by Ben Dwyer CPN is a payment processor that was founded in 2006 under the name Capital Processing Network, LLC. We can only speculate as to why the company changed its name, but this CPN review and profile will give you solid up-to-date and unbiased information regarding the services it provides and what people are saying about it. Complete with helpful industry insights, this review aims to help you find the right processor for your business.
- What payment processing services does CPN provide?
- What about equipment?
- Are there any security benefits?
- CPN Rates and Fees
- CPN Reviews and Online Reputation
What payment processing services does CPN provide?
Whether you take payments in-store, online, or on-the-go, CPN can do the processing. Other services include gift cards and merchant cash advances.
In-Store Payments
Stop saying goodbye to sales with “Sorry, we don’t accept that here.” Whether you plan on using a full featured point-of-sale system or a traditional terminal, CPN allows you to process all major brands of credit and debit cards (though American Express might require separate approval). CPN also has equipment to support swiped card, EMV/smartcards, and contactless payments, ensuring you have plenty of payment options for your customers.
Ecommerce and Mail/Phone Orders
CPN offers a payment gateway and virtual terminal, but what does that mean? Essentially, it means you can accept payments through any online computer whether you are keying it in yourself or a customer half way around the world is using your website.
Payment Gateway
Interested in creating a store that never closes and can be accessed from virtually any location? Ecommerce might be calling you. CPN offers a PCI compliant payment gateway that can integrate with your company’s website and allow you to accept payments. Shopping cart integration is also a feature.
Virtual Terminal
Using a virtual terminal allows you to transform any online computer into a payment taking machine. With CPN’s virtual terminal you can key-in transactions or attach a USB terminal and accept swiped transactions as well. A virtual terminal is an excellent option for those who accept mail/phone orders.
Mobile Payments
With mobile payments you can chase your next sale both figuratively and literally if you want to. CPN offers PivotalMobile, a small card reader that can attach to Apple, Blackberry, or Android smartphones. The app will allow you to take payments on your phone anywhere you get a signal. Mobile payment is a helpful tool for anyone who travels with their business, whether it’s making pizza deliveries or selling your goods at fairs.
Gift Cards
If you are interested in gift cards for your customers, CPN has a program that can provide them as well as displays and other amenities. Offering gift cards is a great way to increase the influence of your business while gaining insights into spending habits and trends through reporting features.
Merchant Cash Advances
If you need working capital fast, CPN can provide it through a merchant cash advance. However, we do advise exploring other options before taking one. They might seem like a good idea but are really very expensive methods of investing in your business.
What about equipment?
Credit card terminals, wireless terminals, PIN pads, contactless readers, and check scanners are all offered through CPN for lease or sale. While CPN recommends leasing (claiming that it is better than purchasing because you can get customer support and replacements if something breaks or becomes obsolete), we highly advise against leasing as it leads to overpaying for equipment and binding contracts. For more information, read this article on leasing credit card machiness.
Are there any security benefits?
CPN has dedicated a page that details the requirements for PCI compliance, including building and maintaining a secure network, protecting cardholder data, regularly testing networks, and how to find a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) for your PCI Validation.
The company also offers First Data’s TransArmor for tokenizing credit card and card holder information. The tool will transform vulnerable information into an indecipherable code. You can use this code in your system just like you would with the actual data, but it is rendered useless to hackers and those that would use it for fraud.
CPN Rates and Fees
CPN claims that it can get you lower rates by lowering risk, but does not publish rate and fee information on its website. This is often because pricing will vary from business to business depending on needs. If you would like to get fully disclosed pricing information, request a CPN quote through CardFellow. Our free service allows you to privately compare processors’ pricing and find the best option. Sign up here!
CPN Reviews and Online Reputation
Due to the name change we mentioned in the intro, CPN and Capital Processing Network both have profiles with the Better Business Bureau that are worth mentioning. Currently, CPN is not accredited, with a C rating and only 1 complaint to examine. It states that CPN was unresponsive to getting the client a new credit card machine when theirs was out of service. The complaint alleges that CPN claimed the credit card machine would need to be updated, but they never sent a new machine. The reviewer states that customer service was extremely unhelpful and at one point put the client on hold and hung up. The company never responded to this complaint.
Under the previous name of Capital Processing Network, the company is accredited with an A rating but has had 26 complaints closed in the past 3 years and out of 21 reviews, 18 are negative. Complaints against Capital Processing Network allege high pressure sales tactics and arrogant sales representatives, misleading tactics, failure to deposit funds, and undisclosed fees. The resolved billing issues usually resulted in refunds from the company. The 3 positive reviews claimed that they saved money and experienced helpful customer service.
Other Reviews
Other reviews on Yelp and Ripoff Report are under the original company name. They are largely negative but associated with telemarketers more than CPN’s service. Some reviews reference an article by CBS’s channel 5 in May of 2012. The article insinuates that CPN hired ex-cons for their telemarketing and was giving them access to personal information. This may have prompted the company to change aliases and create another BBB listing.
