First American Payment Systems Reviews

First American Payment Systems Overview

First American Payment Systems is a large credit card processor headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. The company was founded in 1990 and has since grown its merchant portfolio to over 140,000 locations. In 2014, First American Payment Systems was acquired by an investment group led by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. This unusual ownership situation does not seem to have had any perceptible effect on the company’s business model. First American Payment Systems is well-known within the industry as the parent company, backend processor, or related venture of a large number of smaller, conventional ISOs like Certified Payment Processing, Eliot Management Group, Apex Merchant Group, Appstar Financial, Trinity Merchant Group, TransTech Merchant Group, Summit Merchant Solutions, and GoEmerchant. Several of these entities are DBAs of each other, and their owners have been known to rebrand or merge these businesses as they see fit.

First American Payment Systems offers EMV and NFC acceptance, mobile payment processing (1stPayMobile), point-of-sale software (1stPayPOS), e-commerce solutions (FirstPay.Net), gift and loyalty programs (FirstAdvantage), check processing, merchant cash advance, ACH processing, and ATM placement. The company also leases credit card terminals through its subsidiary Merimac Capital. The standard First American Payment Systems contract is a three-year agreement with an early termination fee of up to $495, and the standard Merimac Capital lease is a four-year, non-cancellable agreement.

First American Payment Systems offers 24/7 customer service by phone to all of its merchants. Neil Randel is the CEO of First American Payment Systems.

First American Payment Systems is a company in Fort Worth, Texas that claims to operate under several different business names, but is not affiliated with Appstar Financial, Trinity Merchant Group, or Heritage Payment Solutions.

In 2021, First American Payment Systems was purchased by Deluxe. It will continue to operate under its own brand under the Deluxe umbrella.

First American Payment Systems is an ISO/MSP of Fifth Third Bank and Wells Fargo. It is unclear whether the CEO is related to the founder of Trinity Merchant Group.

First American Payment Systems offers a three-year contract with an early termination fee of up to $495, provides e-commerce payments, and has received more than 200 public complaints.

First American Payment Systems is a payment processing company with fees and contract terms that may vary by agent, sub-ISO, and merchant.

First American Payments Systems offers storefront payment processing services, virtual terminals and payment gateway services. However, fees and rates are not disclosed for these services.

First American Payment Systems is the subject of 150 separate complaints online, many of which accuse them of being a scam or ripoff.

The majority of complaints stem from hidden fees, deceptive sales practices and unauthorized debits. Many merchants complain about predatory equipment lease agreements through Merimac Capital.

First American Payment Systems offers 24/7 phone support, but the company’s track record with public complaints keeps its rating at a “C.”

The Better Business Bureau awarded First American Payment Systems an “A+” rating, despite 61 complaints. Of these, only 20 complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the merchant or received no final response.

First American Payment Systems is associated with many other companies and operates under multiple business names, causing confusion for merchants and spreading public complaints across different business names.

First American Payment Systems is like many processors, and has a strategy to partner with ISOs and independently contracted outside salespeople. This strategy is a common strategy for processors and results in a higher-than-average number of complaints from merchants.

First American Payment Systems is a low-rated processor. It needs to eliminate its cancellation fee, PCI compliance fee, auto-renewing contract, non-cancellable lease terms, and future merchant complaints regarding its services.

At a glance

Founded: 1990

Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Acquiring bank: Fifth Third Bank, Wells Fargo Bank

Website: first-american.net

Phone number: 1-888-453-4538

E-mail: Contact form here

First American Payment Systems Promotional Video

Online reputation and reviews

As the backend processor for a number of ill-reputed payment processors, First American Payment Systems has found itself in the crosshairs of hundreds of negative merchant reviews. Persistent issues cited across the company’s direct channels and subsidiaries include deceptive sales practices, long-term contracts, high early termination fees, and poor customer service. It is very difficult to locate verified positive testimonials about the company.

Legal actions and lawsuits

There are no outstanding or recently resolved legal actions related to First American Payment Systems at this time.

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