Smart Card Merchant Services Review

Widespread Negative Reports

We are currently able to locate nearly 40 negative Smart Card Merchant Services reviews, some of which accuse the company of being a ripoff or a scam. Common complaints include improperly advertised equipment leases, undisclosed fees, misrepresented rates, unreachable customer service, and a poor work environment for the company’s employees. This complaint total is fairly high for a young company, and it doesn’t even include a much larger number of EMV Payment Systems and Eschelon Merchant Services complaints that could potentially be connected to Smart Card staff members.

Slamming Allegations

Both Eschelon Merchant Services and EMV Payment Systems are the subjects of multiple merchant complaints describing very similar “slamming” tactics, particularly with regard to equipment leased through First Data Global Leasing and Northern Leasing Systems. We have received Smart Card Merchant Services complaints that describe this same issue, indicating that Smart Card shares the business approach used by those companies.

Serious Red Flags

Moreover, many of these complaints describe severe issues such as exorbitantly expensive lease costs, outright deception by sales agents, and totally indifferent replies from sales agents and company representatives. Smart Card therefore rates poorly both in the quantity and content of its available complaints.

Smart Card Merchant Services Lawsuits

We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Smart Card Merchant Services. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.

Smart Card Merchant Services Customer Service Options

The company advertises that its customer service center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST Monday through Friday, but 24/7/365 technical support is available for all merchants. However, the company’s options and performance do not earn it a place among the top-rated payment processors for great customer service at this time.

Poor Company Responsiveness

Smart Card Merchant Services currently has an “F” rating with the Better Business Bureau and is not BBB-accredited. The company has received 3 complaints on their BBB profile. All 3 of the complaints related to product or service problems. All 3 were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response.

What Merchants Say

In addition to the 3 complaints filed with the BBB, Smart Card Merchant Services’ profile has also received 1 informal review, which is negative. The complainant mentions excessive fees when leasing equipment:

This is a cheating company. If I read the review of this company before I signed contract with them then I will not end up as a victim. The sales rep gave lots of misleading information. The worse part was the leasing of the credit card reader which bound me for 4 years with the total charges to almost $5,000! So DON’T SIGN ANY CONTRACT WITH THIS COMPANY ESPECIALLY FOR THE CREDIT CARD READING MACHINE LEASE! You will regret if you don’t take people’s warning about this company!!!! I would have given minus star if I am allowed to!

This complainant could benefit from understanding what fees to be on the lookout for when signing up for a merchant account.

An “F” Performance

In light of the company’s complaint total and resolution ratio over the past eight months, we see no reason to alter the BBB’s rating.

Potentially Costly Terms

There is very little information available regarding the actual terms of the standard Smart Card Merchant Services contract. The company gives a detailed explanation of how their customized pricing involved 3 tiers for qualified, mid-qualified, and non-qualified rates but does not disclose any information. Merchants have not filed complaints that specifically mention transaction fees, early termination fees, PCI Compliance fees, monthly minimums, or other fees. Some merchants do express a general sense of surprise at how high their monthly costs are, but it seems that the rates and fees charged by Smart Card for its credit card processing services are not the biggest issues facing the company.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Smart Card Merchant Services 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.

Beware Long-Term Equipment Leases

Smart Card’s tendency to package its merchant accounts with equipment leases through First Data Global Leasing, on the other hand, is a major problem for merchants. As one of the lowest-rated providers, First Data Global Leasing is notorious for providing long-term, non-cancellable, expensive equipment leases, and most complaints filed against Smart Card refer to the equipment lease as the primary problem. The company’s equipment lease policy in combination with accusations of incomplete sales disclosure has lowered Smart Card’s score in this section more than the terms of its merchant agreement. It should be noted that mostcredit card terminals can be purchased for under $500. Non-cancellable, long-term leases mean a merchant can pay thousands for that same equipment making them a contract term to avoid. We also encourage merchants to check out our list of the providers of thebest merchant accounts.

A Substandard Choice

Like its affiliated organizations, Smart Card Merchant Services rates very poorly according to our rating criteria. We have identified a consistent pattern of complaints filed against this merchant services provider that describe deceptive sales tactics, expensive equipment leases, and poor customer service. Due to reports of some of the company’s sales agents misrepresenting their identity, merchants are not encouraged to even engage with this company at this time. Merchants will be better served by working with a top-rated credit card processor instead.