Guardian Payment Systems Review

Rates and Fees
90/100
Truth in Advertising
70/100
Consumer Reviews
80/100
Customer Support
70/100
4.5

Best for

Small or medium-sized businesses seeking a merchant account provider with a transparent pricing model and no contracts.

Specializes in

Guardian Payment Systems specializes in offering transparent pricing and no-contract merchant account services.

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: $0

Monthly Fee: Undsiclosed

Swipe Rate: Interchange-Plus

Keyed-in Rate: Interchange-Plus

Early Termination Fee : None

Contract Terms:

No Contract Required
Visit Guardian Payment Systems

Guardian Payment Systems is a merchant account provider that was founded by small business owners who were fed up with long contracts and hidden fees. One of the company’s main missions is transparent pricing as well as no contracts and no hidden fees such as an early termination fee.

The company is currently located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Ryan King is the current owner.

Guardian Payment Systems Overview

 

Guardian Payment Systems was founded with the purpose of offering a merchant account provider to small business owners that had a transparent pricing model. In addition to transparent pricing, Guardian Payment Systems also offers no contracts and no early termination fees.

The company offers interchange-plus pricing. They do charge a transaction fee on top of that but do not specify what the fee is. That is because it likely varies from business to business depending on how small or large or high risk the business is.

The company tries to make its services very user-friendly and small-business friendly. The website is clean and simple and easy to use. The contact information goes straight to the company and they claim they will answer their phone day or night.

Set-up is simple and the payment service integrates with a business's existing POS system. If the business needs a POS system they can purchase one at cost through the website.

Guardian Payments is a registered ISO of Wells Fargo Bank and is based in Arkansas.

Guardian Payments boasts interchange-plus pricing and no contracts. This payment model applies to in-store, online, and mobile payment methods.

Quick Facts

Head Quarters

Fort Smith, Arkansas

Year Founded

2010

CEO

Ryan King - Owner

Employees

10

Merchant Provider Risk Tolerance

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Industries Served

  • Beauty & Wellness
  • Clothing & Apparel
  • Convenience Store
  • Electronics
  • Food & Beverage
  • Gas Station
  • Healthcare
  • Hunting & Outdoor Equipment
  • Moving Companies
  • Personal Service
  • Professional Services
  • Online Sellers
  • Restaurant / Bar
  • Retailers
  • Telemedicine
  • Thrift Store

Business Types Served

  • B2B
  • Ecommerce
  • Enterprise Merchant Accounts
  • Mobile
  • Mom & Pop
  • MOTO
  • Online
  • Retail / Card Present
  • Small Business

Guardian Payment Systems Products & Services

 

Hardware and Software

Guardian Payment Systems offers a virtual terminal and a payment gateway. They claim their software integrates with most POS systems and most website platforms.

The company also offers physical equipment although it doesn’t specify what types or brands. They do advertise that they sell the equipment to you at cost with no mark-up. It does not appear that they offer leases.

Value-Added Services

A gift card and loyalty programs are available.

Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Clover POS integration.

Supported Payment Types and Services

All major credit cards such as:

Visa
Mastercard
Discover
American Express

Most online payment apps include:

Apple Pay
Google Wallet

Guardian Payment Systems Payment Processing

  • Contactless NFC
  • Credit Card Processing
  • Credit Card Terminals
  • Debit Card Processing
  • eCheck & ACH Processing
  • EMV Processing
  • Gift & Loyalty Program
  • Mobile Card Reader
  • Mobile Payments App
  • Online Payments
  • Payment Gateway
  • Payment Processing Services Integration
  • POS Equipment
  • Recurring Billing
  • Signature Capture
  • Virtual Terminal

Guardian Payment Systems Billing & Invoicing

  • Contingency Billing
  • Mobile Payments
  • Online Invoicing
  • Online Payments
  • Payment Processing
  • Recurring/Subscription Billing

Guardian Payment Systems Advertising & Sales

 
Guardian Payment Systems does not use an outside sales team to sell its products. Although employing outside sales agents is a common practice in the industry, it can also cause problems with overly aggressive salespeople and unwanted telemarketing calls.

The fact that Guardian Payment Systems does not use independent sales agents is a good sign. There were also no online complaints about aggressive or misleading sales tactics.

There were no misleading quotes or false advertising on the company’s website.

Truth in Marketing

Discloses All Important Terms

No

Public Pricing Available

No

Guardian Payment Systems Pricing, Rates & Fees

 

Guardian Payment Systems offers a competitive interchange-plus pricing model that comes contract-free. This means no early termination fees or other fees associated with long-term contracts.

The company does also charge a transaction fee which can mark up the interchange rates. However, it does not state on its website what that transaction fee is. This could vary from business to business which is why the price is not clearly stated.

They make no mention of other types of fees such as a PCI compliance fee or other monthly fees. This does not mean they do not charge them though.

Pricing at a Glance

Pricing Model

Interchange Plus

Swiped Rate

Interchange-Plus

Keyed-in Rate

Interchange-Plus

Mobile Payment Rate

Interchange-Plus

Virtual Terminal Rate

Interchange-Plus

Monthly Fee

Undsiclosed

Payment Gateway Fee

Undisclosed

Batch Fee

Undisclosed

Early Termination Fee

None

PCI Compliance Fee

Undisclosed

Equipment Lease Terms

None

Address Verification Service (AVS)

Application Fee

Account Setup Fee

$0

Gateway Setup Fee

Annual Fee

Monthly Minimum

Undisclosed

Statement Fee

Undisclosed

Guardian Payment Systems Contract & Terms

One of Guardian Payment System’s claims to fame is no contracts. This makes it easy for customers to sign up or leave at any time.

The no-contract model is not standard in the industry. The company website states that if they need a legal document to force you to do business with them, they aren’t doing it right.

In addition, Guardian Payment Systems claims to sign a contract with the business owner stating they will not raise rates.

Contract Length

No Contract Required

Early Termination Fee

None

Guardian Payment Systems Setup & Support

 

Guardian Payment Systems has a contact form on their website for anyone to reach them with questions or issues. They also have an email address and a phone number.

The company claims an in-house customer service team and says they will answer their number day or night.

Setup Highlights

  • Documentation / Knowledge Base
  • Live Online (1-on-1)

Support Highlights

  • Domestic Phone Support (Business Hours)

Guardian Payment Systems Complaints, Ratings & Reviews

BBB Rating

Guardian Payment Systems has had an accredited Better Business Bureau profile since 2013. They have an A+ rating on BBB. There are no reviews or complaints associated with this BBB profile.

Other Online Reviews

There are few ratings and reviews on Guardian Payment Systems to be found online, but those that are online are almost all positive.

Ratings

BBB

A+ and has been Accredited since 2013.

Google

5 Stars / 2 Reviews

Facebook

5 Stars. Based on the opinion of 2 people

Yelp

N/A

Reviews

Total Online Reviews

10+

Total Online Complaints

Lawsuits

None

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