MinistryLINQ Credit Card Processing 2023: Reviews & Complaints
(800) 811-7826 Company Overview
MinistryLINQ, a company owned by Ministry Brands, LLC, is a Spokane, Washington-based merchant account provider that specializes in payment processing for ministries, churches, and schools. Prior to 2015, the company maintained a primary web presence as The CashLINQ Group and presented MinistryLINQ as one of its products, but it since appears to have fully rebranded as MinistryLINQ. In July 2015, the company sold its assets to Ministry Brands, but the MinistryLINQ website is still active and functional. It appears that Ministry Brands has allowed MinistryLINQ to continue operations under its original name.
Article Summary
Before we dive in, here’s a short summary of what we’ll cover:
- MinistryLINQ’s various payment processing services.
- The company specifically works with donations for churches.
- MinistryLINQ offers tiered pricing.
- Complaints are low online, but those that have been submitted are somewhat concerning.
MinistryLINQ Payment Processing
MinistryLINQ processes all major debit and credit cards for donations, specifically for churches. Their services include donation management, pledge tracking, automatic deposits, software integration, recurring donations, multi-site support, and security features.
Location & Ownership
Founded in 1999, MinistryLINQ is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, California, with headquarters located at 14488 Old Stage Rd, Lenoir City, Tennessee 37772. Foster Chase is listed as the president and CEO of the CashLINQ Group.
Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Offers varying pricing tiers that may or…
- Complaints & Service: Has received more than…
- BBB Rating: Has an “A+” with the Better Business Bureau and has…
- Sales & Marketing: Does not appear to hire independent sales representatives and has…
MinistryLINQ Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | 10+ |
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | Poor Service |
| Recent Lawsuits | No |
Low-to-Moderate Complaint Total
We are currently able to locate more than 10 negative MinistryLINQ reviews, none of which outright accuse the company of being a scam or a ripoff. All complaints are related to slow service or poor account management, with one complaint (in the comment section below this review) describing a severe mismanagement of client funds. According to the complainant, MinistryLINQ inappropriately made deposits into the client’s account that were actually supposed to go to a different person. When the company caught the error, it allegedly removed almost $5,000 from the client’s account with minimal explanation. At the time the comment was posted, the client still had not received a full correction for the erroneous deposits. Other complainants describe very long wait times and slow resolutions to urgent problems. If you have your own MinistryLINQ review to make, please do so in the comments below.
MinistryLINQ Lawsuits and Fines
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against MinistryLINQ. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
MinistryLINQ Customer Support Options
MinistryLINQ offers a phone number for customer support during business hours. This appears to be insufficient for addressing many clients’ needs, which precludes MinistryLINQ from earning a place among our top-rated payment processors for customer service. MinistryLINQ has maintained a low overall complaint total, but the consistent complaints of poor service have lowered its score in this section to a “C.”
MinistryLINQ Customer Service Number
- (800) 811-7826 – Toll-Free Customer Service
Other Support Options
- Customer support form
MinistryLINQ Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| BBB Reports | 0 |
Clean Complaint Record
The BBB currently no MinistryLINQ profile but does have one for CashLINQ, which has an “A+” rating CashLINQ has received 0 complaints in the past 3 years.
What Merchants Say
CashLINQ’s BBB profile has also received no informal reviews in the past 3 years. A previous review to the old MinistryLINQ profile was posted by the same commenter who left a complaint in the comment section below:
This company added another company to our bank account due to a typo and was adding funds into our account in small increments. Due to the number of streams of income into our accounts this was undetectable. After 6 months of service they send us an extremely vague email stating they had made a mistake and that they were going to debit our account almost 5K. The email was not addressed to anyone and was full of grammar and spelling errors. They left no contact numbers or contact names and the email had no name on it. I contacted the company responsible and they told me it was a bogus email and did not come from them. In 2 days they deducted the money from our account, almost 5K. The problem was the amount that they deposited in our accounts was less than the amount they deducted. It has been two weeks and we still do not have our money back and they avoid our phone calls. Please avoid this company at all cost unless you enjoy dealing with a very unprofessional organization with many unqualified people handling you money.
Clients who receive unprofessional or odd customer service emails should always be on the lookout for customer service scams.
An “A” Rating
Given MinistryLINQ’s clean complaint record, we agree with the BBB’s rating.
MinistryLINQ Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Item | Result | >
|---|---|
| Cancellation Penalties | Yes |
| Monthly & Annual Fees | Yes |
| Processing Rates | Variable |
| Equipment Leasing | Yes |
$19 Pricing Plan
MinistryLINQ offers multiple pricing tiers with various services and fees for each tier. The company’s $19 monthly tier charges 3% plus $0.42 per card transaction, a monthly minimum fee of $10, a fee of 1% plus $0.42 per ACH transfer, and a monthly security fee of $10. It includes all of the company’s standard services.
$49 Monthly Plan
MinistryLINQ’s $49 per month tier charges 2.60% plus $0.42 per card transaction, a $10 monthly minimum fee, an ACH transfer fee of 1% plus $0.42, and a $10 monthly security fee. It includes all of the $19 plan’s features.
$69 Monthly Plan
The company’s $69 per month plan has identical pricing and features to the $49 plan, except that it offers tiered card rates starting at 2.09% plus $0.30 for qualified transactions. The company’s iPad POS system can be added to any plan for $19 per month plus hardware costs, and text donations can be added for $5 per month.
When to Opt for Tiered Pricing
We do not typically encourage readers to opt for tiered pricing plans under any circumstances, so we are especially opposed to a plan that charges $69 per month just to receive tiered rates. However, the company’s flat rates under its other pricing plans are higher than competitive interchange-plus rates, so merchants may be able to realize some savings under its tiered plan. It should be noted that this plan is no longer advertised on the company’s website, so interested readers should ask the company about this tier’s availability.
Few Contract Complaints
It is unclear as of this update whether additional contract terms will apply. The company advertises “no contracts,” but it does not publicly disclose its backend processor or provide sample contracts, so it’s difficult to know precisely what its exact policies are regarding service length or early termination fees. There are currently no MinistryLINQ complaints that mention issues with hidden fees or unfair pricing, so we will assume for the time being that the company is competitive with other affordable merchant accounts. If you have any knowledge of the standard MinistryLINQ merchant agreement, please share that information in the comment section of this review.
We also encourage readers to check out our list of the providers of the best merchant accounts.
MinistryLINQ Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Uses Independent Resellers | No |
| Telemarketing | No |
| Misleading Marketing | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
In-House Sales Team
MinistryLINQ appears to utilize referral partnerships and a W2-employed inside sales staff to market its services. There is no indication that the company employs independent sales agents, and we have found no negative MinistryLINQ reviews that cite deceptive sales practices by the company’s sales team.
This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
No Deceptive Quotes
In addition, the MinistryLINQ website does not list misleading promotional rates or misrepresent the company as something it is not. We therefore award MinistryLINQ an “A” in this category. If you suspect that MinistryLINQ is overcharging you, you can double-check your monthly bill by obtaining a third-party statement audit.
Our MinistryLINQ Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
MinistryLINQ rates as an average credit card processing solution according to our rating criteria. The company is showing an increasing number of legitimate complaints across all consumer protection websites and appears to have some customer service issues. However, since we have very little information about the company’s standard contract at this time, readers should be sure to read all terms presented to them and negotiate for better pricing whenever possible. Our rating for MinistryLINQ may change once more is known about its contract terms.
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Maranatha McCarter
Terrible Customer Service Wait times. I’ve never waited less than on hour every time I’ve tried to call to resolve an issue. Horrible to work with!
Lance johnson
This company added another company to our bank account due to a typo and was adding funds into our account in small increments. Due to the number of streams of income into our accounts this was undetectable. After 6 months of service they send us an extremely vague email stating they had made a mistake and that they were going to debit our account almost 5K. The email was not addressed to anyone and was full of grammar and spelling errors. They left no contact numbers or contact names and the email had no name on it. I contacted the company responsible and they told me it was a bogus email and did not come from them. In 2 days they deducted the money from our account, almost 5K. The problem was the amount that they deposited in our accounts was less than the amount they deducted. It has been two weeks and we still do not have our money back and they avoid our phone calls. Please avoid this company at all cost unless you enjoy dealing with a very unprofessional organization with many unqualified people handling you money.