focus on Smart Choice Payments. If you have any knowledge of First Choice Payments's current status, please share it in the comment section below this review.

Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, First Choice Payments (fcpayments.com) is a merchant account provider that primarily offers credit card processing for U.S.-based businesses. The company appears to be a DBA of Wholesale Merchant Processing, Smart Choice Payments, and North American Processing Solutions. According to a complaint on our Payment Systems Corporation review, Smart Choice Payments, First Choice Payments, and North American Processing Solutions are subsidiaries of Payment Systems Corporation; however, other information suggests that the companies' backend processor may instead be Federated Payments.

Todd McCartney is listed as the president of Wholesale Merchant Processing, Smart Choice Payments, and American Payment Systems, and he is listed as the authorized representative for First Choice Payments. All of these companies are headquartered at 11000 SW Stratus St., Ste. 150, Beaverton, Oregon 97008, although the First Choice Payments website lists its address as 1350 E. Flamingo Rd., Suite 718, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119. First Choice Payments is indeed a registered corporation in Nevada, but its Nevada location appears to simply be a UPS Store. First Choice Payments does not list an acquiring bank on its website.

First Choice Payments Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints <10
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint N/A

We are currently able to locate only one negative First Choice Payments review, but this review does directly call the company a scam. As noted above, it describes a situation in which a sales agent misrepresented potential savings, signed the merchant up for a long-term equipment lease, and then became unreachable. We have also found more than 50 complaints filed against Wholesale Merchant Processing, Smart Choice Payments, and North American Processing Solutions. Common themes among complainants include nondisclosure of contract terms, poor customer service, expensive equipment leases, and an unprofessional work environment. Many complaints (and responses from company representatives) mention Smart Choice and Wholesale Merchant Processing as though they are the same company, and Smart Choice is a DBA of First Choice. We therefore will not differentiate between the four brands.

As also noted above, First Choice Payments has paid Ripoff Report in order to participate in that website’s “Corporate Advocacy Program.” This program makes it difficult to find the title and content of targeted complaints on Ripoff Report. Merchants are advised to scroll completely down the page to read the full details of each complaint.

First Choice has been assigned the same rating in this section as Smart Choice Payments and Wholesale Merchant Processing because there is no indication that the companies are different from each other. The company lists phone and email contact information on its website.

First Choice Payments Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

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.

The Better Business Bureau does not maintain a profile for First Choice Payments at this time. However, Smart Choice Payments currently has an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since September 2015. In addition, Wholesale Merchant Processing has an “F” rating with the BBB. The reason for the discrepancy between these two grades is unclear, as the BBB lists both companies at the same address and names Todd McCartney as the president of both companies.

Smart Choice Payments is a DBA of First Choice Payments, and we have assigned Smart Choice Payments the same “F” rating that the BBB gave to Wholesale Merchant Processing. We will therefore apply the same rating to First Choice Payments for the purposes of this review.

First Choice Payments Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Swiped Rate Variable
Keyed-in Rate Variable
Early Termination Fee $495+
PCI Compliance Fee $4.95 Per Month
Equipment Lease Terms Non-Cancellable

Unlike Wholesale Merchant Processing and Smart Choice Payments, First Choice Payments does not provide its contract terms on its website. However, First Choice Payments’s contract terms are probably identical to those offered by Smart Choice Payments. The standard Smart Choice Payments contract (available below) is a three-year agreement with an early termination fee of $495, a monthly PCI compliance fee of $4.95, a monthly minimum fee of $25, a monthly statement fee of $10, and an accompanying non-cancellable, four-year equipment lease through Northern Leasing Systems. In addition, we have found one report of an additional early termination fee of $900 that the company charges upon cancellation. This sounds a lot like a similar $893.98 fee charged by Wholesale Merchant Processing, but we are unable to determine why the company charges it under either name.

These contract terms warrant a “C-” rating on their own. However, two other factors lower the company’s score in this section to an “F.” First, Smart Choice’s agents appear to commonly package their processing agreements with long-term equipment leases through Northern Leasing Systems. Northern Leasing Systems is notorious for selling non-cancellable four-year leases that charge thousands of dollars for equipment that can be purchased for under $500. Second, the contract’s length and fee structure are especially damaging when combined with the poor disclosure cited in many merchant complaints. See the Smart Choice Payments Merchant Application and the Smart Choice Payments Program Guide.

First Choice Payments Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Employs Independent Resellers Yes
Advertises Deceptive Rates No
Discloses All Important Terms No

As a DBA of Smart Choice Payments, First Choice Payments appears to sell its products and services through a combination of telemarketing and independently contracted sales agents. We have found one First Choice Payments complaint that describes nondisclosure of contract terms, misrepresentation of rates, and difficulty contacting the sales agent after the contract was signed. However, there are a large number of public complaints filed against Wholesale Merchant Processing and Smart Choice Payments that allege similar issues. In our opinion, there is no reason to assume that First Choice Payments utilizes a significantly different sales approach from Wholesale Merchant Processing and Smart Choice Payments.

The lone First Choice Payments complaint on Ripoff Report has been altered in accordance with that website’s “Corporate Advocacy Program,” which enables Smart Choice to paste its own promotional copy above certain merchant complaints. It is our belief that this practice reflects poorly on any company, as it only makes it harder for merchants to see what other business owners have to say about the company. In addition, First Choice Payments presents itself as a Nevada-based organization and does not mention its ties to Wholesale Merchant Processing, Smart Choice Payments, and North American Processing Solutions on its website. This strategy is commonly used by some providers to spread complaints across multiple brands or to escape the negative reputation of an existing brand.

Taking into account the complaints filed against all of First Choice Payments’s affiliated companies and DBAs, we have assigned First Choice a “D” in this section.

Our First Choice Payments Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

First Choice Payments rates as a substandard merchant services provider according to our rating criteria. All evidence suggests that First Choice Payments is the same organization as Smart Choice Payments and Wholesale Merchant Processing, and First Choice Payments has been rated as such. Merchants who have been contacted by Smart Choice Payments or Wholesale Merchant Processing are advised to request and review all documentation before signing up.

If you found this article helpful, please share it!

Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did First Choice Payments Treat You?

15 User Reviews

  • craig

    I have waited over 7 years now to try to get my money back from this company. Over $23,000 is still owed and I have over the years sent them emails and to the debit agency that was supposed to be handling their funds and refunding all of us! not even a single response in all this time. Not even a single email to acknowledge any form of conversation!

  • Alan

    As of 10/5/2018 this company is settling for $6,250,000 a class action lawsuit for illegally calling numbers registered on the federal no call list, which included mine. I will be receiving a minimum payment of $30.00 for their unsolicited calls. The class action case is Michael Kaiser-Nyman vs. First Choice Payment Solutions. The case is located at http://www.seKureTCPASettlement.com .

  • Kristina Peeva

    I agree with all of you guys. I’ve been their costumer for over 8 years now…that was the only way I could get paid faster from my business partners internationally.Terrible choice, high fees , poor communication , recently I’ve filed for fraud … over $500 was stolen from my account and no one still has worked out my case …and I’m still waiting on them to restore my funds…seriously it has been two months already. Also, they stopped my withdraw option long time ago with the excuse “You have more then one company business that does transfers to your account” wtf ….so if you have business with more then 1 company you can’t withdraw your own hard working money nor can freely use it with out feeling ripped off with fees and stupid limited daily limit. FirstchoicePaySuch create headache and add so much stress into my life… the worse experience ever…now all of their services has stopped and they are forcing all of their costumers to spend all remaining balance on their cards till the end of June 2018 wtf…what if I don’t want to spent my money….I have no ways to withdraw …and their fees are so high for other transfer options. Seriously I speeded thousands of dollars on transfer fees just for this previous year . How you guys transfers ur funds? Can anyone here know a way for transferring …avoiding having to pay almost 5% using square or paypal ?
    Anyway if your new to this please don’t use them . If you have been screwed just like I am then you know what I’m talking about.

  • gulsen

    Three times they took $ 30!

    payoneer firstchoice share, they were forced to take cards and then they got $ 90 dollars
    I want to get back my bad money or zero, I would be 3 times more profitable !

    stay away from it don’t mind !

    03/19/2018 00:20 Maintenance fee May 2017 to April 2018
    $29.95
    03/19/2018 00:20 Maintenance fee July 2017 to June 2018
    $29.95
    03/19/2018 00:20 Activation Fee
    $29.95

  • Jessica Hernandez

    STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY.

    I’m not kidding, this is a terrible choice I made, they steal your money in your face, the fees are ridiculous and everytime you make a withdraw they take even more money from your account.

    For example, you have $75 in your wallet.
    You go to a ATM to withdraw $45
    Don’t be surprised if you only have $5 or less when you check your account again.

    This is robbery! no fee is that high, they just take your money in your goddamn face.

  • elsa

    I suggest anybody to stay away from this company. I opened an account recently – just 10 days ago – and they keep asking for more copies of my ID papers, complaining that they are not in high resolution (I think 5MB is pretty high resolution!), or that I sent them a pdf, which is not true, I sent them jpg documents, and at this stage although I have sent other copies of my documents, both driving licence and passport, they keep leaving me waiting for a potential approval. This is nonsense. I cannot access my account as they blocked it for no reason, and I did not receive any email from them to explain this. We cannot contact them, except by email, but they are silent or keep saying the same things. I have studied photography and have a professional camera, so I know about lighting, high resolution, avoiding flares and so on! So now this company has copies of all my ID papers. Major security and confidentiality issue here! Plus we cannot learn their exact terms of services – how much costs the card, are there monthly fees and so on – because you have to log in your account to be able to know them. Which means that you cannot make a choice regarding these points BEFORE applying for an account. All this is nonsense and is dangerous. At the end of the day, the reality of the situation is that we send these people copies of documents that are highly confidential. What do they do with it? STAY AWAY FROM THEM! SCAM!

  • Ylva

    It is the worst I have ever experienced. They blocked my account for no reason, and I am sending them all the information they need. Yet, they keep asking for it. I have contacted the chat support for 10 times now, and they said everything I uploaded was approved, and all the information was right. BUT I CAN’T ACCESS MY ACCOUNT. So all my money is gone. And now that I’ve read other reviews I am not surprised! Please, do some research and stay away from First Choice Payments! We’ve warned you.

  • Nicole Meechan

    Stolen over $340 of my money, wiped all transaction history, to make it look as if no money was sent. I printed this anyway. Communication is poor, I’ve waited almost a month for a transaction which should take up to 5 days. Do NOT USE!!!!

  • Stephie

    Stolen over $340 of my money, wiped all transaction history, to make it look as if no money was sent. I printed this anyway. Communication is poor, I’ve waited almost a month for a transaction which should take up to 5 days. Do NOT USE!!!!

  • emre

    they are cheater they stole all my money what i load do not trust them please if you make account and load money you ll loose
    all i waited more than 2 months for prepaidcard

  • ivan

    do u wanna contact this company? ok, click on CONTACT US….and webpage is loaded with text:
    “Log In
    Already have a Firstchoice Pay Account?
    Firstchoice Pay Account Holders receive more functionality and personal customer care. If you already have a Firstchoice Pay Account, please log in.”

    AND IF I NEED MORE INFORMATIONS BEFORE!!! SIGN UP?!?!
    Do i have need account to contact company?!
    If i am not account holder – u r going ignore me?!
    R u really kidding me?!

  • Deena Whitcutt

    This company has by far the worst customer service I have ever experienced. It has taken them over 6 weeks to process my payments and I still have not been paid. Their company has taken zero accountability and has no respect for their customers. If you are a business of any size I would refrain from using them as a payout company. This is one terrible organization… they would not be my “first” choice!!!!

  • Tim Patterson

    Due to our experience with the company, I highly recommend NOT using this company. ( We now use Chase)
    As an example, after finally (6-8 months of trying) they emailed that they had closed our account, the two months following this email, the did a ACH debit for $1,000 to our bank account. We have, of course, disputed the transaction.

    In any case, there have been enough other issues that I can give this company the lowest possible rating.


    Are you with First Choice Payments? Learn how to resolve this complaint.

Tell Us How They Treated You

Sharing your experience influences our rating and helps other business owners make informed decisions. Please take a moment to tell us if they are serving you well. Your email address will never be published, shared or sold. We only use it to authenticate that you are a real person and, if you select the option for it, to let you know if someone replies to your comment. Required fields are marked *

Comments must contain details about your experience. Please do not use ALL CAPS. Self-promotion, marketing content, or contact information of any kind will not be published. By submitting a comment, you are agreeing to our Comment Policy

Copyright

Copyright © 2024 CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. (Digital Fingerprint: 0d38c6720f0d78a701b74d58653af608). Getting paid to re-write this page? Click here to earn a reward.

Any unauthorized copying and reproduction of the content of this page, including all meta data and computer code, is strictly prohibited. While the information in the above article is believed to be accurate as of its publish date, the author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided “as is,” and without warranties. Any and all use of trade names and/or marks are for identification purposes only and shall not be construed as a claim of affiliation, or otherwise, with CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. ("CPO") in any form. The sole purpose of the material presented herein is to alert, educate, and inform readers. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. We may earn revenue if you obtain services from a provider that we recommend. See this page to learn how we support our operations.