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Is Pearl Payments a Risky Choice for Your Business?

Name: Pearl Payments
Item: Pearl Payments
Rating: 3
Author: Phillip Parker

Author: Phillip Parker

Updated: September 30, 2025

Maintained Since: August 5, 2019

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We take our role in providing guidance and education regarding the card payment industry very seriously. At our own expense, we have vigorously defended our right to continue expose unethical and predatory practices in the industry, successfully defeating every attempt to silence us. However, fending off frivolous lawsuits is costly. To sustain these efforts, one of the ways we generate revenue is through affiliate partnerships with ethical providers. This means that some of our outgoing links connect business owners to trustworthy, low-cost payment processors, which is what most of our readers seek. We see this revenue channel as a win-win-win for everyone involved. Business owners find good processors, processors get good clients, and we are able to continue to provide a valuable service to the small business community. We also recommend and link to many services that do not compensate us. Our priority is to guide you to the best solutions for your needs, regardless of potential revenue. If you have questions, please feel free to contact us.

All mentions of rate and fee costs are estimations based on publicly available information and client feedback. Actual costs may vary based on a variety of factors unique to your business.

Pearl Payments

Rating

3/5

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Pros

Transparent Rates

Efficient Setup

No Equipment Needed

Cons

Limited Services

Additional Fees

Customer Support

Contract Terms

Market Presence

Overview

In this review of Pearl Payments, we examine this payment management software for handling both one-time and recurring payments, with a focus on automation that aims to simplify credit card and ACH transactions and reduce the time spent on collections. We also highlight potential drawbacks including common customer complaints, contract stipulations, and customer support issues. To give perspective, we compare Pearl Payments to other processors by reviewing rates, fees, and service models. For businesses considering Pearl, this review offers a balanced look at both benefits and risks. Finally, we explore Pearl’s background, including its developer Swing Set Labs, to present a fuller picture of the company behind the platform.

About Pearl Payments

Screen Capture of Pearl Payments Homepage — Pearl Payments Homepage

Pearl Payments is a payment management software that has been developed to enable a merchant account to automate its recurring payments made by credit card or ACH deposits. Additionally, the company also allows clients to charge one-time payments. The interface allows users to minimize the amount of time they spend on collections. In addition to automation, Pearl Payments also helps merchants keep their customer’s information up to date and notifies them of missed payments and past-due balances. Pearl Payments was developed by Swing Set Labs, which may be out of business.

Products & Merchant Services

Payment Processing

Pearl Payments provides a payment management platform that facilitates the collection and management of payments for businesses. This service supports both one-time and recurring payment options.

Automation Features

The platform includes features that allow businesses to automate recurring payments through credit card or ACH deposits.

Customer Reviews & Sentiment

Clarifying Complaints Against Pearl Payments

Our research reveals few negative reviews specifically targeting Pearl Payments, with a handful noted in the comments section below. It’s important to distinguish that this company shares its name with another entity known as Pearl Payments, leading to some confusion and misdirected critiques. The Pearl Payments discussed in this profile proactively addresses instances of mistaken identity, clarifying any misunderstandings. We encourage you to share your experiences with Pearl Payments in the comments to help distinguish between the two entities.

Customer Support Insights for Pearl Payments

Pearl Payments provides limited contact options for customer support via its website, offering a general email address at hello@pearlpayments.com for inquiries. This approach does not meet the industry standards set by leading payment processors known for exemplary customer service. Despite a commendable record in handling complaints and maintaining a clean legal slate, the scarcity of direct customer support channels contributes to a “B” rating in this area.

This update aims to offer a nuanced perspective on Pearl Payments, highlighting user feedback, legal standings, and the state of customer support while incorporating SEO-optimized terms related to “reviews,” “complaints,” and “customer service.” These enhancements are designed to improve the article’s visibility and usefulness for individuals researching Pearl Payments.

Industry Scores & User Ratings

Online Ratings Summary
PaymentPop	1
BBB Rating	N/A

PaymentPop Rating for Pearl Payments

Negative Feedback

BUYER BEWARE! DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! From not paying our early termination fees as they promised they would, to charging us WAY MORE monthly than we had been paying in processing fees, to not being able to get in touch with anyone, to having to pay early termination fees again to get out of the lease with Ascentium when we finally left Pearl(after paying early termination fees when we left our previous processor that we never received reimbursement for), to being bounced from one employee to another…this company is a nightmare! We ended up being out right around $7,000 in fees and overcharges that they miraculously never could do anything about, although they were “looking into it” the entire time. When we first signed up with them they couldn’t get us a machine that would work. This was right at the beginning of the pandemic. We were charged for 6 months(including non-use fees as we weren’t processing any payments through them). Those 6 months of fees were never reimbursed although it was their fault we couldn’t process during this time! What this company does should be criminal! I should have read reviews on them before we switched. They sent a salesman to our company, we did not seek them out. They were a nightmare from the beginning.

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about Pearl Payments on the PaymentPop website.

Pearl Payments BBB Rating

Pearl Payments is not accredited with the Better Business Bureau and currently has an “A+” rating with the BBB. The company has received 2 complaints in the last 3 years.

An “A” Performance

Considering the low number of complaints and good resolution rate, we agree with the BBB’s score at this time.

Processing Rates & Fees

Variable Rates for Different Payment Methods

Pearl Payments displays a flat fee structure of 2.90% plus $0.30 for card transactions, accompanied by a 0.8% transaction fee for ACH payments. However, additional contract terms such as monthly fees, setup fees, contract duration, PCI compliance fee, or an early termination fee are not listed on the company’s website.

No Need for Extra Equipment

Pearl Payments advertises its services through a virtual terminal. While the company highlights its focus on recurring payments, it also mentions its capability to process one-time payments. Utilizing a virtual terminal for one-time payments eradicates the necessity for businesses to engage in long-term equipment leases since this interface operates on a business’ computer or through a compatible mobile app.

Overall Rating of “A”

Based on the available information, Pearl Payments receives an “A” rating in this segment. This assessment stems from the transparent disclosure of Pearl Payments rates for credit card and ACH payments. Nevertheless, businesses contemplating the service should seek clarity regarding any potential additional fees.

Details on the Pearl Payments payment gateway

Lawsuits & Legal History

No significant class-action lawsuits or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints have been discovered against Pearl Payments. Clients seeking resolutions without litigation might find value in contacting appropriate oversight organizations.

Employee Reviews & Sales Practices

No Independent Sales Agents

Pearl Payments does not hire independent sales agents or operate an affiliate program. There are no Pearl Payments reviews or online reviews that make mention of any issues with the company’s inside sales practices either. This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.

Clear Rates

The Pearl Payments website clearly lists the fees that it charges for both credit card and ACH payments made to businesses. However, the company’s website does not list whether or not clients utilizing the service must enter into any contract or if there are any additional monthly Pearl Payments fees, set-up fees, or early termination fees.

A “B” Overall

Given the company’s clear rate disclosure along with insight into other features its service offers, Pearl Payments receives a “B” in this category. The lack of information about any additional contract terms and fees is the sole reason its grade is not higher.

pearl payments rates — The rates as advertised on the Pearl Payments website

Pearl Payments Competitors

Compare Pearl Payments to competitors that earned top marks.

Pricing

Bottom Line

Pearl Payments, a relatively small player in the credit card processing industry, specializes in providing merchant accounts and credit card processing services. Recently, there has been a noticeable uptick in customer complaints, primarily focusing on customer service that is hard to reach and unexpected fees that have begun to emerge predominantly over the last year.

Aside from these concerns, Pearl Payments specifically targets its services towards businesses that require recurring billing capabilities, such as those offering subscriptions, memberships, or regular monthly billing, in addition to providing traditional point-of-sale (POS) options. This focus indicates a specialization that could benefit certain business models, particularly those in need of structured recurring payment solutions. However, given the recent concerns raised by customers, business owners are strongly encouraged to meticulously review their service agreement with Pearl Payments before establishing a merchant account.

Read Actual User Reviews

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All user reviews have been moved to our partner, PaymentPop.com

Contact Pearl Payments

Contact & Customer Support
CEO and Founder	Jeff Lin
Headquarters	5720 LBJ FWY Suite 610 Dallas, TX 75240
Website	pearlpayments.com

About Us

CardPaymentOptions.com

Established 2009

My name is Phillip Parker, and I started this website back in 2009 as a simple blog to call out shady credit card processors that were taking advantage of small business owners. At the time, I had no idea this side project would grow into a leading voice pushing for transparency and integrity in the payment processing industry. I also didn't anticipate just how far some of these companies' owners would go to try to silence me.

I was recruited out of college for a sales role with a credit card processor. At the time, I didn't realize the “training” was really about tricking me... into selling business owners expensive processing with hidden fees and long-term service agreements. In my first few sales, I unknowingly cost friends and family thousands of dollars after they trusted me to switch their services. When it finally clicked that something was seriously wrong, I was furious. I quit immediately and made a promise to expose that company and any others operating the same way. That promise is what led to the creation of this website.

As I wrote about these processors, their tactics, and the people behind them, the articles started to spread among business owners. News organizations picked up the stories, readers shared them online, and traffic to the blog took off. Unsurprisingly, that also caught the attention of the companies and individuals I was exposing.

Over the last 17 years, I've received several anonymous death threats and defeated four lawsuits meant to intimidate me into taking my blog down. Their efforts to muzzle me only made my determination to expose them even stronger, leading me to work with state authorities to help shutdown some of the worst offenders.

I'm proud to say that of the millions of people who have read my work, thousands have taken the time to write and thank me for helping them narrowly avoid a very costly mistake. This blog has played a small role in pushing the industry toward more ethical practices - but there are still bad actors out there, which means the work isn't done.

If I can offer one piece of advice, it's this: get every promise in writing, and take the time to review contracts carefully. Tools like ChatGPT can help surface red flags and uncover expensive surprises buried in the fine print.

If you've made it this far, thank you for reading. I truly appreciate you being here, and I wish you every success with your business.

Our Research Methodology

Pricing & Fees

We analyze all costs including rate structures (interchange-plus, tiered, flat-rate, etc), monthly fees, equipment costs, early termination fees, and hidden charges. This data is gathered from service agreements, statements and client feedback.

Features & Technology

Evaluation of POS systems, e-commerce integrations, mobile capabilities, reporting tools, recurring billing..., and developer resources. When possible, we directly test services and hardware. Otherwise, we rely on client feedback and public information.

Customer Support

We evaluate availability across phone, email, chat, and social channels. Measuring hold times, night and weekend availability, and client feedback regarding effectiveness, professionalism, and resolution rates.

Contract Terms & Conditions

We review service agreements and equipment contracts for reasonability, transparency, and fairness. We focus on uncovering any predatory clauses, such as unjustified early termination fees, hidden costs, and unclear cancellation policies.

User Experience

We comb the internet and interview current and former clients to evaluate the overall user experience and identify any common pain points that may impact the user experience.

Sales & Marketing Practices

We evaluate sales tactics, marketing materials, and client feedback to determine the level of transparency and ethical nature of the provider's approach. Does the provider publicly disclose pricing? Do they use teaser rates? We score based on these and other factors.

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