First American Payment Systems Review

Rates and Fees
30/100
Truth in Advertising
40/100
Consumer Reviews
30/100
Customer Support
20/100
2

Best for

It's appropriate for businesses looking to accept payments mostly online. It can also accommodate in-person payments, with the bulk of its services concentrated on online electronic functionality.

Specializes in

First American Payment Systems specialize in various processing areas, including credit & debit card processing, ACH processing, ATM processing, check processing, gift card processing, and E-commerce payment processing. It also offers a point of sale system, remote deposit capture, merchant services, treasury management services, electronic payments, and mobile payments.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: Undisclosed

Monthly Fee: Undisclosed

Swipe Rate: 1.00% - 4.99%

Keyed-in Rate: 1.00% - 4.99%

Early Termination Fee : $300-$495

Contract Terms:

3 Years
Visit First American Payment Systems

First American Payment Systems is based out of Fort Worth, Texas, at 100 Throckmorton St Suite 1800. It has been in business since 1990 and operates under several other business names, including FirstAdvantage, FirstFund ACH, Merimac Capital, Secur-Chex, FirstView, and FirstPay.net. The founder and CEO is Neil Randel, and it is a registered ISO/MSP of Fifth Third Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, and MetaBank. First American Payment Systems advocates they dedicate personnel to each account to increase customer service. It also appears to have a track record of serving over 164,000 customers, with $30 billion in transaction volume.

First American Payment Systems Overview

 

A review of the First American Payment Systems website claims that it provides the best products and services around but does not mention how much those products and services will cost. A large portion of the consideration that businesses take when looking for a product and service is to find the cost, and this company provides no insight into what that may entail. The feedback online for First American indicates that accounts can be expensive. Although it doesn't specify an industry focus, it appears that there are other choices for services that tend to be less expensive. First American offers a tiered pricing plan, which is usually one of the most costly pricing forms. An in-depth glance at its BBB profile shows a negative reputation. Most of the complaints stem from bad customer service, omitting information, and difficulty canceling services. It was also acquired by an investment group called Ontario Teachers Pension Plan in 2014.

Quick Facts

Head Quarters

Fort Worth, TX

Year Founded

1990

CEO

Neil Randel

Employees

500

Merchant Provider Risk Tolerance

What We Like

E-check processing offered.

PCI-Compliant solution.

Offers a tablet based point of sale system.

Accepts mobile payments.

You can shop online with the shopping cart integration system.

What We Don't Like

No pricing disclosed on line.

Early termination fee assessed.

Three year contract term.

Offers a tiered pricing plan.

Difficult to cancel services.

Industries Served

  • CBD & Hemp
  • Cigars & Tobacco
  • Clothing & Apparel
  • Convenience Store
  • E-Cigarettes / Vape
  • Electronics
  • Gaming
  • Gas Station
  • Guns & Firearms
  • Hunting & Outdoor Equipment
  • Legal
  • Marketing Agency
  • Moving Companies
  • Nutraceuticals & Supplement
  • Personal Service
  • Property Management
  • Restaurant / Bar
  • Self Defense, Tasers & Stun Guns
  • SEO & SEM Services
  • Smoking Accessories
  • Thrift Store
  • Web Design Services

Business Types Served

  • B2B
  • Ecommerce
  • Enterprise Merchant Accounts
  • High Volume
  • Information
  • Low Risk
  • MLM
  • Mobile
  • Mom & Pop
  • MOTO
  • Online
  • Retail / Card Present
  • Small Business
  • Subscription / Continuity
  • Tech Support

First American Payment Systems Products & Services

 

First American Payment Systems offers various products and services to help fit any business need.

Hardware & Software



  •   POS System & Mobile App: It offers a tablet-based Point of Sale System and provides mobile payments through 1stPayMobile.

  •   eCommerce: First American provides the option to sell online with it's shopping cart integration. It also has the functionality to offer a customized payment page builder. The virtual terminal and recurring billing are included in this software.


Value-Added Services



  •   Next-Day Funding: This option is available; however, extra fees may apply.

  •   Online Reporting: First American offers the ability to view merchant statements online and generate customized reports.

  •   Terminal Sales & Leasing: FAPS offers a countertop terminal with options to lease through Merimac Capital. Fees are associated with this option. Leases can't be canceled and are in effect for 60 months with a $45 monthly fee.

  •   Developer Tools: Developers who want more control for their integrated payment system will have the option with First American's payment system. Solutions are customizable and are coupled with a technical support team.

  •   Security Suite: Fraud detection tools are integrated into payment security, including encryption and tokenization. Breach insurance is also included as well as PCI compliance assistance.


Supported Payment Types / Services



  •   ACH & Paper Check Processing

  •   Gift cards and a loyalty program which is designed for small to midsize businesses.

  •   Merchant Cash Advances

First American Payment Systems Payment Processing

  • ACH Check Transactions
  • Cash Transactions
  • Chargeback & Fraud Prevention
  • Credit Card Processing
  • Credit Card Terminals
  • Debit Card Processing
  • eCheck & ACH Processing
  • Gift & Loyalty Program
  • Merchant Cash Advance
  • Mobile Card Reader
  • Mobile Commerce
  • Mobile Payments App
  • Ongoing Negotiation & Advocacy
  • Online Payments
  • Online Shopping Cart Integration
  • Payment Gateway
  • Payment Processing Services Integration
  • POS Equipment
  • Receipt Printing
  • Recurring Billing
  • Retail Payment Processing
  • Shopping Cart Integration
  • Shopping Cart Provided
  • Virtual Terminal

First American Payment Systems Billing & Invoicing

  • Billing Portal
  • Contact Database
  • Customizable Invoices
  • Mobile Payments
  • Online Invoicing
  • Online Payments
  • Payment Processing

First American Payment Systems Advertising & Sales

 
The official website does not outline the types of advertising and sales tactics that it uses. Based on Google Reviews and BBB reviews, the company appears to use independent sales agents, which have landed them somewhat in hot water. There is no mention of costs, and there is no educational material about how processing fees work. Pricing seems to be somewhat inconsistent based on numerous reviews. In some cases, the independent sales agents with First American seem to be poorly trained, which low focus on quality customer service.

Truth in Marketing

Discloses All Important Terms

No

Public Pricing Available

No

First American Payment Systems Pricing, Rates & Fees

 

Similar to most merchants, First American Payment Systems doesn't disclose their pricing and fees for the public's general consumption. They offer tiered pricing that is customizable to different businesses and requires that the company work with an independent sales representative. Feedback from merchants reveals a choice between a $95 annual fee or a $25 monthly minimum payment on a standard contract. Monthly statement fees are variable and can be upwards of $20 per month. Various costs are associated with it's virtual terminals and payment gateway services. There are also additional fees, including technical support fees, batch fees, and other transaction rates.

Pricing at a Glance

Pricing Model

Tiered Pricing

Swiped Rate

1.00% - 4.99%

Keyed-in Rate

1.00% - 4.99%

Mobile Payment Rate

Virtual Terminal Rate

1.00% - 4.99%

Monthly Fee

Undisclosed

Payment Gateway Fee

Undisclosed

Batch Fee

Undisclosed

Early Termination Fee

$300-$495

PCI Compliance Fee

$120 Per Year

Equipment Lease Terms

48 Month (locked)

Address Verification Service (AVS)

Application Fee

Undisclosed

Account Setup Fee

Undisclosed

Gateway Setup Fee

Undisclosed

Annual Fee

$95

Monthly Minimum

$25

Statement Fee

$20

First American Payment Systems Contract & Terms

The company offers the following as a standard contract:


  • Contract Length: 3 Years

  • Early Termination Fee: $300-$495

Contract Length

3 Years

Early Termination Fee

$300-$495

First American Payment Systems Setup & Support

 

Setup Highlights

  • Documentation / Knowledge Base

Support Highlights

  • Domestic Phone Support (Business Hours)

First American Payment Systems Complaints, Ratings & Reviews

The organization opened a profile with the Better Business Bureau in January of 2015. It currently has an A+ rating with the BBB rating and is an accredited business. Their customer rating now sits at a .35 out of 5 stars based on 20 customer reviews.

From our research, 72 complaints have been made against First American Payment Systems in the last three years. 28 of those complaints are regarding it's product and service problems, 42 for billing and collection disputes, and 2 for advertising and sales issues. 20 of those complaints have been resolved, but there are 52 still outstanding that have not been resolved.

Ratings

BBB

A+(73 complaints)

Google

1.6 Stars / 159 Reviews

Facebook

N/A

Yelp

N/A

Reviews

Total Online Reviews

300+

Total Online Complaints

150+

Lawsuits

None

First American Payment Systems Alternatives

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