Owned By Global Payments
Heartland Payment Systems is a very large merchant account provider headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma. The company was founded in 1997 and, according to several reports, ranks as the fifth-largest processor in the United States and processes over $80 billion in credit card transactions annually. Heartland was acquired for $4.3 billion by Global Payments in December 2015. It is unclear whether the merged companies intend to absorb the Heartland brand into Global Payments Inc. over time, but for now, Heartland still appears to operate under the Heartland name.
A Commitment to Data Security
The company made national headlines in 2008 when Heartland’s computer systems were infiltrated by a computer hacker named Albert Gonzalez, who subsequently stole the data of more than 130 million credit cards. While this could have spelled doom for such a prominent company, Heartland responded very quickly to repair the damages and prevent future security breaches. Heartland now regularly updates its security systems and, understandably, takes data security very seriously. Additionally, Heartland seems to have a strongly embedded philosophy of educating merchants about payment processing, even going so far as to dedicate an entire website dubbed the “Merchant Bill of Rights” to fulfilling this purpose.
Heartland Payment Systems Headquarters and Leadership
Heartland Payment Systems Inc. is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA, and The Bancorp Bank, Philadelphia, PA. The company’s headquarters are located at 3932 S Blvd, Edmond, Oklahoma 73013. Jeffrey S. Sloan is the CEO and Cameron Bready is the president of Global Payments.
Heartland Payment Systems Review Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Heartland Payment Systems offers a three-year contract through Global Payments with a $295 early termination fee.
- Complaints & Service: Heartland Payment Systems has received more than 150 public complaints.
- BBB Rating: Heartland Payment Systems has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received 53 complaints and 5 reviews in the past 3 years.
- Sales & Marketing: Heartland Payment Systems does not appear to hire independent sales representatives but has received some complaints about its sales practices.
- Rates & Fees: How Merchants Got The Best Rates With Heartland Payment Systems
Heartland now charges $33.50 a month. TSYS and Heartland merged under Global. They are not small merchant friendly and their program for merchants that do less than 50,000. a year in processing is 2.9% and 35 cents. They also pay the $33.50 on top of that. You will want to shop them if you are given a quote as their rates are usually much higher than the competition. The “plus” part of the Interchange plus is usually .70% and higher as their sales people are 100% commission and have to charge a higher fee to make any money. Use caution
Garbage company, got off the phone with customer service and was told that covid has really effected the company’s bottom line and that they are sorry that they did not have the staffing to let us know we could apply to have our monthly fee’s waived. Our businesses has been closed and has not had a single credit card transaction in 6 months.
Simply disappointed. After more than five years with Heartland, our volunteer-run community non-profit with a 50k budget gets hit with a $625 PCI non-compliance fee and their reps won’t even consider mercy.
It seems like a perfect storm lead to this extraordinary and disproportionate fee. Our account no longer had an assigned manager, the email address on the account was not current and many of our members are considered high risk for Covid, so we have been meeting virtually and only collecting mail from our PO box on a limited basis. I realized what was going when reviewing our mail and immediately corrected the wrong information and completed the needed survey.
Our processing machine has been locked up without any transactions for many months, so I think it’s reasonable to conclude that our delaying completion of the PCI survey did not result in any additional risk and exposure for Heartland.
This situation seems like a perfect opportunity to align action with the words in their 2020 Global Responsibility Report? Those $’s were intended to support our community’s children and seniors :(
Its interesting to me to “hear” the complaints here. The Termination Fee is waived at the clients Request, but you have to ask and you shall receive, because they don’t want to further irritate and irritated client and keep a chance to win them back in the future.
The 3 year contract? That is for the client not Heartland. It locks in pricing for 3 years as opposed to the typically twice a year increases of the vast majority of “processors” or the really low teaser rates that I have found usually go up in 60-90 days.
As far as non-compliance fees? Simple answer is stay in compliance. Heartland is one of only 5 Tier 1 Processors meaning they actually have relationships with the actual card issuers and actually process. The other “3,000” processors are, well, not…you simply pay them so they can pay the Tier 1’s and, of the 5 Tier 1’s….Heartland is the only one who’s salespeople actually work for Heartland and their compensation is designed in such a way that the only way they do well is for the client to do well as opposed to “sell, take a commission and be gone”…ask yourself; “When was the last time you actually talked to the person who sold you let alone the last time they helped you with anything?” A questions worth asking. Literally, the rest of the industry is populated with sales people who just sell and really have no incentive to care…..I mean Costco is a reseller of payment processing…seriously? Payment Processing and a $1.50 hot dog and drink….such expertise.
Yes, I did my homework before choosing to become part of the Heartland world and it has been a great experience. I love to partner with professionals who not only don’t mind push back but encourage it…challenge Heartland and you will get great things.
Online complaints are rarely fully accurate….so, take it with a grain of salt and do your due diligence. Not saying work with Heartland but, in my opinion, you could do much worse….I know of a “processor” whose monthly statement included both a PCI Compliance AND PCI Non Compliance fee……on the same statement. How can you be both.
Someone told me; “Shame on me. I will have to start looking more closely at my statements.” My reply was; “Pick a processor for whom character, integrity and principle are foundational tenets and not punchlines to make a sale and you won’t have to…”
That has been my experience with Heartland.
Sorry David, but the three year contract is definitely not in the clients favor. If Heartland wouldn’t raise its rates like most processors do, there would be no need to “lock in” rates. Cancellation fees exist to keep the client from switching. None of the processors in my top picks have them because they clearly are not necessary.
i did business with this company and eventually found that i was being ripped off with their “non” compliant BS!!
If you do business with them..i would get out..most other companies help you with this not charge you $125 a month non compliance BS !!
I called to inquire about cancellation. I wasn’t aware I was in a three year contract. The customer service woman asks me questions then tells me my fee will be 300.00… and my contract expires in 3 weeks.. I told her that I want to cancel the cancellation of the contract and wait the three weeks.. She says.. “too late I have already sent the request” WOW!!!
This place is full of clowns !!!!!! As most places do, this place will tell you anything to sign up with them even slide in the 36 month contract. Promised me services they didnt even offer then after canceling they charged me almost $300 in fees $125 for not taking their survey even with me having emails from their salesman telling me all the empty promises. SAY CLEAR !!!!!!!!!!! . Save your time and money for another company.
worst customer service in history,very rude did not want to do their job…will speak to owner of my company to discuss termination of heartland payroll systems tomorrow morning.
Do not use Heartland. They charged my businesses over $800 each for non compliant fees. When I inquired they said they had emailed me numerous times and it’s my fault I did not do the non compliant questionaire. I said I never rec’d the email. On further investigation they never gave my email to the third party who is doing the non compliance process. They said too bad we notified you on page 2 of merchant statement. That does me no good if you notify me, but when I ask how to resolve you say you emailed me. And when I say you didn’t email me they say that’s your fault if we don’t have the correct email. I said you do have correct email, you never gave my email to the third party company to contact me. They say oh well, read page 2 where we notified you. They also had someone else’s email on my other business account. When I asked them to look into this they said they got the email address for me. I said no you didn’t, I don’t even know what email that is so can you please look into the security of my account? Who are you emailing my business information too? The lady said you. I said oh my, that is not my email. How can I get this account straight? She said she can escalate it which will take 7-10 business days to return my call. When I asked for my money back they said no. There are so many options out there today, why hassle with this company?
Were you compliant? Heartland has a responsibility to the card companies to insure compliance. It ain’t Heartland making the rules. Its about liability…..
I think that ppl out needs to know that if you have any CHARGEBACK , there will be no chance for you to dispute do to careless Heartland ppl in that department , they will leave you no time to respond or reach to you making sure you received msg, today I had to deal with 2 ppl Rhonda and Kris , both no help and totally did not help at all, looks like they just hate even talking, not say doing anything to help , the fact that they did not care to reach to me and gave me chance to dispute chargeback for service received by person disputing ( $340.00), they help system which aloud ppl to leave , disputing charges after receive svc. Thankfully In this company all are not like this and Miles , from sales did all he can to help and respond to mine emails and questions even was not his department. Thank you Miles , but hope that someone in Heartland will question what for you pay Rhonda and Kris in this case ? they did not reach to customer and help ? I care for each customer opinion , hope you to .