PayJunction Credit Card Processing 2023: Reviews & Complaints

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Company Overview

Founded in 2000, PayJunction is a merchant account provider based in Santa Barbara, California, that specializes in providing credit card processing services through a proprietary virtual terminal, e-commerce payment gateway, and mobile processing solution. Built by a team of developers, PayJunction is one of the best solutions for merchants with WordPress-hosted businesses.

In 2023, PayJunction partnered with Plaid to boost its fraud protection and ACH processing services.

PayJunction Payment Gateway

Once dubbed “The Trinity System,” PayJunction's single, integrated solution allows clients to collect credit card payments in a variety of ways. Merchants can use PayJunction to accept face-to-face payments through a virtual terminal (with an optional USB Card Reader), online with a hosted shopping cart (or through third-party carts using PayJunction's gateway), and using any phone by typing the information into an automated system or using a smartphone app and attached card reader. PayJunction's service also includes the ability to generate sales reports as well as search transaction history.

Ideal for Subscription-Based Businesses

Additionally, PayJunction has a PCI-compliant, token-based system that allows businesses to re-charge or refund cards automatically without needing to re-type or re-swipe the card. This token system also includes a useful automatic recurring billing feature for businesses with subscription or membership-based businesses. All features are included in the system, so businesses can change or add features as needed without having to contact PayJunction or pay additional fees. PayJunction also offers an EMV/NFC compatible smart terminal that can be included with each merchant account for free.

Mobile Payments

For businesses on the go, PayJunction offers a mobile payment solution. This enables merchants to accept payments directly through their smartphones or tablets using a specialized app.

Recurring Billing

PayJunction provides a recurring billing feature that automates payments for subscriptions or memberships. The system allows for customizable billing cycles and can send automatic reminders to customers.

Smart Terminals

PayJunction’s smart terminals are designed for in-store payment acceptance. They are EMV-compliant and support contactless payments. The terminals also have a built-in printer for issuing customer receipts.

Payment Gateway Integration

The company offers a payment gateway that can integrate with various eCommerce platforms and shopping carts. This allows for seamless online payment processing, complete with fraud prevention features.

Security and Compliance

PayJunction places a strong emphasis on security, offering services that are PCI Level 1 compliant. They provide tokenization and encryption technologies to safeguard customer data.

PayJunction Location & Ownership

PayJunction used to be partnered with Card Payment Solutions for providing its credit card processing services; however, the company now processes directly through TSYS. PayJunction is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank, Concord, CA, and is headquartered at 1903 State St‎ Santa Barbara, California 93101. The company's president is Randy Modos.

PayJunction Payment Gateway
PayJunction offers a proprietary payment gateway and virtual terminal

PayJunction Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints <10
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint N/A
Recent Lawsuits No

Low Complaint Volume

There are no negative PayJunction reviews in the usual online forums; however, there are a handful of negative PayJunction reviews in the comment section of this review. The complaints appear to be isolated incidents based either on a technical issue or merchant confusion. PayJunction representatives have been active in responding to these comments with a professional tone. At the time of this update, we see no complaints that indicate widespread issues or reason for alarm. If you have your own PayJunction review to make, please do so in the comments below.

PayJunction Lawsuits

We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against PayJunction. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.

PayJunction Customer Support Options

We will assume for now that PayJunction has a functional customer support and dispute resolution process. The company has a dedicated support website that features a knowledge base, support phone number, and ticketing system.

PayJunction Customer Service Numbers

  • (800) 601-0230 – Toll-Free General Customer Service
  • (805) 563-1520 – Local Office
  • (805) 426-0404 – Alternative Number
  • (800) 771-3821 – Fax

Other Support Options

These contact options are close to what we expect from top-rated payment processors for great customer service.

PayJunction Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
BBB Reports 11

No BBB Complaints

As of this update, the Better Business Bureau is showing PayJunction as accredited and is awarding the company an “A+” rating. The BBB is reporting 1 complaint filed in the last 36 months. The complaint was resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or received no final response.

What Merchants Say

PayJunction has also received 10 informal reviews on its BBB profile. All but one review is positive in tone. The most recent negative review describes issues with chargebacks:

This company cannot verify returning my money and is not willing to refund my money. This is fraud and is not due diligence and will be escalated.

An “A” Performance

In light of the company’s clean record with the BBB, we agree with the BBB’s rating in this case. Readers should be aware, however, that there are reasons to be skeptical of the BBB’s rating system in general.

PayJunction Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Cancellation Penalties No
Monthly & Annual Fees Yes
Processing Rates Interchange + (Variable)
Equipment Leasing Unclear

Interchange-Plus Pricing

PayJunction offers month-to-month plans for new and existing businesses.  According to its pricing table, the company offers interchange-plus pricing with a markup of 0.80% for swiped and keyed-in debit transactions. Swiped credit transactions cost interchange plus 2.26%. Keyed-in credit card transactions cost interchange plus 2.55%. A rate of 0.75% also is applied for ACH check processing. No early termination fees or PCI compliance fees are assessed by the company. If a business is satisfied with their rates but interested in PayJunction’s proprietary software, PayJunction will also simply match the business’ existing rates. A $35 monthly fee also applies to businesses processing less than $10,000 each month.

Virtual Terminal and Payment Gateway Pricing

In addition to its storefront payment processing services, PayJunction also dedicates a portion of its website to advertising its virtual terminal and payment gateway services. According to the company’s website, online payments are charged interchange plus 1.80$ plus $0.10. However, the company does not charge other fees, including gateway fees, technical support fees, or batch fees.

More Value Than Competitors

PayJunction is considered to be an ideal PayPal alternative for the value it offers and the ease with which it allows clients to accept online payments, especially for high-volume business types.

PayJunction Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Uses Independent Resellers Yes
Telemarketing Likely
Misleading Marketing No
Discloses All Important Terms Yes

Independent Resellers

PayJunction does not use any deceptive marketing or advertising tactics that we have found. The company relies primarily on recruiting independent resellers to market and sell its services. Normally, this practice results in numerous client complaints due to unscrupulous agents; however, PayJunction seems to have tight controls over the sales/underwriting process as evidenced by a low amount of negative PayJunction reviews.

Full Pricing Disclosure

The PayJunction website fully discloses nearly all of its rates and fees, and we’ve found no evidence to suggest that these quotes are deceptively presented. However, if you are concerned that you have been misled about your pricing, you can double-check your monthly bill with a third-party statement audit.

PayJunction rates and fees
The PayJunction rates and fees structure

Our PayJunction Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Overall, PayJunction scores very well as a credit card processing provider. The company’s virtual terminal is one of the best web-based credit card processing systems that we have seen. PayJunction has very few complaints for its time in business and offers month-to-month contracts, no cancellation fees, and no PCI Compliance fees. As always, readers are encouraged to fully read and understand their merchant account agreement before signing with any merchant services company. Learn more by visiting the PayJunction website.

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Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did PayJunction Treat You?

25 User Reviews

  • Sonya N

    I also am a customer who used the online gateway and had several pending charges to my credit card when I only entered the transaction once. According to the merchant, my card was declined due to the address not matching but I checked and they match. Also the next day, I had a fraudulent charge on that same credit card when I never did before.

  • Jim

    I am a customer trying to pay on line and ended up with 6 pending on charges on my credit credit card because the form I was trying to figure out didn’t help me distinguish between the credit card billing address and the address where the work was carried out.

    Maybe I was just plain tired.

    Better customer interface would be helpful.

  • Joe

    I absolutely love PayJunction. I don’t normally write reviews but after reading some comments above I felt it necessary to weigh in with my experience. Having a practice for 25 years I have dealt with many credit card processing companies and sales agents. I worked with Tom to set up my account and I have never spoken with anyone who has explained the industry and rates to me as thoroughly and professionally as Tom did. Finally a company that is transparent in an otherwise opaque industry. Their service and platform seem 2nd to none!

  • Shanon Harrell

    I sold their processing for short time – poor experience and after upfront never got a residual from them for the 5 accounts I placed there – many emails – no help – poor poor experience for the rep so leads me to believe those client’s aren’t being taken care of well either. Sad because I loved their smart terminals….

  • Chuck

    Excellent processor and employees. We have been using Pay Junction now for a little over 2 years and I can’t overemphasize just how good this processor is. When you call, you ALWAYS get to speak to a person. When there had been issue with our processing of a brand card we don’t really like, the leadership at Pay Junction went above and beyond in their efforts to quickly fix the issues. We have used a few other processors in the past, and I truly can say, Pay Junction is the BEST we have ever done business with. Monies in our bank accounts the next day, always and without fail. Employees who always go the extra mile to provide speedy service, answer questions, and or help in any questions we have. You simply can’t go wrong with these people, we have been totally pleased with all operations from Pay Junction. if you have tried others and been unhappy, Pay Junction will surly surprise you with their great rates and excellent customer service. I came here today to post a positive reply because of a recent issue we had. They elevated our issue all the way to the owner who personally fixed the issue the same day. Absolutely pleased with these people.

  • PTK

    So far, I’ve had a great experience with PayJunction. They were very helpful getting our account set up. I was able to speak with a knowledgeable person at every step of the process, including getting help with their API. Their testing environment is very useful, and allows you to try out various scenarios before going live. Our online store will go live Q4 2014, and I’ll report back after that.

    • PTK

      Just reporting back, as promised. PayJunction must be the best out there. They helped me through launch nicely. I had some questions about the API, and was able to speak with a software engineer who knew the nooks and crannies well. When there was a part of the API that could have been better, he acknowledged that right away, and then showed me how I could accomplish what I needed by other means.

  • Evelyn Lara

    Payjunction is the BEST company anyone could have to Process Thousands of Dollars a day for their company…I have been with Payjunction for over 4 years now and I have been completely satisfied with their Rates & Customer service over all in all their different Departments…I have spoke to a lot of their diff employees in several diff departments and everyone is very helpful & respectful even when im frustrated about a chargeback that is not their fault it happened and they try their best to be patient and give me all the correct information they can that will help me understand how the process works to solve the issue and get the money back into my acct asap…Their product & Technology is TOP NOTCH And no need to play the rate game with them cause I guarantee you will not find a better rate or customer service in this day and time I have been self employeed for over 30yrs and have done business with several Merchant Companies and none have been this great as Payjunction and trust me you will not find a better company elsewhere…They have always found a way to save me money when I call in for a rate review and I do appreciate everything they have done to help with saving me more money to put into my pocket to help feed my family better!!!!!!! I guess all the people who leave negative reviews are really not intouch with the Payjunction here that im with cause I can promise you one thing they do have good business ethics cause if they didn’t I would not be with them for over 4 years now….Just to let you know a few of the very nice employees they have I have spoke to over the phone that are awesome with their customers are
    1st Kathy Byrd outside rep who helped set my acct up she is the nicest lady and helpful…

    Anthony in Risk management Dept I have spoke to lots of times in the past 4yrs he has always been awesome!!!

    Alene hope I spelled her name right lol helped me recently on 6-14-13 with my rate review she ROCKS she helped save me lots of $$$$ im very happy about that!!

    Jeremy in customer serv really a sweet guy has been very respectful when I was frustrated he put up with me lots of times poor guy still was so nice to an old lady complaining about something that could be fixed so easy lol

    Michael Gomez in Customer care was awesome such a nice guy!!!!!!!

    Sam was so polite and knowledgeable to inform me how some things work in the Technology of the processing a really nice guy to talk with!!!!

    Heidi was awesome AND A REALLY NICE LADY helping me when I had a customer claim a charge back on over 10k it was so frustrating and everyone helped including her get that money back into my acct asap…..she ROCKS!!!!

    Gina Valdivia in 2012 helped me a time or two was such a nice person…

    I want to Thank everyone who works there for all their hard work to make it such a great experience to do business with Payjunction these 4yrs…Cause it takes a team to help make the company successful keep up all the good work im not going anywhere im happy and I LOVE TO DO BUSINESS WITH PAYJUNCTION!!!!!!!!!

  • Tricia Tequida

    I have read some of these reviews and they must be talking about a different company than the one I use. I have been with payjunction for only a few months. My service has been excellent customer support outstanding. I call tech support they take the call after 2 rings and I get knowledgable & helpful answers to all of my questions. And the techs speak english and are from the USA.
    I have been with other providers before ( Paypal , Square and Heartland) none have been as good, someone said they arent getting their money in a timely fashion, I find that hard to believe unless that have not set up their account to auto-batch every night. I get my funds in 1-2 days EVERY time.
    I guess only the people who have problems leave comments. My experience has been excellent and I recommend Payjunction to any merchant who wants the flexibility of taking cards on the go( with their phone) or on-line on their website or in the office on the computer.

  • J

    there is now misunderstanding about this company they are scam artest we had our account setup with them and at the same time was a reseller and provided them with about 10 high paying leads and then they ripped my account out form under me and closed them all keeping my contacts i didnt think this was the case untill i started calling my customers and they had been calling them telling them i was no longer apart of the company. They costed me alot of money shutting down my credit card services for no reason other than to gain on there end and not have to pay out commissions. Please beg you do not use this company Mike above is a great guy oh hope he moves to another company as this one is going to fall apart.

    • Eric Wernicke

      Official Response From PayJunction:
      The “anonymous” post above from “J” is most likely from a person who forged a check. We can confirm that we recently closed an account due to forgery. To be clear, PayJunction cancelled this account because the person forged a bank document; PayJunction is responsible for all risk associated with a merchant account if it is used to perpetrate fraud.

      The bank document was forged to look as if a signed letter from M. Williams from Chase Bank in McDonough Georgia was verifying a checking account. PayJunction has confirmed with the real M. Williams that she did not write this letter, and that the contents of it are incorrect. Upon closer inspection, one can physically see the digital alterations in the letter. With permission, PayJunction has a recorded call with M. Williams attesting to the fact the bank document has been forged.

      PayJunction has a zero tolerance policy for fraud; in addition, it is illegal. We are currently investigating taking legal action against the consumer regarding criminal charges for forgery and civil charges for liable.

      —————————-
      (The consumer’s State) – Georgia Code – Crimes and Offenses – Title 16, Section 16-9-1 (a) A person commits the offense of forgery in the first degree when with intent to defraud he knowingly makes, alters, or possesses any writing in a fictitious name or in such manner that the writing as made or altered purports to have been made by another person, at another time, with different provisions, or by authority of one who did not give such authority and utters or delivers such writing. (b) A person convicted of the offense of forgery in the first degree shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years.
      —————————-

      We realize anyone can post anything online today. We hope that reviewers understand that we take the security of our systems seriously, and therefore have a zero tolerance policy for fraud. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (800) 601-0230.
      With kindest regards, Eric Wernicke, Co-Owner

  • Mechell

    I called payjunction to inquire about their rates and pricing as I was referred to them by Effortlesse. After asking about three questions to a very rude “sales person” named Tom I think his name was, I realized that this was not the place to go. He kept dancing around my questions as if I was incompetent and kept requesting my current merchant provider statements. After he raised his voice at me and spoke to me with the WORST tone of voice I have ever heard, I slammed the phone down and quickly changed my mind about EVER doing business with these people or EFFORTLESSE!! I promise I will tell EVERY SINGLE BUSINESS PERSON I KNOW ABOUT THE HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE THESE PEOPLE JUST GAVE TO ME AND I HOPE YOU ALL WILL STAY AWAY FROM THEM COMPLETELY!!!!!

    • Ty Henry-Payjunction Reseller

      Apologies, Mechell, if you did not have a good experience. Although I cannot speak down or ill of Tom as he is a Director and thus my superior, please understand our business model. Although certain matters are negotiable, we do not play the “Rate Game”, thus, the race to the bottom. We consider our product technology to be unique and superior, unlike most providers who are providing the EXACT identical service to each other-Terminal processing. Therefore our business model is to provide one set of standard figures for new businesses, but for established merchants, we start with a price match and look for areas to save you money. Understand, asking for a rep from a solid provider to quote you rates without verifying your volume is inviting them to lie to you, quoting the lowest rate blindly. To put another way, would you expect someone to quote you term life insurance without a physical or knowing your age or whether you smoke? Or a bank loan without financials? If I quote you a monthly fee and find out later you do $900 a month in volume, I’m stuck with that quote. We’d rather decline someone’s business than use unethical tactics to earn it. There is a reason for our reputation; we don’t advertise or pay for favorable treatment, and we’re not interested in Square-like “1000 signups per hour.” Each client is assigned TWO dedicated reps who know you by name. You’re considered clients, not accounts, so we are selective. Not every provider’s rate structure is the same. We, for example,don’t charge for PCI-simply processing with us eliminates the need for audits. On the other hand,we will sometimes charge a startup fee based on low volume or risk level of the business type or credit history. If you have an issue with any employee, you may take it up with our president, randy modos, who answers any e-mail personally. He often mans the sales phones. We have other national directors, including mine, Jamie, at extension 1404.

    • Bob

      I had the same exact experience as Mechell. Tom Harnetiaux is a jerk and the single reason we aren’t going with Pay Junction. He was tasked with providing an analysis of our current statement as compared with the new one, but didn’t apply the interchange rates or reflect any of the hidden fees in his analysis. Simply a broad-stroke likely 2 minute effort with no detail. When I inquired about it, he was condescending and dismissive telling me to review the “DETAIL” of which there was none. When I told our regional rep we weren’t interested, Tom tried too send the application to a different person in our organization. Unfortunately for him, I’m the President and that didn’t work so well. In fact, it only led this candid review. Way to go TOM!

      National Sales Director or not, this approach is toxic to an otherwise great organization. Its unfortunate, because we really wanted to go with PayJunction. Dear Pay Junction VP, per the last review response i.e. Tom being higher up in the org, this is on you.


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      • Sara

        I had the same experience Bob! Tom is like a slimy used car salesman. He told me nothing about the product and what it has to offer. His only words were, “we will beat whatever your current rate is”. That didn’t tell me how the product works at all. Then he sent me a follow-up email after and had the wrong name addressing me, he quickly sent a “oops” email that said something about copying and pasting the email from the client he had just spoken to before me and included “lol” in his response. I sent him an email out of curiosity with my current rates and he immediately sent one back (with lower rates of course) but not including an answer to my question about interchange rates and hidden fees. I had a bad vibe from him from the first phone call. I can’t believe that he manages to get any clients. I would truly never consider using PayJunction. You are right his approach is extremely toxic! Yuck yuck yuck!


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  • Staci Williams

    I have the same exact same problem Rose. They have held $3000+ for over a week and I keep getting excuses. They say it is an error on thier end and they are trying to fix it. I have been told twice that the money would be there on two seperate days and it has never shown up. I asked them to wire the money since they have it and they say they can’t. I would not recommend this company to ANYONE. I may change my tune if they get this fixed and follow through but at the moment I am out $3000.00 and the time I have spent on the phone being lied too.

  • Rose

    I have a new payjunction account (opened about 10 days ago) & started having transactions placed on my website on 8/10 (Wednesday). I was told deposits take 2 days to receive.. which would be Friday. No deposit. I called (very nice customer service people btw), and they said “No worries.. you’ll receive it Monday”. Monday comes, no deposit! Has anyone else had this issue? I’ve been waiting on a call back all day.. they said they’ve contacted first national bank of Omaha to see what the problem is. This is a BIG problem to me! What was the outcome? Help?

    • Phillip CPO

      Hi Rose,

      This is likely happening for two possible reasons: #1 The account number or routing number for your checking account was incorrect on your merchant account application. Or #2, Saturday – Monday is considered one “business day” in the banking industry and deposits made during that time usually do not post to your account until Tuesday, which is considered the next business day. Also, some banks close their Friday business day in the early afternoon (often 3pm). This means that deposits made after the close of the Friday business day get counted on the Saturday – Monday business day and deposited on Tuesday.

  • Carla DeFraine

    Pay junction has failed to respond to repeated efforts to:

    a. Change the name of my business despite repeated assurances that the necessary changes would be made.

    b. Process international charges. They remain unprocessed, at considerable cost to me.

    c. Follow up assurances made by their representatives over the phone with promised actions

    Instead, attempts to fix what I had hoped were easily remedied glitches have been met with threats of penalties should I seek more helpful merchant services. I remain hopeful that their service will improve, and will update this site should such improvement occur.

    • Mike Winner

      Who is your reseller Carla and when did you get set up??? Sounds like there is some misunderstanding here and maybe you are talking to a merchant partner and not PayJunction direct?? Those issues are all super easily fixed on our end…

  • Nick Hutmacher

    Payjunction is a GREAT Company! I own a small transportation company and have been using Payjunction as our merchant company for over 4 years. We process thousands of dollars a day through them and have NEVER had any problems with Payjunction. Many other merchant companies have tried to get our business with great service and lower rate promises but NONE of them have ever been able to beat their rates or service.

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