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Heritage Payment Solutions is a Wake Forest, North Carolina-based merchant account provider that appears to be part of the First American Payment Systems network of businesses. Its flagship product is a payment processing app for recreation centers called eTrak. The company also offers POS solutions through 1stPayPOS.
Heritage Payment Solutions processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include EMV card readers and swipers, POS solutions, mobile payments, e-commerce solutions including virtual terminals and payment gateways, gift and loyalty programs, and fundraising solutions.
Heritage Payment Solutions offers a mobile payment service that’s well-suited for businesses needing the flexibility to accept payments on the move. Whether it’s a food truck, a home service provider, or an outdoor vendor, this service ensures that businesses can process debit and credit card transactions from a mobile device, increasing accessibility and convenience.
Understanding the importance of online commerce, Heritage Payment Solutions offers a secure online payment gateway that ensures businesses can handle e-commerce transactions safely and efficiently. This service is aligned with the convenience that today’s online shoppers expect, allowing businesses to meet customer needs effectively.
Heritage Payment Solutions’ virtual terminal service is a crucial tool for businesses that operate primarily through mail or phone orders. This feature allows the business to manually input card details into a secure, web-based system, creating a viable payment solution for businesses that need to process payments remotely.
Beyond its payment processing services, Heritage Payment Solutions also offers integrated software solutions that aid in the overall management of business operations. These tools cover payment processing, inventory management, CRM, and data analysis. With these integrated services, businesses can improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness.
The company states that it was founded in 1998 and is a registered ISO/MSP of Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati, Ohio. Kevin Hudson is the president and CEO of Heritage Payment Solutions, which is headquartered at 616 Dr Calvin Jones Hwy #100, Wake Forest, North Carolina 27587.
Item | Result |
---|---|
Total Online Complaints | 10+ |
Live Customer Support | Yes |
Most Common Complaint | Termination Fees |
Recent Lawsuits | No |
We are currently able to locate more than 10 negative Heritage Payment Solutions reviews outside of the BBB, and some of these accuse the company of being a ripoff or a scam. Multiple complainants cite Heritage’s large early termination fee and PCI compliance fee as the primary problem, with unhelpful customer service as a secondary issue. Another Heritage Payment Solutions review in the comment section of this review mentions misleading sales tactics. If you have your own Heritage Payment Solutions review to make, please do so in the comments below.
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Heritage Payment Solutions. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
The company’s relatively low complaint rate is unexpected given Heritage’s affiliation with First American Payment Systems, a company known for high complaint rates and poor service. We will award the company a “B” at this time with the warning that other First American Payment Systems resellers have very poor scores in this category. The company offers 24/7 phone support for existing clients, but the complaints of poor response times through this channel prevent the company from ranking among the best merchant accounts for great customer service.
Item | Result |
---|---|
BBB Reports | 0 |
Heritage Payment Solutions had held accreditation with the Better Business Bureau since August 2010 at the time of a previous review but no longer holds this distinction. The company has received an “A+” rating with 0 complaints in the last 36 months.
Heritage has also received 0 informal reviews to its BBB profile. A previous review is a copy of a comment in the section below this review:
In February of 2017 I decided to use Heritage Payment Solutions. Went through an Account Manager named ******* ******. Great guy and previously did work with him with a manufacturing company I ran. He offered me a great rate and with me opening a new business said I could cancel at anytime. I ended picking up multiple jobs and did my business on the side so I asked him March 20th to talk about closing the account. Then we spoke over the phone about how he would appreciate me keeping the account open for a little while longer since he stuck his neck out for me to get me a good deal on my processing fee. Even though I didn’t need them, I was nice and kept them charging my account for services I did not need since I care for the people helping my business. Then on April 12th he asked me to get a list of local business owners to get to him so I could make a little extra money by getting some recommendations for possible leads. Doing this would create a good pathway to possibly be hired through the company. Then on June 7th he said that him and his senior partner would like to meet with me the following week for the open position. That was the last I heard from him. He ignored my calls, texts, and emails from that date forward. I submitted the cancellation form on November 26th by email and by mail as what **** and I talked about in June would be all I had to do. Then in late February I got a collection notice for over $600. Then I did some research and reached out to ***** **** on February 22nd to help me with the matter. He sent me another form to fill out to finalize the cancellation and then he back dated it as well. ***** did a great job but avoided my questions about my account manager and to this day I still do not know if he is still with the company. Then I spoke with a ******** through ***** ******** ******* about my debt with the company for the $776 and I told her to contact ***** about the situation I was in. Then I called her on March 28th and she informed me that I just had to pay the remaining balance of the final months fees which was $51 and some change. I asked her to email it to me with the address so I could get it handled and she said she does not send emails. So after work the following day I drove from South Carolina to Ohio to take care of the issue and find the address to mail a check to. My wife mailed out the check the week after on the week of the 9th. Today I received a call from a ****** *** with their legal intervention team requesting full payment of $495 for my termination fee. They did receive my check but apparently failed to tell me that I had a small window for them to receive the check and that is why they reinstated a termination fee. So they are giving me a week to pay this ridiculous fee when I was told up front that no termination fee would be presented when wanting to cancel.
Heritage issued the following response:
We required him to pay his last statement fee from December in the amount of $51.95. He dragged his feet on this payment until 4/19/2018. During that time, we attempted to contact him and send letters. The day we received payment is the day we loaded up his account for credit placement and for our “legal” collections branch to work it. As of this morning, we have acknowledged the payment with him. Agreed to close the account out in good standing and not report anything to his credit. ***** **** Heritage Payment Solutions XXX XXX XXXX office XXX XXX XXXX fax *******@heritageps.net
This seems like a positive resolution that nonetheless took a long time to resolve. If you are considering canceling your service with Heritage, we recommend understanding the necessary steps to prepare to cancel service without paying a fee.
As with the other categories of this review, the company’s low complaint total in this section is surprising when one considers the BBB profiles of its fellow First American companies. That said, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time.
Item | Result | >
---|---|
Cancellation Penalties | Yes |
Monthly & Annual Fees | Yes |
Processing Rates | 1.00%-4.99% |
Equipment Leasing | Yes |
According to multiple client complaints, the standard Heritage Payment Solutions rates and contract involve a 3-year agreement through First American Payment Systems with automatic renewal, an early termination fee of $495, and monthly minimum fees of $20 or more. First American Payment Systems has also been known to charge a PCI Compliance fee of over $120 and generally offers industry-standard tiered pricing.
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Heritage Payment Solutions also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. However, pricing is not disclosed on either of those services. Additional rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates typically apply to these e-commerce services.
These contract terms may be subject to alteration at the discretion of Heritage Payment Solutions sales agents, so business owners are encouraged to strongly negotiate terms that will work for them. As reported, they are far more expensive than the leading budget-friendly merchant accounts. If you have any specific knowledge of the standard Heritage Payment Solutions contract, please share that information in the comment section of this review.
We also encourage businesses to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.
Item | Result |
---|---|
Uses Independent Resellers | Yes |
Telemarketing | Yes |
Misleading Marketing | No |
Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Heritage Payment Solutions appears to utilize both in-house telemarketing and outside sales representatives to market its services. It is unclear at this time whether these outside sales representatives are fully employed or independently contracted, but either way, the company is currently showing only a few complaints that accuse its sales agents of nondisclosure or misrepresentation of fees. This is surprising given the high number of complaints filed against other First American Payment Systems companies, but it appears that Heritage Payment Solutions provides more training and oversight for its agents than might be expected.
This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
Heritage does not appear to engage in deceptive advertising strategies in its official materials. However, if you believe that the company is overcharging you, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit to eliminate hidden fees.
Surprisingly, Heritage Payment Solutions rates as a solid credit card processing provider according to all available information. The company’s association with First American Payment Systems does not appear to have resulted in a high complaint rate or a poor BBB rating, but its contract terms do appear to be consistent with First American’s worse-than-average rates and fees. Although the company has a solid rating at this time, business owners are cautioned to read all contract terms and compare them to top-rated merchant accounts.
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Cody Koenig
In February of 2017 I decided to use Heritage Payment Solutions. Went through an Account Manager named Michael Amador. Great guy and previously did work with him with a manufacturing company I ran. He offered me a great rate and with me opening a new business said I could cancel at anytime. I ended picking up multiple jobs and did my business on the side so I asked him March 20th to talk about closing the account. Then we spoke over the phone about how he would appreciate me keeping the account open for a little while longer since he stuck his neck out for me to get me a good deal on my processing fee. Even though I didn’t need them, I was nice and kept them charging my account for services I did not need since I care for the people helping my business. Then on April 12th he asked me to get a list of local business owners to get to him so I could make a little extra money by getting some recommendations for possible leads. Doing this would create a good pathway to possibly be hired through the company. Then on June 7th he said that him and his senior partner would like to meet with me the following week for the open position. That was the last I heard from him. He ignored my calls, texts, and emails from that date forward. I submitted the cancellation form on November 26th by email and by mail as what Mike and I talked about in June would be all I had to do. Then in late February I got a collection notice for over $600. Then I did some research and reached out to Terry Reed on February 22nd to help me with the matter. He sent me another form to fill out to finalize the cancellation and then he back dated it as well. Terry did a great job but avoided my questions about my account manager and to this day I still do not know if he is still with the company. Then I spoke with a Jennifer through First American Systems about my debt with the company for the $776 and I told her to contact Terry about the situation I was in. Then I called her on March 28th and she informed me that I just had to pay the remaining balance of the final months fees which was $51 and some change. I asked her to email it to me with the address so I could get it handled and she said she does not send emails. So after work the following day I drove from South Carolina to Ohio to take care of the issue and find the address to mail a check to. My wife mailed out the check the week after on the week of the 9th. Today I received a call from a Mealia Hoy with their legal intervention team requesting full payment of $495 for my termination fee. They did receive my check but apparently failed to tell me that I had a small window for them to receive the check and that is why they reinstated a termination fee. So they are giving me a week to pay this ridiculous fee when I was told up front that no termination fee would be presented when wanting to cancel.
Kevin Woolbert
very misleading sales tactics, promising low rates, slashing and lowering rates on top sheet of contract, instantly raising all of the fees without notice, non-disclosure of, over the top, so called “early termination fees” and “auto-renewal contracts” with more “early termination fees, do not provide monthly statements, tried to cancel and they tried to hit my bank account for $800.00 with no bill or statement to back it up, sending collection notices for said amount after blocking the withdrawal, still with no statement or itemization of said fees, will not return calls, transfer you to eternal hold when you do call, BEWARE…BEWARE…BEWARE, I was using a paypal processing system and they promised me big saving but got me for thousands more than originally agreed in useless (to the consumer) “contract”. BEWARE…BEWARE…BEWARE
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Are you with Heritage Payment Solutions? Learn how to resolve this complaint.
Linda Bennett
I have had many different merchant services companies constantly calling to get our business to switch to theirs. I have always been hesitant not knowing who to trust and with many of them being very persistent and pushy. Nax Joye with Heritage Payment Solutions was highly recommended by a friend so I finally gave in and set the appointment. I could not have been happier with the outcome. Nax was very professional, friendly, and more than helpful to get all our new machines set up in a timely manner and most important he did save us $700.00 a month in merchant services fees. I highly recommend Nax to come to your business to start you on your way to joining a great company that will save you money and keep you happy with their services.
Phillip CPO
Hi Linda,
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