UPDATE 3/4/2019: The website for Park Central Company (parkcentralcompany.com) is no longer active and it appears that both Crescent Processing and Park Central Company have been rebranded as Talus Payments. See our Talus Payments review for current information about this company.
Park Central Company (parkcentralcompany.com) appeared to be a sales arm of Crescent Processing Company that was started in late 2010 or early 2011. As of June 2014, Crescent Processing has also launched another DBA called Future Payment Technologies that has absorbed the other two companies. In all likelihood, Park Central was intended as a re-branding that allowed Crescent to continue marketing its services under a new, unsoiled Better Business Bureau profile and online reputation. Future Payment Technologies may fulfill that role now. All of these companies have the same address in Dallas, Texas, and both Crescent and Park Central formerly used mid-level celebrities on their homepage as a marketing tactic. Do not confuse the use of celebrities as a mark of credibility.
Since Park Central Company is essentially the same company as Future Payment Technologies, Park Central will share the same rating as Future Payment Technologies until new evidence suggests that it operates completely separately. Chad Smith is listed as the president and CEO of Future Payment Technologies. Please see the Future Payment Technologies review for more details.
Customer Reviews & Sentiment
Park Central seems to have more complaints from former resellers than Crescent does; however, the companies share many identical complaints. More information can be found in the Future Payment Technologies review.
Summary:
- Crescent has a high number of complaints.
- Numerous complaints of hidden fees, higher-than-quoted processing fees, and non-disclosure of the ETF and auto-renewal clause of the contract.
- Several merchants also reported receiving poor customer service.
Client Satisfaction Ratings
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.
Park Central Company no longer has a dedicated BBB profile, as the BBB appears to have combined Crescent, Park Central, and Future Payment Technologies in the same profile. As of this update, the company has 259 complaints filed against it in the past 36 months and is showing an “A-” rating overall. Given the complaint total vs. the company’s size, we have adjusted the company’s BBB rating to a “D.” A full breakdown of the company’s BBB report can be found in the Crescent Processing and Future Payment Technologies reviews.
Card Processing Rates & Fees
This section is covered in the Future Payment Technologies review.
Summary:
- Standard contract appears to be a four-year contract that automatically renews for one year periods and includes a $495 Early Termination Penalty (ETF).
- Agents appear to receive commissions for signing merchants up for equipment leases that can be very expensive and include long, non-cancellable lease terms.
Bottom Line
Park Central Company appears to be nothing more than a DBA of Future Payment Technologies. As a result, we have assigned it the same grades as Future Payment Technologies. The company’s score suffers from its deceptive sales tactics, costly contracts, and poor BBB performance. A full assessment is available in our Future Payment Technologies review.
Park Central Company Rating
