Best for
Small merchants who want a solid low-cost POS software
Specializes in
Credit and debit processing, POS systems, electronic cash registers
Pricing Summary
Setup Fee: $0
Monthly Fee: up to $39 Per System
Swipe Rate: Interchange-Plus or 1.39% + $0.10
Keyed-in Rate: Interchange-Plus or 1.39% + $0.10
Early Termination Fee : None
Contract Terms:
Harbortouch is a registered ISO/MSP of Merrick Bank that specializes in POS systems for small merchants. Based out of Allentown, Pennsylvania, the company offers attractive rates and several POS systems to choose from. It charges its clients based on an interchange-plus model or a 1.79% plus $0.10 per transaction fee.
Harbortouch is a merchant account provider that was created in 1999. It’s been led since its inception by Jared Isaacman, the company’s current CEO. Harbortouch markets itself as a POS provider for companies operating primarily in the following sectors:
The company employs two different pricing models. Its clients can choose between using an interchange-plus model or a tiered-rates system. Under the tiered model, clients are charged 1.39% + $0.10 per swiped transaction and 1.79% + $.10 for keyed-in transactions.
Harbortouch has a large number of consumer complaints on file. Many of these focus on the company’s hidden upfront and transaction fees. Others reference unclear penalties for breaking contracts and consistent software freezes. However, Harbortouch has responded to some of these complaints by eliminating the early termination fee it charged in the past.
Head Quarters
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Year Founded
1999
CEO
Jared Isaacman
Employees
250
Merchant Provider Risk Tolerance
POS Hardware and Systems
Harbortouch’s main service is the provision of POS hardware and systems to small merchants. It offers several choices here, including:
The company’s POS systems are their most comprehensive offering. They double as business management tools, which can be used to manage employees and track inventory, among other business tasks.
Payment Processing
You can also establish a merchant account with Harbortouch and they’ll handle your payment processing for you. The company will let you utilize one of its systems or the one that you’re already using. So you don’t necessarily need to swap if you like your current terminal.
The company can process all major debit and credit cards, as well as EMV chip cards and NFC mobile payments. This meets the industry standard but doesn’t exceed it.
Check Services
If you accept checks, then Harbortouch may be able to help you avoid bounced check fees. The company offers what it calls a check guarantee system. This tool scans customers’ checks against a database of known fraudulent check writers and lets you know if anything comes back.
They can also automatically convert and deposit the checks for you so that you don’t have to take them to the bank yourself.
Discloses All Important Terms
No
Public Pricing Available
No
Harbortouch offers four major plans for its clients to choose from. The first is a free plan, meant for very small businesses. You just pay 1.79% + $0.10 per transaction. However, this plan requires you to sign up for a three-year contract.
The company also offers what it calls “Echo” and “Elite” plans. Echo costs $29 a month plus the same per transaction rate from the free plan. It’s meant for small retail and food shops. Elite is meant for larger retailers and restaurants. It has the same per transaction cost but also a $39 monthly fee.
In the past, Harbortouch received lots of negative reviews for its hidden fees. But they appear to have responded to the complaints by eliminating those fees. So keep that in mind when you consider the negative reviews they’ve received.
Pricing Model
Interchange PlusTiered Pricing
Swiped Rate
Interchange-Plus or 1.39% + $0.10
Keyed-in Rate
Interchange-Plus or 1.39% + $0.10
Mobile Payment Rate
Virtual Terminal Rate
Interchange-Plus or 1.79% + $0.10
Monthly Fee
up to $39 Per System
Payment Gateway Fee
None
Batch Fee
$0.35
Early Termination Fee
None
PCI Compliance Fee
None
Equipment Lease Terms
12 Month (locked); Equipment Termination Fee ($200 - $500)
Address Verification Service (AVS)
Application Fee
Account Setup Fee
$0
Gateway Setup Fee
Annual Fee
Monthly Minimum
$25
Statement Fee
Harbortouch has recently changed its contractual terms. In the past, it favored three-year, fixed contracts that were pretty unfriendly towards merchants. But that’s not the case anymore.
Today, Harbortouch uses a one-year contract model without any early termination fees. It also gives merchants the choice between using its interchange-plus or tiered pricing method. So you have some say over what your monthly charges look like when using Harbortouch.
Contract Length
1 Year
Early Termination Fee
None
Harbortouch has received a large number of reviews since its inception. More than 100 complaints have been filed on its BBB page alone. These are split roughly equally between complaints about the company’s product and its billing practices.
However, while the company does have a high rate of complaints, it’s also been proactive about resolving them. They respond to complaints that are listed on their BBB page and attempt to solve the issue for the dissatisfied merchant.
BBB
A+ (34 Reviews; 98 Complaints) under Shift4 Payments, LLC
2.7 Stars / 122 Reviews
N/A
Yelp
1 Star / 2 Reviews
Total Online Reviews
300+
Total Online Complaints
100+
Lawsuits
1
If you're in the market for a merchant account provider, be sure to check out our user reviews, our merchant accounts guide and our top popular merchant provider picks