Electronic Payment Systems Review

It’s not often that we see a company admit that they haven’t been up to snuff, but if they’ve corrected the previous issues, that level of awareness could be beneficial to customers. However, while customer service is a big part of the equation, it’s still only one part. Let’s take a look at EPS’s services, costs, and equipment, and then check out the Electronic Payment Systems reviews from clients to see if they’re truly back on track and keeping clients satisfied.

• Merchant Services
  • Seasonal Shutdown
  • Check Processing
  • Merchant Cash Advance
• Other Services
  • Web Management
  • Gift and Loyalty Cards
  • EZ Payment Plan
• EPS Equipment
• Electronic Payment Systems Rates and Fees
• Electronic Payment Systems Reviews from Customers
  • EPS at the Better Business Bureau
  • Reviews on the EPS Website

Merchant Services

Electronic Payment Systems claims it can provide processing for almost any industry (including businesses designated as “high-risk”) and is one of the merchant services providers that donates a percentage of profits from transaction fees to the charity of your choice. If you process credit cards through EPS, you can request those charity donations.

EPS mentions that you’ll be able to accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. American Express is optional, but will require separate applications and paperwork. The company states it can offer processing through the usual channels: in person using point-of-sale terminals, online using a payment gateway and shopping cart, through a virtual terminal (great for phone orders), or on the go using a smartphone and an attached card reader.

Related Article: What’s a Virtual Terminal, and Should I Use One?

Seasonal Shutdown

EPS can provide “seasonal” merchant accounts to businesses that don’t operate all year round. If your business is seasonal, there’s no point in paying more for a year-round merchant account when you won’t be taking payments in the offseason.

Check Processing

Electronic Payment Systems offers ElectCheckPlus, a check verification and guarantee service. The value of the check is guaranteed once the check is approved, so there’s no worrying about whether it will bounce or incur fees. ElectCheckPlus also eliminates the need to physically deposit checks the bank, saving time.

Merchant Cash Advance

Qualified businesses can secure funding from EPS in the form of a merchant cash advance. Different than a loan, cash advances usually don’t require good personal credit (EPS says credit scores can be as low as 500) and are faster to obtain. However, in some cases, they also come with higher costs, and you’ll have less control over repayment, since you’ll make payments automatically from your credit card sales.

Cash advances can be used for almost any business expense at your discretion, including equipment or inventory purchases, expansion, advertising, and more.

Other Services

In addition to the payment processing services detailed above, Electronic Payment Systems offers web management (through a partner company), gift and loyalty card programs, and an EZ Payment Plan that you can offer customers.

Web Management

EPS offers both website and search engine optimization services through a subsidiary, called SEO Boost for Business. The company can assist with website creation or maintenance and placement in search engine results.

Gift and Loyalty Cards

EPS mentions that gift and loyalty card programs are available, but doesn’t provide many details. The company does state that you can load the cards through your POS system, reissue lost cards, and process them like any other transaction.

EZ Payment Plan

The EZ Payment Plan is EPS’s consumer financing plan for businesses selling high-ticket items. You’ll be able to offer your customers the option to pay for their purchase (of up to $5,000) over 90 days, with no credit check. The program is suggested for businesses with higher priced goods and services where customers may not have the full cost of the item at the time, such as furniture stores, jewelers, and other high-ticket sellers. EPS states that your payments are guaranteed provided you follow the rules of the program, but it doesn’t specify what those rules are specifically.

EPS Equipment

Electronic Payments mentions equipment on its website, saying it can offer full POS systems, wireless systems, and mobile devices, but doesn’t provide much detail. The company does state that the smartphone card readers are EMV capable, meaning you’ll be able to accept chip cards. EPS also says you’ll be able to accept digital wallet payments (like Apple Pay) but doesn’t provide information on the terminals for that, either.

EPS offers an equipment warranty, the First Merchant Platinum Terminal Warranty, which includes programming and shipping a new terminal the same day that you report a problem with your current machine. According to EPS, the warranty includes:

• Equipment repairs
• Equipment replacement
• Software updates
• 2-Day return shipping
• 1/2 off terminal supplies
• Discounted upgrades

You’re also protected by the warranty in cases of theft, accidental and incidental damage, natural disasters, manufacturer defects, and more.

In the pages about equipment, EPS doesn’t mention if you’ll be leasing or purchasing. As leases are often expensive and non-cancellable, be sure to find out what you’re in for before signing up.

Electronic Payment Systems Rates and Fees

Something that is notably absent from EPS’ website is any mention of cost. Some review or comparison websites may list assumed costs or example costs, but remember that companies in credit card processing set pricing differently for each business. CardFellow lets you get the true costs for your business, so there’s no guesswork.

EPS responds to requests for quotes right here through CardFellow’s easy price comparison form. You can request a quote to review in private (EPS won’t get your contact info; they’ll just see what you list for volume and industry) and compare it to any other quotes you’d like. Give it a try.

Electronic Payment Systems Customer Reviews

EPS reviews from customers are where things fall apart a bit. There’s quite a bit of negative information available, though it’s possible some is left over from the company’s self-described poor customer service era. However, there are recent complaints as well, so it can’t all be chalked up to previous practices. There are also positive comments, though, indicating that some things may be going well.

EPS at the Better Business Bureau

As of November 2016, EPS has an A rating with the Better Business Bureau and states on its own website that it has brought that grade up from a B-. The company has had 78 complaints lodged with the BBB in the past 3 years, with 19 of those in the past year. That’s not actually a huge number, but 11 negative reviews add to the tally. On the flip side, there are 30 positive reviews and 2 neutral ones on the BBB site.

The complaints don’t hold back, accusing the company of lying, not closing accounts when requested, deducting fees after requesting account closures, not living up to promises, shutting down accounts, and more.

The negative reviews say the same basic things as the official complaints: that the company is a scam, customers are lied to, cancelling service is impossible, and customer service is rude. EPS responds to many of the complaints and reviews.

The positive reviews say that the company is very helpful, with friendly staff and good customer service, prompt resolution when there’s a problem, good rates, and user friendly solutions. Several reviews mention that the customer has been with EPS for a long time, and reviews all checked that they would recommend the business to a friend or family member.

Reviews on the EPS Website

On its website, Electronic Payment Systems includes a few testimonials. The reviewers praise the company’s customer service, following through on what they say they’re going to do, and ease of use. The reviews do not include the customer’s name or business name.

Do you have experience with EPS? Leave a review!