Owner Profile: Joe Bonavota

By Phillip Parker|March 26, 2026

CPO was created by business owners to help others avoid unethical and expensive merchant account providers. To support the continued operation of this website we sell advertising to ethical... processors who have earned top marks in pricing, support, and business practices. Some of the recommendations found on this website may be paid placements.

Background and Roles

Joe Bonavota is associated with Merchant 1 Payments. According to our review of Merchant 1 Payments, the company provides payment processing and merchant services to businesses. Bonavota has been involved in the company’s operations within the payment processing industry.

Legal, Regulatory, and Reputation Notes

We have not identified any significant legal actions, regulatory sanctions, or public ethical complaints directly involving this individual at the time of this profile’s publication. If you have information that should be considered, please contact us.

Please let us know if the photo in this profile is not of Joe Bonavota.

About The Author

Phillip Parker

CPO Creator & Founder

Since 2009, I have researched over 1,000 merchant services providers and published hundreds of payment education-related articles. This work has received national recognition, and my expertise in payments is regularly sought by large media outlets such as CNN, MSN, and INC Magazine, among dozens of others.

Shortly after graduating from college, I was recruited into a sales role with a credit card processor. Only later did I realize that the so-called "training" centered on selling expensive processing agreements... layered with hidden fees and long-term contracts. In my earliest transactions, I unknowingly steered friends and family into costly arrangements after they trusted my recommendation. When I fully understood the structure of what I had been selling, I resigned immediately and committed myself to exposing those practices. That commitment became the foundation of this website.

As Has Appeared In

About Us

CardPaymentOptions.com

Established 2009

This website was launched in 2009 as a modest blog dedicated to exposing questionable marketing and pricing practices within the credit card processing industry and how they negatively impact small business owners. What began as a side project has since evolved into a widely recognized platform advocating for transparency, accountability, and ethical standards in merchant services.

Free Comparison Tool

Are You Overpaying for Processing?

Compare rates across top-rated, low-cost processors. Most businesses save 20-40% by switching.

Get Your Free Comparison

Takes less than 30 seconds

Compare Fees With