UPDATE 3/1/2019: United Payment Services was acquired by Direct Connect Holdings in April 2017. United Payment Services no longer appears to be an active business name, and the United Payment Services website currently redirects to the Direct Connect Holdings website. We will therefore no longer update this review, and we plan to publish a review of Direct Connect Holdings in the near future.
Founded in 1998, United Payment Services (unitedpaymentservices.com) is a Newbury Park, California-based merchant account provider that serves most standard-risk business types in the United States. The company is a reseller of First Data products and services and was acquired by Direct Holdings, LLC, in January 2017. Scott Rosen is the president of United Payment Services, which is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Walnut Creek, California. The United Payment Services website does not provide an address for the company, but the Better Business Bureau gives a location at 3537 Old Conejo Rd #113, Newbury Park, California 91320, while Google lists the company at 31186 La Baya Dr, Westlake Village, California 91362.
Key Points
Sales & Marketing: United Payment Services appears to hire independently contracted agents and has received a low-to-moderate number of complaints about its sales team.
Costs & Contract: United Payment Services appears to offer a three-year contract with an early termination fee of $399.
Complaints & Service: United Payment Services has received more than 50 public complaints.
BBB Rating: United Payment Services has an “A-” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has received seven complaints in the last three years.
Rates & Fees: How Merchants Got The Best Rates With United Payment Services
United Payment Services Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints
50+
Live Customer Support
Yes
Most Common Complaint
Hidden Fees
We have found over 50 negative United Payment Services reviews, many of which accuse the company of being a scam. Common complaints include nondisclosure of termination fees, misrepresentation of rates, poor customer service, and difficulty cancelling service. The company has been active since 1988, but all of the available complaints have been posted no earlier than 2008. For a company of United Payment Services’s size, this constitutes a moderate complaint total.
Some of these complaints have received responses from United Payment Services representatives. In every instance, including situations where the merchant claims to have been intentionally deceived, the company stands by its agents and holds merchants to the terms of the contract. In our opinion, this does not reflect positively on the company’s customer support. Given the company’s complaint total, its responses to complaints, and the frequency with which it has received public complaints over the past three years, we have assigned it an average rating of “C” in this category.
United Payment Services Customer Satisfaction Ratings
Online Ratings Summary
Product & Service Complaints
4
Billing & Collection Complaints
2
Advertising & Sales Complaints
1
Guarantee & Warranty Complaints
0
Delivery Complaints
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.
United Payment Services currently has an “A-” rating with the Better Business Bureau and is not BBB accredited. The company has received seven complaints in the past three years, with two related to billing and collection, four due to product or service issues, and one having to do with advertising or sales problems. Six complaints either were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or did not receive a final response from the merchant, and one complaint has not been addressed by United Payment Services at all. Considering the company’s poor resolution ratio, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “B” for the purposes of this review.
United Payment Services Fees, Rates & Contract
Rates & Fees Summary
Swiped Rate
Variable
Keyed-in Rate
Variable
Early Termination Fee
$399
PCI Compliance Fee
$7 Per Month
Equipment Lease Terms
Variable
According to merchant complaints, the standard United Payment Services contract is a three-year agreement through First Data with a $399 early termination fee, a $79 annual fee, a $7 monthly PCI compliance fee, a $7.50 monthly customer support fee, and a $25 monthly minimum fee. Merchants also report higher-than-expected rates and subsidized equipment that must be returned upon account cancellation.
It is likely that some of these contract terms can be adjusted by sales representatives depending on each merchant’s size, business type, and processing history. However, nearly every complaint about United Payment Services’s contract terms mention the $399 termination fee. This fee is higher than industry averages and appears to be enforced without exception. United Payment Services has received a “C” in this category due primarily to the complaints about this fee.
United Payment Services Employee Reviews & Sales Practices
Jobs & Marketing Summary
Employs Independent Resellers
Yes
Advertises Deceptive Rates
No
Discloses All Important Terms
No
United Payment Services primarily markets its products through independent sales agents, referral partnerships, and conventional advertising. The use of independent resellers is often linked to high complaint rates in the credit card processing industry, and United Payment Services appears to be no exception. We are able to locate over 30 United Payment Services complaints that describe nondisclosure of fees, misrepresentation of rates, and difficulty contacting sales agents after account activation. These complaints consistently mention higher-than-expected rates and hidden cancellation penalties, and they have been posted with regularity over the past five years.
Although there are complaints about “teaser” rates, we are unable to find any unrealistic rate quotes in the company’s official marketing materials. Merchants are therefore advised to only work with sales agents they can trust and to double-check any agent claims against the actual paperwork. United Payment Services has received a “C” grade in this section due to the quantity and consistency of complaints about it sales practices.
United Payment Services Review Summary
United Payment Services rates as a run-of-the-mill merchant services provider according to our rating criteria. The company appears to offer industry-average contract terms and has received a moderate amount of complaints for its size. Merchants are encouraged to request and review all contract terms, and to bear in mind that they will be held to their merchant agreements without exception.
Top Performing United Payment Services Competitors
Reader Comments, Testimonials & Complaints
4 User Reviews
Betsy Lake
a 500 fee to get out of a three year contract on a business I’m closing. Really, how hard do you have to work to close a business? Underhanded business practices if you ask me.
Brad Kejriwal
High fees for early termination. They do not specify that it is on month to month basis. In the monthly statment, they bill you for charges that you were unaware at time of signing. There is no free credit card machine at time of signing for service. It has to be returned at the time of discontinuing services with them. Read the fine print.
Robert Ritzenthaler
Sales person promised no early termination and month-to-month contract after I questioned him repeatedly and he assured me that he would take care of it. I had a new company that needed a merchant account but knew that the new line could fail at any time so wanted the ability to close the account out if necessary. Now that I’m asking to close, they mention the early termination fee and my sales guy has disappeared and no one else can get access to my file. Bunch of liars. Not happy.
James Bonham
Unable to contact company in regards to payments being deducted.Try calling many time and receive nothing but voice mail.
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Betsy Lake
a 500 fee to get out of a three year contract on a business I’m closing. Really, how hard do you have to work to close a business? Underhanded business practices if you ask me.
Brad Kejriwal
High fees for early termination. They do not specify that it is on month to month basis. In the monthly statment, they bill you for charges that you were unaware at time of signing. There is no free credit card machine at time of signing for service. It has to be returned at the time of discontinuing services with them. Read the fine print.
Robert Ritzenthaler
Sales person promised no early termination and month-to-month contract after I questioned him repeatedly and he assured me that he would take care of it. I had a new company that needed a merchant account but knew that the new line could fail at any time so wanted the ability to close the account out if necessary. Now that I’m asking to close, they mention the early termination fee and my sales guy has disappeared and no one else can get access to my file. Bunch of liars. Not happy.
James Bonham
Unable to contact company in regards to payments being deducted.Try calling many time and receive nothing but voice mail.