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What to Know Before Choosing TransNational Payments: Rates, Contracts & Support

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All mentions of rate and fee costs are estimations based on publicly available information and client feedback. Actual costs may vary based on a variety of factors unique to your business.

TransNational Payments

Rating
D
2.5/5
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Pros and Cons of TransNational Payments

Pros

Saves time and money
Professional service

Cons

Aggressive sales approaches
Unauthorized account activities
Hidden fees reported
Poor customer service
Difficult account cancellation
Deceptive sales tactics

Overview

In this review of TransNational Payments, we provide a concise look at the company following its acquisition by Celero Commerce and the potential phasing out of the TransNational brand. We examine their services including payment gateways, mobile solutions, POS systems, virtual terminals, and fraud prevention, while also addressing major concerns such as the 2022 data breach, customer service issues, and reported sales tactics. The review highlights pros and cons drawn from customer feedback, lawsuit information, online ratings, and employee insights, along with details on pricing and contract terms. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of TransNational’s strengths, challenges, and whether their services are the right fit for your business.

A Global Payments Reseller

Formerly known as "TransNational Bankcard," TransNational Payments is a merchant account provider that primarily serves small to mid-sized businesses in the United States. Founded in 1999, the company is a reseller of Global Payments.

About TransNational Payments

Screen Capture of Celero Commerce Homepage
Celero Commerce Homepage

In 2020 TransNational Payments was acquired by Celero Commerce, a Nashville-based fintech company started in 2018. The brand’s website is still functioning but now features a notice directing people to Celero. It is likely that the TransNational Payments brand will be phased out soon. Please read our Celero Commerce review for more information.

In 2022, TransNational Payments announced a data breach impacting the names, email addresses, and Social Security numbers of individual owners or officers of TransNational enterprise customers. It is likely that this will result in a lawsuit.

Products & Merchant Services

Payment Gateway

TransNational provides a Pi-integrated payment gateway featuring a virtual terminal, invoicing, EMV card-present transactions, recurring payments, a customer vault, and fraud management. It allows merchants to use their computer as a terminal, simplifies the MOTO (Mail Order/Telephone Order) payment process, and generates customizable reports.

Mobile Payment Solutions

TransNational Payments offers mobile solutions that enable businesses to accept payments via smartphones or tablets. This is particularly useful for businesses operating in remote locations or attending events such as trade shows and farmers markets.

Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems

TransNational Payments supplies a range of POS systems to suit various business needs. Whether requiring a traditional countertop terminal or a mobile POS, they provide solutions for efficient and secure payment processing.

Virtual Terminal Services

TransNational Payments offers virtual terminal services that allow businesses to process credit and debit card payments over the phone or via email without needing a physical card reader.

Recurring Payments

TransNational Payments’ recurring payment services enable businesses to set up automatic billing for customers, making it ideal for subscription-based services or regular billing needs.

Fraud Prevention Services

TransNational Payments provides a suite of fraud prevention services to help businesses reduce the risk of fraud and chargebacks. These include address verification, card security code (CVV2) verification, and fraud screening.

Customer Reviews & Sentiment

TransNational Payments Review Analysis

Over 30 negative TransNational Payments reviews have been located on various websites outside the BBB. These complaints include allegations of the company being a scam or ripoff, with business owners reporting deceptive sales tactics, hidden fees, expensive and non-cancellable equipment leases, difficulties in closing accounts, and a significant $500 cancellation fee. While many issues seem linked to individual agents rather than the company’s customer service team, there are also mentions of unhelpful or unavailable customer support. We encourage you to share your own experiences with TransNational Payments in the comments below.

Customer Support Evaluation

TransNational Payments provides a dedicated support phone number and email address. However, these channels do not meet the criteria to classify the company as a top-rated payment processor for customer service.

Contact Information for TransNational Payments

  • (888) 998-6224 – Toll-Free Customer Support
  • (877) 968-7147 – Payroll Support

Additional Support Channels

  • Email: support@gotnp.com (Customer Support)
  • Email: sales@gotnp.com (Sales)
  • Email: info@patriotsoftware.com (Payroll Support)

Considering the complaint volume relative to its business scale and history, TransNational Payments is rated “B” in this category.

Industry Scores & User Ratings

Online Ratings Summary
PaymentPop1
BBB Rating3
ComplaintsBoard Rating2.9
PissedConsumer Rating1
Our Rating2.5
Average Rating2.35

PaymentPop Rating for TransNational Payments

Negative Feedback

That’s all they keep saying READ YOUR CONTRACT! Well I never received a contract. Sales rep never provided. I have full copies of what we spoke of & agreed to, no agreement was EVER provided. Agreement just sent to me does not even have a place for a initial or signature stating I was given or had an opportunity to review. I am being charged cancellation fees, sales rep never indicated early cancellation would result in fees. What I got a kick out of is their cancellation form asking me why I am canceling, how much is the new merchant services charging, fees, etc. Yet they are going to charge me fees for canceling, obviously they didn’t want my business anyhow, nor do they want it back after all this!

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about TransNational Payments on the PaymentPop website.

TransNational Payments BBB Rating

TransNational Payments (as TransNational Bankcard) has an average customer review rating of 3/5 stars and an “A+” on the Better Business Bureau, based on 8 customer reviews. The company is not BBB accredited and has been in business for 24 years.

Negative Feedback

I was ready to partner and begin processing with Celero Commerce also known as Transnational Payments around January 2023. Despite knowing about complaints registered against these two companies on BBB and Trustpilot, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. I signed up with a Senior Account Manager for Celero and Transnational Payments. She told me that my account has been approved with Transnational Payments and I can begin processing soon. I never heard from her or her company again. I couldn’t get a hold of her. I received no communication Via email. I tried calling her office again to find out that my account has been denied. More importantly, Transnational payments pulled my credit without my consent and that’s after I was told account was approved. Just not the experience I was looking for. I am very disappointed with how I was treated. I have lost valuable time and energy. Very unprofessional treatment. I do not recommend Celero Commerce or Transnational Payments for Merchant Account Processing. Stay away from these people as far as you can.

Positive Feedback

On a previous update the BBB profile had the following user review, but it has since been removed.

I am completely satisfied with my services provided by Transnational. Will Foley went above and beyond when it came to our processing needs. He helped save me time and money. I have recommended Will Foley to friends and other business owners. He’s very hard working representative and a true professional in his industry.

ComplaintsBoard Rating Analysis

TransNational Bankcard has a customer review rating of 2.9 with 0% resolution on ComplaintsBoard, with 7 unresolved complaints. Common themes among these complaints include hidden fees, poor customer service, difficulty in canceling accounts, and unauthorized account activities.

Negative Feedback

They opend a second merchant account without my permission. I didn’t know for 7 months and they charged me over $547.45 for an account that wasn’t even being used. No one ever talked about opening an account. – Complaint from V. Johnson

I had to use this company ’cause my POS company made me, you know, to integrate into my online store (back in 2015). But now I’m kinda retiring, like, semi-retiring, you know, and I closed my online store and canceled my POS system. So, I tried to get in touch with TransNational to cancel my service, but man, it’s been a real pain. They promised to call me back, but it took forever, and I kept getting passed around to different people. I told them it was urgent, both times I called. And get this, they’re threatening me with a $395 cancellation fee! Like, seriously? I don’t even use their service anymore ’cause I don’t have an online store. And their customer service is so terrible, I wouldn’t even wanna do business with them if I could. Plus, they’ve been taking my money for over 6 years, so it’s not like they’re hurting for cash. – Complaint from S. Nader

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about TransNational Bankcard on the ComplaintsBoard website.

Source: ComplaintsBoard

PissedConsumer Rating Analysis

TransNational Payments has an average customer review rating of 1.0 star on PissedConsumer based on 4 customer reviews. The common themes in the reviews include dissatisfaction with billing practices, customer service, and deceptive sales tactics. Customers have expressed frustration with misleading information about charges and fees, difficulty in canceling services, and aggressive sales approaches.

Negative Feedback

They make promises they cannot keep. Lie about the services they provide. They lie about charges and fees. They won’t return phone calls or emails. Then they say they tried to reach you. They say their software is compatible with our companies’ services and then say I guess we’re not compatible. They say you can cancel without charges or fees and then charge you to cancel. – Review from April 8, 2022

These sales reps continuously called our business for over a year, after being told no many times, continued to harass us for their business. They tell you they can low ball your processing, however, they lie about other companies to make their sales pitches. They are extremely pushy, and make you feel bad if you don’t use them. One even stooping as low as saying “you don’t care about your business enough”. Unbelievably poor tactics. Horrible sales conduct, and unprofessional. Stop harassing small businesses to make a dollar. No means no. – Review from September 6, 2019

Positive Feedback

There are no positive reviews published about TransNational Payments on the PissedConsumer website.

Source: PissedConsumer

Processing Rates & Fees

TransNational Payments Pricing

Based on various customer complaints, the standard TransNational Payments contract with Global Payments includes a three-year term with a tiered early termination fee of $500 in the first year and $395 thereafter. The contract often involves an annual fee up to $95, a monthly fee of $10, an annual maintenance fee of $299, and a non-cancellable 48-month equipment lease.

While the company claims to offer interchange-plus pricing, several customer reviews cite a quoted rate of 1.74%, which is inconsistent with typical interchange-plus pricing. The coverage of the annual fee, whether it includes PCI compliance costs or if a separate PCI Compliance fee is charged, remains unclear.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

TransNational Payments promotes its virtual terminal and payment gateway services, but does not disclose specific pricing for these online services. Additional fees typically associated with these services include gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and other transaction rates. Merchants are advised to review other options on our list of the best merchant services for potentially more transparent and competitive offerings.

Unfavorable Equipment Leases

TransNational Payments has historically faced criticism over its equipment leases sold through Northern Leasing Systems, which is affiliated with Lease Finance Group. Complaints often describe these leases as long-term, non-cancellable, and costly, sometimes for equipment that is faulty or unnecessary. Although TransNational representatives have generally upheld these lease terms, the company’s leasing practices have significantly affected customer satisfaction.

A Fully Terminated Relationship?

A TransNational Payments representative claimed that the company severed ties with Northern Leasing Systems in 2010, ceasing to lease any equipment to clients. However, a complaint from 2011 suggests that some equipment leases may have continued beyond this date. It remains essential for potential clients to verify the current status of equipment leasing practices directly with the company.

Industry-Average Terms

TransNational Payments offers terms that are generally considered average within the industry, though the company’s historical association with Northern Leasing has influenced its reputation. The disassociation from Northern Leasing has helped improve its standing, but merchants should still compare these terms to those offered by more affordable merchant account providers to ensure competitive pricing and favorable contract conditions.

Lawsuits & Legal History

No outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints have been filed against TransNational Payments to date. However, a data breach in 2022, impacting names, email addresses, and Social Security numbers of individuals associated with TransNational enterprise customers, has raised concerns, with potential for a class-action suit. Merchants seeking non-litigious resolutions are advised to consider reporting to relevant supervisory organizations.

Employee Reviews & Sales Practices

Varied Sales Complaints

TransNational Payments appears to employ both inside and outside sales W-2 representatives to market its services, but a company representative has stated that TransNational does not employ independently contracted 1099 sales agents. We have located multiple TransNational Payments reviews describing nondisclosure of TransNational Payments fees and terms by the company’s sales reps, specifically regarding the company’s termination fees. Businesses also report severe rate increases following initially offered “grace periods” and an in-person rate quote of 1.74% that is deceptively low. The TransNational website currently advertises interchange-plus pricing, which suggests that a tiered quote like 1.74% may no longer be possible through the company. This does not compare favorably to our list of best credit card processors.

No Deceptive Advertising

Although TransNational Payments does not engage in unethical advertising strategies in its official materials, there is certainly some cause for concern according to TransNational Payments complaints. If you suspect that TransNational is overcharging you, we recommend seeking a third-party statement audit to eliminate hidden fees.

TransNational Payments Competitors

Compare TransNational Payments to competitors that earned top marks.

Bottom Line

TransNational Payments currently holds an average rating as a credit card processing provider. While the company has garnered a moderate amount of complaints considering its size and tenure, the recurring nature of these complaints is cause for concern. Many business owners cite issues with transparency around fees and the termination policy, pointing to a need for improvement in these areas.

TransNational Payments can bolster its reputation by ensuring better disclosure and transparency among its sales agents, specifically regarding the termination fee. Until such improvements are evident, businesses should carefully review their contract terms and consider exploring highly rated alternatives to secure the best possible deal.

Location & Ownership

TransNational Payments, LLC is a registered ISO of  BMO Harris Bank, NA, with corporate offices located at 9550 W. Higgins Road, 8th Floor, Rosemont, Illinois 60018. John Pitzaferro is the founder and CEO of TransNational Payments.

Read Actual User Reviews

All user reviews have been moved to our partner, PaymentPop.com