PPS USA Reviews: Fees, Comparisons, Complaints & Lawsuits
(310) 234-2411 An Elavon Reseller
PPS USA, formerly known as Prestige Payment Systems, LLC, is a merchant account provider serving a wide range of business types. Founded in 2006, PPS USA is a reseller of Elavon’s merchant services.
PPS USA Payment Processing
PPS USA processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include POS solutions through Poynt and Talech, EMV readers and card swipers, mobile solutions, e-commerce solutions including payment gateways and virtual terminals, gift and loyalty programs, ACH and e-check acceptance, cash advances and funding, PCI compliance, and fraud and chargeback protection.
Separate From Prestige Payment Systems
PPS USA changed its original name in order to differentiate itself from a different Prestige Payment Systems located in Portland, Oregon. The two companies are not related, as Prestige Payment Systems of Portland is a subsidiary of National Payment Systems. Prestige Payment Systems of Portland has a very negative reputation among merchants and has received numerous complaints related to its sales practices and contract terms. Merchants are cautioned to read complaints filed against “Prestige Payment Systems” carefully in order to determine which company is the subject of the complaint. We will refer to PPS USA by its new name throughout this review in order to clarify which provider we are discussing.
PPS USA Location & Ownership
PPS is an Elavon Payments Partner & Registered ISO/MSP of Elavon, Inc. Georgia. PPS USA is located at the address 1080 South La Cienega Blvd Suite 301-305, Los Angeles, California 90035. Izak Zabek is listed as the president and CEO of PPS USA, which is a registered ISO/MSP of Elavon.
PPS USA Review Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: PPS USA appears to offer variable contract terms with no early termination fee.
- Complaints & Service: PPS USA complaints number fewer than 10 on public complaints forums.
- BBB Rating: PPS USA has an “A+” rating and has received 0 complaints in the past 3 years. The company has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2010.
- Sales & Marketing: PPS USA appears to hire independent sales representatives and has received only one complaint about its sales practices.
PPS USA offers standard payment processing services
PPS USA Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | <10 |
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | N/A |
Some Misdirected Complaints
We are currently able to locate a handful of PPS USA complaints, but it is unclear how many of these are directed at the company in this review. Most of the negative PPS USA reviews accusing the company of being a scam or a ripoff appear to be intended for the Vancouver-based Prestige Payment Systems, which is not affiliated with the company under review in this article. One or two complainants may be referring to PPS USA, which is headquartered in Los Angeles, but the complaints are not specific enough for us to make a determination either way. Even if we assume the worst about these questionable complaints, PPS USA has a low complaint rate for its time in business. Common issues include difficulty canceling service or resolving billing disputes, but again, these problems may not actually be related to Prestige Payment Systems of Los Angeles. If you have your own PPS USA review to make, please do so in the comments below.
PPS USA Lawsuits
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against PPS USA. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
PPS USA Customer Service Options
The company’s website lists phone and email contact information, indicating that live support may be available for the company’s clients.
We have located multiple PPS USA customer service numbers:
(866) 466-7947 – Toll-Free General Customer Service
(310) 234-2411 – Los Angeles Office
(808) 791-1513 – Hawaii Office
(310) 234-2711 – LA Fax
(808) 748-0883 – Hawaii Fax
PPS USA also offers a dedicated email support address at [email protected] as well as a customer support form on its website.
The company’s complaint record earns it an “A” at this time, but we do not consider PPS USA to be a top merchant account provider for customer service.
PPS USA Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Complaints | 0 |
| Resolved Complaints | 0 |
No BBB Complaints
PPS USA has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2010 and is currently showing an “A+” rating. 0 complaints have been filed in the past three years, and PPS USA has also not received any informal reviews on its BBB profile.
An “A” Performance
Given the company’s clean complaint record, we agree with the BBB’s rating at this time. Merchants should note, however, that there are good reasons to be skeptical of the BBB’s rating system.
PPS USA Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Item | Result | >
|---|---|
| Swiped Rate | 2.65% + $0.19 |
| Keyed-in Rate | 3.50% + $0.19 |
| Virtual Terminal Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
| Payment Gateway Fee | Undisclosed |
| Early Termination Fee | None |
| PCI Compliance Fee | Up To $59 Per Month |
| Equipment Lease Terms | 48 Month (locked) |
PPS USA Contract Terms
PPS USA resells Elavon contracts, and a company representative has stated in the comment section of this PPS USA review that the company’s standard agreement may be canceled at any time. Whether PPS USA charges an early termination fee, PCI Compliance fee, or monthly minimum fee is unknown at this time, but there are currently no complaints to be found online about its contract terms.
While no PPS USA complaints exist regarding PPS USA contract terms, Elavon has received hundreds of complaints regarding its own. It should be noted that the amount of complaints is influenced by the size of the company and its scope of operations. Merchants considering PPS should be aware that Elavon offers a swipe rate of 2.65% + $0.19 or a keyed-in rate of 3.50% + $0.19 per transaction.
Elavon also continues to own and operate the equipment lease provider Ladco Leasing, which has a very poor reputation among merchants. The standard Ladco Leasing agreement is an expensive, non-cancellable 48-month equipment lease that often costs up to ten times the actual price of the equipment. Elavon seems to go to great lengths to conceal the relationship between Ladco and Elavon, probably due to the fact that there are very few positive reviews of Ladco to be found online.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, PPS USA 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 PPS USA rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates typically apply to these e-commerce services.
Potential For Competitive Pricing
Elavon offers a wide range of contract terms and has recently done away with its early termination fee in some cases, so it’s possible that PPS USA offers fairly competitive rates and fees for the industry that may be comparable to the cheapest merchant accounts. If you have any specific knowledge of the standard PPS USA contract, please leave that information in the comment section of this review.
PPS USA offers e-commerce solutions including access to Elavon’s Converge payment gateway
PPS USA Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Employs Independent Resellers | Yes |
| Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | Yes |
Team of Resellers
PPS USA appears to rely on traditional advertising and a team of independent sales agents to market its services. The use of independently contracted resellers commonly results in complaints from merchants, but we are unable to locate any PPS USA reviews to that effect.
Potentially Aggressive Sales Calls
There is only one PPS USA complaint about the company’s marketing strategy, and this complaint describes persistent, unwanted telephone calls from a California area code. PPS USA’s representatives have denied repeatedly that the company uses a call center for outbound telemarketing, so it is possible that the complainant is mistaken about the identity of the company calling him.
No Deceptive Advertising
One positive sign about PPS USA is that it does not utilize any deceptive advertising strategies on its website. That said, we always recommend that merchants consider a third-party statement audit to find and eliminate any hidden fees. We will award PPS USA an “A” rating in this category for the time being.
Our PPS USA Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
A Solid Credit Card Processor
PPS USA rates as a reliable merchant services provider according to all available information. The company appears to attract complaints intended for another processor using the same name, but there are no indications that the Prestige Payment Systems headquartered in Los Angeles engages in expensive contract terms, poor customer service, or deceptive sales tactics. Merchants who are contacted by “Prestige Payment Systems” are advised to double-check which provider they are speaking with and to compare the terms of any contract they are given to those of top-rated providers.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
About The Author
Your Comments & Reviews
How Did PPS USA Treat You?17 Responses
Leave a reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Copyright
Copyright © 2023 CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. (Digital Fingerprint: 0d38c6720f0d78a701b74d58653af608). Getting paid to re-write this page? Click here to earn a reward.
Any unauthorized copying and reproduction of the content of this page, including all meta data and computer code, is strictly prohibited. While the information in the above article is believed to be accurate as of its publish date, the author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided “as is,” and without warranties. Any and all use of trade names and/or marks are for identification purposes only and shall not be construed as a claim of affiliation, or otherwise, with CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. ("CPO") in any form. The sole purpose of the material presented herein is to alert, educate, and inform readers. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. We may earn revenue if you obtain services from a provider that we recommend. See this page to learn how we support our operations.
Frank Clougherty
Thank you for clarifying that this company has been calling me for a couple of years and they will not take no for an answer. What happens next when I say no they keep calling me back over and over and hanging up on me. This company with the same name is out of California with a 916 area code this company with the same name is out of california with a 916 area code. Time to call BBB
Tina Johnson
Was able to get contract with prestige and terminal lease cancelled without owing money to these companies. Took about 2 weeks to accomplish this but glad it is now over.
Doron Stephen
As I have mentioned over and over this is not us. We do not do leases and never have. We do not sell through call center and never have. We do not rip people off and never have. This all pertains to Prestige Payment Systems in Vancouver, Washington.
Tina Johnson
I’m sorry Mr Stephen, I was the person that left the message about the “other” Prestige Payment Systems taking me to this site and showing me your companies review and claiming it as their own. I realize you are not the same company and just wanted to let people know that I was able to get them to cancel everything after filing a report . I should have added more info to my post or left it on that other companies review. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Doron Stephen
Thanks for documenting this. It is time I took legal action against them so they will stop using me to show they are legit.
Sandy Montgomery
This is nothing but a big rip off. I am paying 3 times more with this company then I ever have. They lied from the first word that came out of their mouths. They said I would be paying a flat rate of 57. a month and gave me $300. credit for changing to them. They charged first time $102. lease which was suppose to be flat $57. The today they charged me another $250.. Do not go with this company. It is any Prestige card company I do not care where they are from. Run away as fast as you can. I am not taking credit card as of today until I can get this mess straighten out and It sure will not be with this company. I will be reporting them to the BBB.
Keith Grindall
A customer gave me a copy of an agreement that was emailed to them from Prestige Payment Systems. They were told they would be charged 1% for all credit cards and nothing for debit cards. The agreement also shows 1% for check cards and a downgrade surcharge of 2.99%. It also calls for a monthly lease of a Fd-100 or Fd-35 terminal at $67/month for 48 months! Please do not ever sign a lease agreement with anyone for a credit card terminal. You can buy one outright for about $300 or so. So glad I got the opportunity to read this agreement first before it cost a merchant $3200 for a$300 terminal.
Doron Stephen
Hi Keith,
Once again this referring to Prestige in Vancouver, Washington. We changed our name and websites to PPS because this keeps happening. We do not do these types of things as our reviews show. We do not cold call, we do not do leases and we do not hide pricing and lie to customers.
Mark Luedde
A company is doing business as Prestige Payment Systems with a Califrnia address on their website: https://www.affordablepaymentsolution.com/. They are promising the exact same things (1% discount rate, etc.) as these complaints you keep saying belong to a company in Vancouver.
Doron Stephen
Yes you are correct but they are not us. They are National Payment Systems LLC doing business as Prestige Payment Systems and are registered with Wells Fargo.
We are registered with Elavon/US Bank.
Totally different company. They use our name because they know we are A+ accredited with the Better Business Bureau and want to ride our coattails.
.
Tina
My 76 year old father was just scammed by this other prestige co. They actually took me to this website and showed me how wonderful their ratings were and how bad the other company, that we had just signed up with was. They talked him into switching to them. Needless to say, he is now locked into a 3 year lease with them and a 4 year, 77.00 a month equipment lease . neither of these leases were disclosed on line line at the time I signed on with them ( they knew that I was not the business owner). She walked me through the online form and rates and in no way, shape, or form was there ever a equipment lease or contract with them that I signed. It showed up after all was said and done. At 76 years of age my father was not about to enter into a contract like that.
Lynada
I can’t seem to get anyone to call me back. I called for some clarification on charges over a month ago, when no one called me back, I called to try to cancel. Still, I can’t get anyone to cancel my account, or call me back. When I called the sales guy back directly, he refuses to tell me how to cancel, just says someone will call me back, which never happens. So they are still taking money out of my account for something that I won’t use, and can’t get them to stop.
Doron Stephen
Hi Lynada,
I suspect you are referring to Prestige in Vancouver, Washington because we have never got a call from you. If you want to call me now I will see if you are one of our accounts and I will close immediately.
My number is 310-234-2411 ext 100
Brian
I Recently Transfered My Elavon Account to prestige Payment processing . First Week into There System My Money has been Deposited into Some one Elses Account , They Tell Me to Go to my Bank and get A noted letter Stating this is My Account Number & I Am The Business Owner and fax it to them with my account numbers on the note I am Losing my patience they have told me it can take up to three to five business days before i see my funds or an Answer , I am Already Planning to Cancel there Contract/..
Nicholas Fitton
I was with this company for three years and did not have problems. The service was great and the rates were reasonable. When it came time to renew, I was forced to sign another three year commitment which I did not want to do, but because of their previous performance went ahead and signed. I was told that my last rate schedule was no longer available, but the new one would be cheaper than I was paying, and everything looked good on the contract. I was told I would be getting new equipment for $126.00. I was walked through the signing of the contracts buy the account manager. After I had submitted them, within one hour, I had some questions. I tried to contact them, but the would not return my calls and would not pick up the phone. It was two weeks before I could get in touch with them. By that time it was too late. Even though on the contract my rates were lower than previous, I am paying almost 50% more than I was before. They also signed me up for equipment lease with a 4 year agreement. It turns out I am paying $135 a month for equipment that I could buy for $250. In the end, I will be paying over $7000 for $250 worth or equipment. The company refuses to return emails or take phone calls. I am filing complaints with the Better Business Bureau and other agencies.
Doron Stephen
I am sure you are referring to a company in Vancouver, Washington also called Prestige Payment Systems, not us. We do not have contracts. All our applications are cancellable anytime and we do not renew over phone. They do. We do not lease $250 units for $7000 ever. We use Elavon and Ladco to lease who cap rates. What processor where you with?
Please be fair and let everyone know you signed up with them and not us?
Tina
We had the same problem with this company. The Operations Manager actually hung up on me three times! This is very confusing because the Prestige Payment Solutions I had trouble with is in Vancouver, WA.