Stellar Payment Systems: Card Processing Reviews & Complaints

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4.3
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Company Overview

Stellar Payment Systems is a merchant account provider located in Miami, Florida. The company is a reseller of First Data (now Fiserv) products and merchant services. The company also advertises Clover and Poynt as its POS system partners.

Stellar Payment Systems Payment Processing

Stellar Payment Systems processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include POS systems, mobile solutions, EMV card readers and swipers, NFC, B2B, MOTO, and e-commerce solutions.

Point of Sale Systems

The company offers various Point of Sale (POS) systems designed to streamline operations and improve customer service. From traditional countertop terminals to modern touch screen systems, Ironwood Financial has a POS solution for every business. Some systems also integrate inventory management and reporting functionalities, providing a comprehensive business management tool.

Mobile Payment Solutions

Recognizing the growing trend of mobile commerce, Ironwood Financial provides a mobile payment solution. This service allows businesses to accept credit and debit card payments on the go using a mobile device. It is a valuable tool for businesses that operate outside a traditional storefront, such as pop-up shops, food trucks, or at trade shows.

E-Commerce Payment Gateway

Ironwood Financial caters to online businesses with its e-commerce payment gateway. This service provides a secure platform for processing online payments. It supports a variety of payment methods and currencies, making it a suitable choice for businesses looking to sell their products or services globally.

Payment Security and Compliance

Security is paramount in payment processing. Ironwood Financial offers advanced payment security measures including encryption and tokenization. Additionally, they help businesses navigate complex compliance requirements, ensuring they meet the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS).

Business Funding Solutions

Beyond payment processing, Ironwood Financial also offers business funding solutions. These include merchant cash advances, a form of financing that offers a lump sum in exchange for a percentage of future credit card sales.

Location & Ownership

Stellar Payment Systems, LLC is a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., in Concord, California, and Fifth Third Bank, National Association, and it is located at 845 NE 79TH Street, Miami, Florida 33138. Patricia Jurado is listed as the principal for Stellar Payment Systems, while LinkedIn has Michael Oz as the general manager.

Pros & Cons
Pros: Cons:
Features next-day funding. Equipment leasing possible.
Accepts all major cards. Unresponsive customer service.
Offers loyalty programs. High contract termination fee.
Provides mobile payment solutions. Potentially deceptive sales tactics.
Includes data breach program. Variable processing fees.

Stellar Payment Systems Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints 10+
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint N/A
Recent Lawsuits No

Low Complaint Total

We are currently able to locate approximately 10 negative Stellar Payment Systems reviews, some of which allege that the company is a scam and a ripoff. A handful of these Stellar Payment Systems complaints (some of which can be found in the comment section below) appear to have been posted by the same former sales agent of the company, as alleged by a complaint response from the company itself. Given this employee’s concerted effort to diminish the company’s public reputation, we have weighed all of these complaints as though they were a single complaint. Common themes among all complainants include poor hiring practices, deceptive sales tactics, unhelpful customer service, and expensive contract terms. Although the content of these Stellar Payment Systems complaints is alarming, the overall number and frequency of complaints is very low for the company’s size and time in business. In the past year, we have received a high volume of unverified, vague positive testimonials in the comment section below this review. There is no evidence that these testimonials are paid or fake at this time, but until they are verified, they will not be factored into our rating of the company. If you have your own Stellar Payment Systems review to make, please do so below.

Stellar Payment Systems Lawsuits and Fines

We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Stellar Payment Systems. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.

Stellar Payment Systems Customer Support Options

The Stellar Payment Systems website provides an email contact form for customer service, but it’s likely that the company outsources at least some of its customer support to First Data (Fiserv).

Stellar Payment Systems Customer Service Number

  • (800) 676-4030 – Toll-Free Customer Support

Other Support Options

The company’s available support channels are not enough to qualify it as a top-rated merchant account provider for customer service.

Stellar Payment Systems Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
BBB Reports 0

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.

No BBB Complaints

Stellar Payment Systems is not an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau. As of this review, the company does not have a rating with the BBB, though it has had 0 complaints or informal reviews filed against it in the last 36 months.

An “A” Performance Overall

Given the company’s clean complaint record, we award an “A” at this time despite the BBB not rating the company.

Stellar Payment Systems Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Cancellation Penalties Yes
Monthly & Annual Fees Yes
Processing Rates Variable
Equipment Leasing Yes

Stellar Payment Systems Pricing

Stellar Payment Systems offers credit card processing through First Data (Fiserv), which means that the Stellar Payment Systems rates and fees may be subject to variation, depending on the agent setting up the account and a business’ type, size, and time in business. However, the company’s website does list some specific pricing and fee information for each of its service tiers.

The “Flat Rate” tier charges no monthly fee and a flat per-transaction fee of 2.69% plus $0.25. The “Business” tier charges a qualified swiped rate of 1.59% plus $0.25, a qualified keyed-in rate of 2.35% plus $0.25, and a monthly fee of $69.95. The “Enterprise” tier charges a per-transaction fee of interchange plus 0.39% and a monthly fee of $129. The “Beyond” tier comes with custom pricing and the largest array of features and services that the company can offer.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Stellar Payments also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway services as part of each of its monthly plans. It appears that the cost of these services is built into each of the monthly fees for its 4 different plans. Stellar Payment Systems relies on Clover for its online payment gateway. However, business owners should inquire about the possibility of additional rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates when assessing these options.

Industry-Average Terms

According to one Stellar Payment Systems complaint, the company charges a monthly minimum fee, a PCI non-compliance fee, and very high transaction fees. Given its partnership with First Data (Fiserv), it is also likely that the company enforces a minimum service length, a PCI compliance fee, and an early termination fee. Typical First Data (Fiserv) contacts include an early termination fee of $495 and a PCI compliance fee of $19.95 per month. There are a few public complaints that mention issues with the Stellar Payment Systems contract, but all available evidence indicates that the company offers terms that are roughly average for the industry. We do not expect Stellar Payment Systems’ terms to compete with the cheapest merchant accounts available. If you have any knowledge of the standard Stellar Payment Systems contract, please leave that information in the comment section of this review.

We also encourage business owners to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.

Stellar Payment Systems Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Uses Independent Resellers Yes
Telemarketing Likely
Misleading Marketing No
Discloses All Important Terms No

Sales Issues

Stellar Payment Systems partners with ISOs and independent sales agents to market its services. This hiring practice usually produces a high number of complaints for a company, as independent agents are typically motivated to sign merchants up for the most expensive contracts they can. We are currently able to locate a handful of negative Stellar Payment Systems reviews related to the company’s sales practices. Two of these Stellar Payment Systems complaints were filed by former employees who allege deceptive salary quotes, poor employee support, and training from the company that is intended to mislead clients, while other complaints allege repeated misrepresentation or nondisclosure of rates and fees.

This does not compare favorably to our list of best credit card processors.

Incomplete Rate Quotes

The Stellar Payment Systems website currently lists a number of rates and fees on its pricing page, including a qualified swiped rate of 1.59% plus $0.25 and a qualified keyed-in rate of 2.35% plus $0.25. These rates are clearly described as “qualified” rates, but the company’s higher mid-qualified and non-qualified rates are nowhere to be seen. This could give clients an unrealistic expectation of the effective rates they will pay. Business owners are encouraged to understand the full range of potential per-transaction rates that they may be charged. If you suspect that you are being charged undisclosed Stellar Payment Systems fees, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit to find and eliminate hidden charges.

Terminal Sales

The Stellar Payment Systems website also sells payment terminals to merchants. An adequate credit card terminal can be purchased for $500 or less. Buying a terminal allows businesses to avoid costly equipment leases that can often be a part of their contracts.

Our Stellar Payment Systems Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Stellar Payment Systems rates as an above-average credit card processing provider according to our rating system. The available information about the company indicates that it provides average contract terms through First Data (Fiserv), and the company has a low complaint rate at this time. The company’s rating may be subject to change once more is known about its standard contract. For now, business owners should consider opting for a top-rated overall credit card processor to get the best deal.

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Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did Stellar Payment Systems Treat You?

33 User Reviews

  • Lior Barzilay

    Cavalli Hub Inc

    Be careful signing up with Stellar Payments! They are fraud and stole from me $320.
    After signing up with there services, they sent me to a PCI compliance company called Matrix which cost me $200.
    Then Matrix didn’t pass the PCI “scan” on my website and then sent me emails to complete a “questioner” which is full of technical questions that no normal business owner can answer.
    After trying for months to complete the “questioner” I called Matrix and they told me that in order to complete the “questioner” I need to buy a templet for another $200, or use there services to complete it for an extra $700.
    After I refused to buy the extra services, Matrix suddenly pass the “scan” without any intervention on my side, but I found out the Stellar payment charged me extra $320 for not having my PCI compliance. When I tried to get refunded, they refused to give me the full refund but gave me an offer to refund half, which I refused. Right now I’m hiring a lawyer to represent me in small courts, and will continue fighting this with various governments and private agencies.

  • Liron Schwartz

    Fraud Alert!! – Do not process payments with stellar payment systems –
    This company will cheat your billing and will overcharge your account more than you agreed upon. Also they will use their ACH agreement to charge your bank account with out invoicing and proper notice. The company response to their \unauthorized charged thats how our company operate: we charge what we think and do not need to provide any invoice or explanation why we charge for


    This post will help: Find and Eliminate Hidden Fees From Your Monthly Bill

    -Phillip

  • Marlen Hassoun

    Ive been doing credit card processing for 6 years now.
    Been working with 3 good companies .
    I was approached by Stellar payment Systems who had offered me to work for them, Michael the owner promised me a paycheck plus commission so I decided to try . Four weeks was more than enough to determine that Stellar payment Systems is the most dishonest company I have ever dealt with.
    The owner Michael requested I change my existing merchants to him and suggested that even the ones who were priced low because he would later raise their prices. His main concern was to make money money money and if it meant pricing merchants with ERR pricing than thats what I needed to do .
    ERR pricing is a price schedule where the merchants thinks they are paying low but the reality is that they can’t tell what they are paying .
    Four weeks was enough for me to approach the owner and tell him that i do not feel comfortable doing business with him and felt that he was dishonest and immoral.
    There is so much more that i can say but I would just want the public to know not to do any business with this company as they are unethical and immoral.

  • hassoun

    The owner of stellar payments is a Con man
    really is the most dishonest person i have ever came across .
    I worked with the company for 5 weeks and was not paid commission on any of the accounts i signed.
    I withdrew from the company without a signed contract so the owner falsely signed it and pretends that I’m under contract
    The man is a Con man who committed fraud ,I will take him to court and get justice but i do want to warn merchants
    because I got complaints from those who trusted me to sign with me
    that the owner had gone into their accounts and removed money unauthorized .
    This led my merchants to distrust me because i brought them to the company.
    I had no Clue that Stellar payments was a fraud .
    beware and be careful as they will get you with high contract fees or even without contracts they will go to your account and remove fees.
    Unreal and shameful that people can do business this way.

    • marlen noajh

      My issues with Stellar payment systems have been resolved. Both parties did what needed to
      to resolve the issues
      I tried to remove this post and would lie to remove it but it seems like it is not an option.

  • tal cohen

    This company is dishonest ,they con people ,lie and steal money without authorization ..a company like that should not be in business Hello ,My name is Tal Cohen I am a business owner who needed credit card processing I was approached by a sales representative who had worked for Stellar who by the way is not with the company anymore because they are disonest. I signed up and weeks went by and i did not get my terminal after multiple phone calls ,I decided to call Clover ad cancel with them ,they had told me they would note my account. I then called Stellar payment and told them that i will not work with them ..at this point i didn’t receive anything but i was already unhappy with the company. A few days later i get an email that cLover had sent me my terminal I called Clover and they said when u receive it deny it and it will go back to the shelf like nothing happened and i won’t be charged . I called Stellar payment and let them know. A few weeks after on March/28/2016 Stellar payment went into my account and took out $1,138.17 …I called them and told them that I didn’t receive anything and it was cancelled ,i was not under contract and they should not have taken out the money ..they said they will open a ticket and will let me know in two days ..a week passed and they said they didnt have an answer ..two weeks passed and still no answer .I filed a dispute with my bank ON April 4,2016 Stellar payment went into my account again and withdrew $81.90 ..I called again and asked what it was for the sales rep in the office said she didnt know and will open a ticket IF i tell you were in May now and i have not gotten my money back. This man Michael who is the owner of the company is a con man ,he has no morals . I spoke to him directly and he said he would help resolve this and then took out more money from my account. From my understanding is that even the sales rep left because she found out that Michael is not an honest man ..I looked him up and sure enough there are complaints on the company from previous sales people and merchants . I am filing a complaint here and if he doesn’t resolve it i will hire an attorney and sue him for attorney fees too.

  • Madeline

    Most dishonest credit card processing I’ve ever came to contact with.
    Pricing merchants with Err pricing so they don’t know what they are paying.
    Charging crazy high cancelations .
    Getting merchants to sign and raising their prices.
    Getting agents to work for v them and stealing their accounts and not paying them.
    The owner pretends to be a man of God but he is a thief in disguise.

  • Noah

    This is the most unprofessional company i have ever dealt with.
    I will tell you as someone who dealt with them on the inside for a short time.
    The owner Michael is the most dishonest man who pretends to be religious.
    He is very money hungry ,he likes to price people with ERR pricing which basically means that the merchant has no clue to what he is paying.
    Coming from another company i saw and experiences their dishonesty first hand and had to leave right away.
    I was asked to transfer my accounts to his company ,even the ones which were priced low ..he said first bring them to us and then we will worry about raising them.
    This man has a $750 cancelation fee .He basically forces people to stay with him.
    He will lie to your face to get your business. This man will try to sell you Clover systems and terminals even if you dont need to spend all that money and reason is once you Use a clover you cannot use it with any other company so his way is to tie you up with the terminals and pos systems.
    I have been doing processing for 7 years and never dealt with anyone so greedy and dishonest.
    Beware.Beware

  • Dominic A. Aaron

    Stellar is a rip-off company. I have been trying to contact the salesperson (Shannon) for over two weeks. I was due a refund of my money due to the miscommunication (lying) by this person. Please do not do business with this company.

  • ni-fei sheih

    SPS has a shady credit card merchant account practice. First of all, they will falsely promise that their fee will be lower than your existing bank’s credit card merchant account. They will ask you for your existing statements so they will analyze whether they can beat your current rate. Then they will come back to tell you that after analysis, they can definitely lower your monthly fees from credit card transaction. But in reality, since I signed up at the end of December 2012, I’ve been charged a lot more than my previous bank (SPS’s fees have been about 2x a much as my previous bank PNC. in March 2013, SPS charged me about 10% of my total transaction. In April 2013 when i ran very few credit card transactions with them, they charged me over $50 for a total of $150 credit card transaction!!!). Second, SPS will give you the application without explaining in details on what the fees are. Also they have some hidden charges that they don’t tell you about. Their fee for running credit card transaction is outrageous. Third, when you get the bill & want to dispute the charge with them, they take their time to give you an answer (in my case, it took 3 month billing cycles before they figure out why they charged me more than double of what PNC was charging me before with the same amount of credit card transaction). So while you wait for their solution, the fees keep piling up (if you run credit card transaction while you wait, their various fees get run up…. if you don’t do any credit card transaction, you also get tagged with other fees such as monthly minimum fee….so either way, they almost see purposely try to slow the resolution process so they can charge you more fee). Fourth, when they came back to me with a solution, they said the reason that my fee with them had been higher than PNC was because I wasn’t on the right plan. So they basically refuse to take the fault where it was their fault for not signing you up to the correct plan that they told the client about initially. They basically did a bait & switch on the client. After the client catches on of their bait & switch strategy, SPS then wants you to be patient & try the other plan. If the other plan doesn’t make the fee lower than the your previous bank, they again win because they’ll collect more fee. Now I have requested cancellation (beginning of May 2013). Let see whether they will have another shady practice to collect more fees. Below is more details of some of the problems i encountered with SPS in the last few months.

    ——————————————————————–

    The fees charged by credit merchant account is more than promised in contract. Also, a charge not stated in contract had mysteriously appeared in my account.
    Stellar Payment System (SPS,800-676-4030, Fax:305-575-1512) had guaranteed with a proposal back December 2012 that their credit card merchant account will provide my business lower rate (0.99% volume percent pass through interchange+$0.15/item transaction fee+$25 fee only if monthly credit card transaction is not more than $25). SPS was so confident that they can beat my current pricing that they sent a letter saying that they decided to come up with a $1,000.00 just for me if they cannot beat my current pricing with PNC. So to determine whether they can provide a better rate for me than PNC, I provided SPS’s senior funding manager Zeeshan Saeed my credit card merchant statements from PNC. After SPS came back with a pricing proposal that beat PNC’s pricing with rate mentioned above, I signed up with SPS credit card merchant account at the end of December 2012. A working credit card machine was received from SPS on 1/15/13. The machine had some problem initially but was fixed on 1/21/13. I noticed that on 1/2/13, SPS had charged me $53.97. Before I signed up, there was no mentioning of this charge anywhere in the contract. Also this charge occurred before I even received a working credit card machine from SPS. In 2nd week of February 2013, after I received the January 2013 merchant statement from SPS, I also noticed that there were a lot of fees (PCI noncomplliance/regulatory product/sales items/ 15% interchange fee) that appear in the statement that were not mentioned before in the contract. So the overall fee charged by SPS on my credit card transaction in January 2013 ended up 2x as high as what PNC would have charged me. So I wrote to Zeeshan Saeed on 2/13/13 & he asked me to scan the statements from SPS & PNC so his team can analyze what went wrong. I sent him all of the statements but learned that Zeeshan Saeed was no longer with SPS so they assigned me Brian Katzman . Again, I sent Brian the statements twice, first time on 2/28/13 and again on 3/13/13 so his team could analyze the problem. Brian also promised to find out why I was erroneously charged $53.97 on 1/2/13 when I didn’t even begin using the credit card service from SPS yet. On 3/14/13, Brian said his team found out that my higher monthly fee in comparing to PNC was due to the 0.99% volume percent for the pass through interchange. So he lowered the volume percent on Pass Through Interchange to 0.5% on 3/14/13, and said that I should see lower fee than PNC in March 2013. After I did my own analysis with the change in pass through interchange volume percent, I told Brian that would not make my fee lower than PNC because fee charged by SPS was higher due to all these miscellaneous charges on the statement. Then Brian told me that it appears that Pnc has me on a 3 tier rate so in order to get my fee lower than PNC, he could keep me on the same 3 tier rate at lower %. So SPS was basically not honoring the lower fee guarantee and their original analysis (they didn’t notice this in their initial analysis?). SPS was not acknowledging their higher fee & now was trying to convince me that the problem would be solved by switching me to another one of their plan. I agreed to switch anyway on 3/15/13, hoping that it would fix the problem. Also on 4/4/13, Brian told me that $53.97 on 1/2/13 was a pre month service. There was no mentioning of this pre-month service when i signed up with SPS. When they charged it, SPS was very sneaky about it & didn’t leave any explanation either. On 4/10/13, I wrote to Brian again to let him know that I was still getting charged much higher fee than PNC. In fact, I was charged 10% of total credit card transaction in March 2013!! Brian requested credit of $53.97 on 4/17/13 but SPS denied it. SPS falsely advertised the deal & sneaked in hidden charges. It’s not easy to terminate account as they will try to delay the process with explanations or new deal. They’re a fraud.

    • Noah

      This is true.
      They dont lower fees ,they change the method of payment and charge merchants more.
      If they lower you they end up raising you .
      after you sign you are tied in a contract .

      Michael the owner is a very dishonest man
      worst company ever.

      • nifei sheih

        i’ve subsequently rejected several other companies (From Florida also) that sound just like them in the last few years. it’s a scam going on and on because it doesn’t seem like any authority is doing anything about it. Unless it’s a complete different company now in 2016, it’s pretty unbelievable that they receive a high rating with the BBB and here.

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