Wind River Financial Review: Fees, Comparisons & Lawsuits
(833) 274-5875 Partnered with TSYS
Founded in 1999, Wind River Financial is a merchant account provider that is capable of serving most domestic, standard-risk business types. According to the company’s website, it specializes in serving businesses focusing on B2B sales, healthcare, and software development. The company is a TSYS reseller. However, it specializes in offering merchants short-term contracts which likely do not include many of the TSYS terms and conditions.
Wind River Financial Payment Processing
Wind River Financial processes all major debit and credit cards for most business types. Their services include EMV card readers and swipers, POS solutions, mobile solutions, ACH payments, virtual terminals, other e-commerce solutions, PCI compliance, and fraud protection
Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin
Wind River Financial is a registered ISO/MSP of Synovus Bank, Columbus, Georgia, and a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, Concord, California. The company is headquartered at 65 Buttonwood Court, Madison, Wisconsin 53718. Tyler Kattre is the president and CEO of Wind River Financial and Mark Courchane and Matthew J. Uselman are listed as co-founders.
Wind River Financial Review Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Wind River Financial appears to offer a contract of variable length with a closure fee of $25.
- Complaints & Service: Wind River Financial complaints number fewer than 10 on public complaints forums.
- BBB Rating: Wind River Financial has an “A+” and has received 0 complaints in the past 3 years. The company has been accredited by the BBB since 2015.
- Sales & Marketing: Wind River Financial does not appear to hire independent sales representatives and has not received any complaints about its sales practices.
Wind River Financial offers standard payment processing services
Wind River Financial Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | <10 |
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | N/A |
Low Complaint Total
We are currently able to locate one negative Wind River Financial review, and this complaint does not accuse the company of being a ripoff or a scam. As noted above, the Wind River Financial complaint was related to account closure fees and appears to be the result of a misunderstanding by the merchant. If you have your own Wind River Financial reviews to make, please do so in the comments below.
Wind River Financial Lawsuits
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Wind River Financial. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
Wind River Financial Customer Service Options
Wind River dedicates the majority of its marketing materials to its “After the Handshake” promise, a set of customer service initiatives that include dedicated account managers and 24/7 support.
We have located multiple Wind River Financial customer service numbers:
(800) 552-8227 – Toll- Free 24h Terminal Customer Service
(608) 243-3264 – Local Office
(833) 274-5875 – Sales and Support
(800) 441-1762 – PCI Support
Wind River Financial does not offer a dedicated email support address, however it does offer a support form on its website.
It appears that this emphasis on proactive customer support has helped the company avoid public complaints and lets it compare favorably to top-rated payment processors for great customer service. It has therefore earned an “A” in this category.
Wind River Financial Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Complaints | 0 |
| Resolved Complaints | 0 |
Sole BBB Complaint
Wind River Financial currently has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited with the BBB since December of 2015. The company has received only 0 complaints in the past 36 months. Prior to that period, the Better Business Bureau documented only 1 complaint, which was resolved to the satisfaction of the merchant.
What Merchants Say
Wind River Financial has not had any reviews posted to its profile in the last 3 years. Previously, the lone complaint filed against Wind River Financial described continuous ACH charges after account cancellation:
On 2/24/17 I called their office and spoke with *****, a rep. I expressed that we were going to be no longer using the credit card switching our credit card merchant account over to PayPal. I asked about any fees once we stopped using the equipment. I was told by ***** that aside from charges we would incur if we used the equipment and accepted credit cards using their service… there WOULD BE NO ONGOING FEES, MONTHLY OR OTHERWISE. I took notes at the time of my phone call to document this conversation. I expressly asked if there would be any fees or charges once we stopped using their equipment. She replied “no”. She did say that we could start using the equipment again at any time if we wished. At that time we would incur fees. There were fees charged to us on 3/2/17. 4/3/17, 5/1/17, 6/2/17. Due to a lack of communication with our accountant – I did not realize that these charges were occurring until 7/4/17… when I saw an ACH charge from them on our checking account. Our accountant does our check reconciling so again, these charges were not noticed by me until that date. I called and spoke again with ***** – I reminder her of our conversation of 2/24/17. She recalled only that we told her we were thinking about ending the merchant account with them. I expressed that I was clear in my questions and that she told me there would be no further charges, as long as we did not use the equipment to accept credit cards. She said she would make sure they would not charge us the usual cancellation fee. I noted we were charged on 7/3/17. I do not contest the 3/2/17 charge – of $76.81. I do contest the charges of 4/3/17 $ 59.25 5/1/17 $58.75 6/2/17 $58.75 and 7/3/17 $58.75 Total $235.50 I called again on 8/25 and spoke with Jeff. I explained my dissatisfaction with the charges after March. He said he would have someone call me later that day. I received no call that day… or today 3 days later.
This complainant could have avoided the situation by taking all appropriate steps to cancel their merchant account without paying any fees.
An “A” Performance
In light of the lack of complaints or reviews to the profile, we agree with the BBB’s rating.
Wind River Financial Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Item | Result | >
|---|---|
| Swiped Rate | 2.5% + $0.20 |
| Keyed-in Rate | 3.5% + $0.20 |
| Virtual Terminal Rate | 1.00% - 4.99% |
| Payment Gateway Fee | Undisclosed |
| Account Closure Fee | $25 |
| PCI Compliance Fee | Undisclosed |
| Equipment Lease Terms | Undisclosed |
No Long-Term Contracts
There is a limited amount of publicly available information about the standard Wind River Financial contract. The company advertises that it does not lock merchants into long-term contracts, but it doesn’t state the duration of its standard merchant agreement. We have also located a Wind River Financial complaint that mentions a $25 account closure fee, which appears to be charged whenever a merchant cancels service. Aside from these details, there is no other information available about the company’s monthly fees, PCI compliance fees, pricing structure, or equipment lease policies.
Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing
In addition to its storefront payment processing services, Wind River Financial 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 Wind River Financial rates and fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, batch fees, and additional transaction rates typically apply to these e-commerce services.
Variable Contract Terms
Given Wind River Financial’s promotion of short-term contracts, it is likely that the company allows its sales agents some freedom to customize the rate and Wind River Financial fee schedule for each merchant. As a reseller of TSYS, merchants should be aware of the typical rates and fees offered by that company.
Since Wind River Financial promotes short-term contracts, the PCI compliance and early termination fees associated with TSYS are likely irrelevant. However, TSYS typical rates provide some insight into what merchants can expect as a starting point for negotiating a rate. TSYS offers smaller-sized merchants, like those that Wind River Financial appeals to, a swipe rate of 2.5% plus $0.20 per transaction and a keyed-in rate of 3.5% plus $0.20.
It is unclear how competitive Wind River Financial’s contract terms are compared to the cheapest merchant accounts. Merchants are therefore encouraged to shop competitively and to ask about all applicable terms and Wind River Financial fees. It may also be of use to merchants to check out our list of best merchant accounts. If you have any specific knowledge of the standard Wind River Financial merchant agreement, please provide that information in the comment section below this review.
Wind River Financial offers e-commerce solutions including virtual terminals
Wind River Financial Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Employs Independent Resellers | Unknown |
| Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | No |
Inside and Outside Sales Agents
Wind River Financial appears to utilize inside sales agents, outside sales agents, and traditional advertising to market its services. There is no evidence at this time that the company employs a large team of independently contracted sales agents, but it is possible that its regional sales managers oversee teams of independent contractors. We cannot find any Wind River Financial reviews that describe deceptive conduct by the company’s sales agents.
No Deceptive Advertising
The Wind River Financial website also does not promote any misleading rate quotes or unrealistic guarantees. If you suspect that you are being charged undisclosed Wind River Financial fees, however, we recommend seeking an independent statement audit to spot hidden charges. Overall, the company currently meets all of our requirements for an “A” rating in this section. In this category, Wind River Financial is comparable to some of our best credit card processors.
Our Wind River Financial Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
An Above-Average Credit Card Processor
Wind River Financial rates as a reliable merchant services provider according to all available information. The company has amassed only a few public complaints in over 15 years of operation, and there are no outward indications that it is engaged in deceptive sales tactics. As with any “A” rated merchant account provider, merchants are encouraged to review all contract terms before signing up for service and to compare its pricing to the top overall providers.
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Max Jill
I have been a loyal client of Wind River Financial for several years now, and I must say they have truly exceeded my expectations. Their commitment to providing top-notch payment processing solutions is unparalleled. From the very beginning, their team impressed me with their in-depth knowledge and exceptional customer service.
Wind River Financial has streamlined my business operations and significantly improved our payment processes. Their secure and efficient payment gateway ensures smooth transactions every time, giving me the confidence to focus on growing my business. The seamless integration with our existing systems has been a game-changer, saving us valuable time and resources.
I wholeheartedly recommend Wind River Financial to any business seeking reliable and innovative payment solutions. Their dedication to excellence and personalized support make them stand out from the competition. Thank you, Wind River Financial, for being a valued partner in our success!