PrimePay Global Review

Not to be confused with PrimePay, PrimePay Global is a former business name of ElitePay Global, a merchant account provider currently based in Henderson, Nevada. Both PrimePay Global and ElitePay Global appear to be either subsidiaries or alternate business names of International Payment Services, LLC, which is registered in Las Vegas, Nevada. We have decided to add a PrimePay Global review because it is unclear whether the company has completely ceased to operate under the PrimePay Global name.

According to a former employee of ElitePay Global who commented on our ElitePay Global review, ElitePay Global (formerly PrimePay Global) is owned by three brothers who also employ a fourth brother at the company. The commenter names Andy Bentley as the president of sales at ElitePay Global, while public records show Brian Bentley as the principal of International Payment Services (and, by extension, ElitePay Global). Public records also confirm that an Andrew and Brian Bentley have jointly registered another business in Nevada, which supports the commenter’s claims.

This webpage lists Brian and Andrew Bentley as the children of Utah residents and names their other brothers as Adam Bentley and Matt Bentley. If the commenter on our ElitePay Global review is to be believed, then both Adam Bentley and Matt Bentley are either employees or co-owners of ElitePay Global.

Official Idaho court documents and multiple news sources name an Adam Bentley as a defendant in a 2009 civil action filed by the state of Idaho regarding a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme conducted in 2007. These sources state that Adam Bentley was found by the state of Idaho to have violated the registration and anti-fraud provisions of Idaho’s Uniform Securities Act by selling insurance investments without a license. Bentley and his co-defendants were also shown to have made fraudulent presentations to their investors in order to obtain funding. Following its investigation, the state of Idaho ordered Bentley to pay a civil penalty of $200,000 and restitution to his investors totaling $5,373,464. He was also permanently enjoined from selling securities in the state of Idaho.

It is not our standard policy to investigate the criminal histories of a company’s owners or employees, but we believe it is relevant information in this case. To summarize our findings, a former employee of the ElitePay Global/PrimePay Global has stated that Adam Bentley may be an owner or employee of ElitePay Global/PrimePay Global. A person named Adam Bentley, who matches the expected age and residential history of the Adam Bentley known to be the brother of Brian and Andrew Bentley, was found to have participated in a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme in the state of Idaho in 2007. Therefore, it appears possible that a person with a publicly documented history of fraud is an owner or employee of PrimePay Global/ElitePay Global.

PrimePay Global (formerly ElitePay Global, operated by International Payment Services, LLC) markets a range of payment processing solutions for businesses. According to its website, the company offers secure payment processing with free POS systems, countertop terminals, integrated point-of-sale systems, and mobile and portable payment devices. The company also advertises next-day funding, acceptance of all major credit cards and debit cards including EBT, and free equipment and supplies for qualifying merchants. PrimePay Global resells payment processing services through First Data (now Fiserv). The company targets small to mid-sized businesses across various industries.

We have located approximately a dozen negative PrimePay Global reviews and far more negative ElitePay Global reviews. Many of these complaints accuse the company of being a ripoff or scam. A large portion of PrimePay Global’s complaints stem from its telemarketing practices, but there are also complaints that cite unexpected fees, misleading rate quotes, expensive equipment leases, and poor customer service. Since PrimePay Global appears to be a former business name of the company rather than a current one, it is unlikely that complaints will continue to appear that refer to PrimePay Global directly. However, a complaint was filed within the last month that names PrimePay Global in the subject line, so it may take some time for the company to phase the PrimePay Global brand out completely.

The Better Business Bureau does not maintain a profile for PrimePay Global or for ElitePay Global at this point, instead combining both companies into its profile for International Payment Services, LLC. International Payment Services currently has no rating with the BBB
due to the fact that its profile is under review. The last rating shown for ElitePay Global was a “B+,” which we adjusted to a “B-” using our rating criteria. We will therefore preserve this rating until the BBB updates its profile.

As far as we are able to determine, PrimePay Global has identical contract terms to those of ElitePay Global. According to the company’s program guide and merchant reports, those terms include a three-year agreement with automatic renewal and a tiered pricing structure through First Data. PrimePay Global merchants are also subject to variable early termination fees, PCI compliance fees, PCI non-compliance fees, and monthly fees. Multiple complainants have reported that the company signs merchants up for 48-month, non-cancellable equipment leases through Northern Leasing Systems, which is an “F”-rated provider on CardPaymentOptions.com.

Most complaints about PrimePay Global mention unexpected rate increases or long-term equipment leases. As noted above, it is unclear whether ElitePay Global has completely retired the PrimePay Global brand; therefore, merchants should be sure to understand all pricing and fees regardless of the company name on the sales materials.

International Payment Services, LLC (the parent company of PrimePay Global and ElitePay Global) has been named as a defendant in at least one lawsuit. Brian Bentley, Andrew Bentley, and Adam Bentley were also named individually as defendants. Additionally, International Payment Services was sued by PrimePay (an unrelated payroll company) for trademark infringement in 2012 and lost the case, which resulted in the company rebranding from PrimePay Global to ElitePay Global.

Of particular concern, a person named Adam Bentley, who matches the expected age and residential history of the Adam Bentley associated with ElitePay Global, was found to have participated in a multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme in Idaho in 2007. The state of Idaho ordered that individual to pay a civil penalty of $200,000 and restitution to investors totaling $5,373,464. It appears possible that a person with a publicly documented history of securities fraud is an owner or employee of this company.

Since PrimePay Global is a former business name of ElitePay Global, we will assume that it operates (or previously operated) in an identical fashion to ElitePay Global. ElitePay Global is known to hire independently contracted sales agents to sell its services, a practice that is commonly linked to elevated complaint rates. In this case, we have found numerous complaints alleging deception and misrepresentation by ElitePay Global agents, and some of these complaints mention PrimePay Global as well. PrimePay Global has also been discussed in multiple forums dedicated to identifying aggressive or deceptive telemarketers. Both former employees and merchants describe inconsistency and nondisclosure when dealing with PrimePay Global.

PrimePay Global, also known as ElitePay Global and operated by International Payment Services, LLC, is a Nevada-based merchant account provider with a troubling track record. The company has accumulated over 200 negative reviews from merchants who report deceptive sales practices, expensive equipment leases, undisclosed contract terms, and poor customer service. The involvement of an individual with a documented history of securities fraud in the company’s leadership raises further concerns. Merchants considering PrimePay Global should exercise extreme caution and thoroughly review all contract terms before signing any agreements. We recommend comparing this provider against top-rated processors before making a decision.