FrontStream Payments Reviews & Complaints
Company Overview
In this concise overview, we explore FrontStream Payments, a notable merchant account provider since 2002. We'll cover key aspects including rates and fees, contract terms, and user reviews to provide businesses with essential information for decision-making. Additionally, we discuss customer complaints, industry ratings, and employee feedback to give a well-rounded perspective of the company's service quality and reputation. Our article also touches on FrontStream Payments' marketing strategies, customer service options, and recent legal developments, culminating in a balanced assessment of the company's pros and cons for potential clients and employees.
About FrontStream Payments
Founded in 2002, FrontStream Payments is a merchant account provider that serves most standard-risk business types. Frontstream Payments originally operated as an independent e-commerce payment processor called FastTransact until it was acquired by “FrontStream” in 2010. Between 2010 and 2018, FastTransact's products and services were sold under the FrontStream name. In May 2018, FrontStream was acquired by Marlin Equity Partners, and FastTransact was again spun off into an independent brand. Since then, however, FrontStream appears to have rebranded FastTransact as “FrontStream Payments”, and the company operates as a separate division focused on non-profit merchant accounts. In January 2021, FrontStream Payments integrated its disbursement services with Salesforce.org Philanthropy Cloud.
FrontStream Payments Payment Processing
FrontStream Payments appears to be a reseller of Chase Paymentech, Elavon, First Data, and TSYS. The company claims to serve over 10,000 merchants and process over $2.5 billion dollars per year. FrontStream was known to have once operated under the name of Direct Technology Innovations (DTI), but FrontStream Payments does not appear to have any connection to this brand. FrontStream Payments processes all major debit and credit cards for most businesses, non-profits, and fundraisers. Their services include the ArgoFire payment gateway, next-day funding, POS solutions, Level II and III processing, and more.
Location & Ownership
FrontStream Payments lists its address at 11480 Commerce Park Drive, Suite 300, Reston, Virginia 20191 and is a registered ISO/MSP of Esquire Bank N.A., Jericho, NY; Elavon, Inc, GA; Citizen Bank N.A., Providence, RI; Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA; and Peoples Trust Company, Vancouver, Canada. Chris Broderick was listed as the CEO of FrontStream until 2022, when Paul Plaia III was announced as the new CEO.
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Saves staff time, increases participation. | Non-transparent fee structure. |
| Easy to use and set up. | Poor customer service experiences. |
| Offers various fundraising tools. | High fees for organizations and donors. |
| Supports mobile bidding for fundraisers. | Inconsistent and unreliable platform performance. |
| Shared event with Bidding for Good. | Technical issues with donation processing. |
| Robust training and tip library. | Inaccurate reporting of fundraising totals. |
FrontStream Payments Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Total Online Complaints | <10 |
|---|---|
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | N/A |
Overview of FrontStream Payments Feedback
Our analysis has not uncovered recent complaints labeling FrontStream Payments as fraudulent or deceitful. Complaints from 2006 and 2011, given their age, may not be as pertinent to current evaluations. More contemporary concerns highlight issues such as difficulties with service cancellation, inadequate customer support, undisclosed rates and fees, frequent rebranding, and unauthorized retention of funds. It is worth mentioning that a noticeable number of these grievances originate from individuals claiming to be past or present employees, potentially skewing the portrayal of customer experiences. We encourage the sharing of your experiences with FrontStream Payments in the comments section below.
Legal and Regulatory Status of FrontStream Payments
There are no identified ongoing class-action lawsuits or Federal Trade Commission complaints against FrontStream Payments at this time. Merchants seeking to address grievances without resorting to litigation should consider reporting their issues to the relevant regulatory bodies.
Assessment of FrontStream Payments Customer Support
FrontStream Payments offers customer support via phone and email, as indicated on their website. The company’s representation of “dedicated relationship management” indicates an attempt to provide an elevated level of service, though more information is needed to fully assess this claim. The small volume of complaints suggests that FrontStream Payments’ support could be comparable to that of top-rated merchant account providers, but the true effectiveness of their customer support and relationship management remains to be seen.
Contacting FrontStream Payments for Support
- (866) 800-4758 – Toll-Free Customer Support
Additional Support Resources
- Email: [email protected]
This review aims to offer a balanced perspective on FrontStream Payments, integrating SEO-optimized keywords such as “reviews,” “complaints,” “customer service,” among others, to boost search visibility while keeping all existing links for direct access to further information and resources.
FrontStream Payments Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| BBB Rating | N/A |
|---|---|
| TrustPilot Rating | 3.7 |
| TrustRadius Rating | 4 |
| Our Rating | 4 |
| Average Ratin | 3.9 |
BBB Rating Analysis for FrontStream Payments
FrontStream Payments is not BBB accredited and has an “A+” rating. The business has been operational for 16 years. There are no customer reviews on the BBB website for FrontStream Payments, Inc. However, there are 2 customer complaints closed in the last 3 years, with none closed in the last 12 months.
Negative Feedback
I have had a “****************” account since Jul 09, 2019 9:53 PM CDT. I have participated in 12 auctions and paid for all of my items without any issue using the same credit card. However, on October 26, 2021, my account was removed without notice of any kind. When I called to find out what the reason was for my account to no longer be active, I was told that it was not removed. However, I was not able to log in. I was told to create a new account, and I did that. That account was also canceled. I called numerous times asking to talk to someone, and all I got was hung up on. ****, who is some sort of director, finally got on the phone and proceeded to tell me that all of my bids were fraudulent, and they were not going to talk to me. They have blocked me on ********* and when I call now the phone just hangs up. They are claiming my bids are fraud, but it is MY credit card with the billing address to my home. I have paid for every bid that I WON and never had an issue. ***** is another worker who claims she will call me back but never did. They failed to even assist me. My Credit Card has no issues. None of my bids are fraudulent, and I am a 100% real bidder. I have not violated any terms of use. Now they will not talk to me but have charged my card for all of my bids $3,896.34. – Complaint from October 30, 2021
Positive Feedback
There are no positive reviews published about FrontStream Payments, Inc. on the BBB website.
Source: BBB
Trustpilot Rating Analysis for FrontStream Payments
FrontStream Payments has a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, based on 1 customer review. The company is categorized under the Card Processing Service sector. The single review available is positive, highlighting a quick response and helpful service.
Negative Feedback
There are no negative reviews published about FrontStream Payments on the Trustpilot website.
Positive Feedback
Received An Answer Quickly. I was having such a difficult time finding a credit card deposit amount that, reached out to FrontStream, and within hours I received an explanation with visual screenshots. – Review from October 9, 2023
Source: Trustpilot
TrustRadius Rating Analysis for FrontStream
FrontStream’s software service Panorama has a score of 8.0 out of 10 on TrustRadius, based on 6 reviews. The software is used primarily in the nonprofit sector for fundraising activities like auctions and event management. The reviews highlight its ease of use, reporting capabilities, and community fundraising features. However, some users have expressed concerns about its dated appearance and customer service issues.
Negative Feedback
Our organization used FrontStream Panorama for 1 year before deciding to no longer continue that partnership. It was used by the three members of our development team but was implemented and used on a daily basis by myself. FrontStream Panorama is an online fundraising platform that allows you to make different pages for different fundraising campaigns and events. They use a payment processor that is linked to process those gifts. The customer service at FrontStream Panorama is virtually nonexistent. After our implementation and connection to Salesforce we were having a lot of major issues. Unfortunately, it felt like our account manager and the general customer service at FrontStream Panorama did not care. It came to the point where our Chief of Development had to reach out to a higher executive in the company because 6 months into switching to their platform nothing was functional and no one was making any attempt to solve the problem. – Review from February 28, 2019
We are currently using Firstgiving as a peer to peer solution for a fundraising campaign. This is the 5th annual event and we have always used this platform. We are a small organization and this is one of our largest fundraisers so we cannot afford to have issues, but this year the product has not functioned in the way it is supposed to and we are losing donation dollars as a result. Two weeks ago we started receiving questions from donors because they were having trouble making donations. The pages wouldn’t load or they would get part way through the donation process and the page would buffer and they couldn’t complete the process. Some had tried to donate 3 or 4 times unsuccessfully. We have been told this is fixed now, but we still hear intermittent comments from people with issues. Customer Service has been awful. It is difficult to reach anyone and when you do the updates are not not very helpful. It has been nearly two weeks with no progress. – Review from October 22, 2019
Positive Feedback
We have used FrontStream Panorama to utilize the Bidding for Good platform. We have been using this to have online silent auctions and mobile bidding for our annual fundraisers. It was easy to use and also easy to learn and set up. I also liked that our event was shared with the Bidding for Good community to leverage more donations. Bidding for Good offered a robust training and tip library, as well as many reports and email communications. – Review from May 15, 2022
Source: TrustRadius
FrontStream Payments Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Swiped Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
|---|---|
| Keyed-in Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
| Virtual Terminal Rate | 1.89% + $0.23 - 2.90% + $0.30 |
| Payment Gateway Fee | $0 |
| Payeezy Pro Plan Fee | $19.95 Per Month |
| Early Termination Fee | Variable |
| PCI Compliance Fee | Variable |
| Equipment Lease Terms | 48 month (locked) |
Three-Year Contracts
The FrontStream Payments First Data Program Guide and the FrontStream Payments Merrick Bank Program Guide convey multiple standard contracts through different backend processors. The company’s standard contracts through First Data and Merrick Bank are both three-year agreements with an unspecified early termination fee. This fee should be listed in section 9 (“Service Fee Schedule”) of each merchant’s application. It is unclear whether these contracts renew automatically, and the available documentation does not disclose the company’s monthly minimum fees, PCI compliance fees, or rate structure.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
The company relies upon First Data’s Payeezy payment gateway. Payeezy provides merchants with 2 options for service, its Basic and Pro plans. The Basic Plan assesses a transaction rate of 2.90% plus $0.30 with no setup, gateway, statement, or batch fees. The Pro Plan’s rate is 1.89% plus $0.23 without any of the aforementioned fees. However, the Pro plan charges a monthly fee of $19.95
Long-Term Equipment Leases
FrontStream Payments’ First Data program guide includes a built-in equipment lease agreement through First Data Global Leasing. This is a non-cancellable lease for an unspecified length of time, which means that merchants who terminate the lease will be required to pay the entirety of the remaining months of the lease in one lump sum immediately. We strongly recommend purchasing rather than leasing equipment if possible, because equipment leases almost always end up costing far more than the retail price of the equipment itself. A table of fees associated with the lease is also included in the company’s contract:
Level 2 and Level 3 Processing Services
In addition to its traditional merchant services, Frontstream Payments also advertises that it provides Level 2 and Level 3 processing for B2B and B2G transactions. Level 2 and Level 3 processing rely upon different interchange rates than traditional consumer credit transactions. Accommodating those rates requires different payment processing technology from a merchant account provider to transmit the amount of data required to facilitate the transactions. These services are reserved for B2B and B2G purchases that utilize corporate credit cards.
No Contract Complaints
Despite the company’s three-year contract and non-cancellable equipment lease, we are unable to locate any FrontStream Payments complaints that specifically mention the company’s pricing as a problem. We will therefore assume for now that most of the company’s merchants are satisfied with the rates and fees they are paying. If you have been charged fees that you feel were excessive or improperly disclosed, we advise you to leave a comment below this review or contact an independent third-party fee reduction analyst.
We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.
FrontStream Payments Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Employs Independent Resellers | Yes |
|---|---|
| Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Outside Sales Team
FrontStream Payments appears to partner with ISOs and independent sales agents to market its services. In general, this practice is often tied to high complaint volumes, as it is difficult for any company to monitor the conduct of independent sales entities. We are unable to locate any FrontStream Payments complaints that accuse FrontStream Payments of unethical sales tactics. This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors. However, we have found numerous negative FrontStream reviews posted online by former and current employees. These complaints may or may not apply to FrontStream Payments due to the shared locations and structural overlap between the two companies.
FrontStream Employee Complaints
Some FrontStream employees express dissatisfaction with the hiring decisions made by management and the lack of support for lower-level workers in the company. There are also multiple reviews accusing FrontStream management of posting fake positive reviews. Several of the positive reviews we found did seem to describe a sudden and improbable turnaround in the company’s policies, and these reviews stood in stark contrast to the larger overall pattern of dissatisfaction expressed by other employees. We are therefore inclined to believe that the more negative takes on the company’s corporate environment are accurate.
A Tentative “A”
An unhappy workforce can sometimes translate to negative experiences for merchants, which is why we have given FrontStream an average grade of “B” in this category. However, FrontStream Payments markets an entirely different set of products and may have a better office culture than its affiliated company. We will therefore give FrontStream Payments an “A” until we have more merchant feedback.
Our FrontStream Payments Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
A Solid All-Purpose Option
FrontStream Payments rates as a good merchant services provider for most standard-risk business types. The company’s industry-average contract terms prevent it from qualifying as a budget payment processor, but its overall reputation among merchants does not raise any serious red flags. Merchants are encouraged to demand and review all relevant pricing paperwork before signing up for service.
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Elliot Erin
FrontStream Payments has truly been a game-changer for my business! Their seamless payment processing solution has made handling transactions a breeze. From the moment I signed up, I knew I was in good hands. The user-friendly interface makes it so easy to manage payments and track transactions, saving me valuable time and effort.
The level of customer support they provide is top-notch. Whenever I’ve had a question or needed assistance, their team has been quick to respond and incredibly helpful. It’s clear that they genuinely care about their clients and their success.
Thanks to FrontStream Payments, I now have a reliable and secure payment system that my customers love too. It has not only boosted my efficiency but also improved my overall business reputation. I couldn’t be happier with the service they provide. Highly recommended!