by Ben Dwyer Previously known as Spectrum Merchant Services, EpicPay is a payment processor located near Dallas, Texas. The company offers payment processing services to businesses, with a suite of services specifically for non-profit organizations.
It’s important to consider all factors when choosing a payment processor. Read on for information about services, rates and fees, and EpicPay reviews to help you decide if this is the right processing company for your business.
- EpicPay Payment Processing Services
- Payment Processing for Non-Profits
- Other Services
- Processing Equipment
- EpicPay Rates and Fees
- Security and PCI Compliance
- Reporting
- EpicPay Reviews
EpicPay Payment Processing Services
EpicPay provides merchant accounts to business in a number of different industries. When you open an account under the Merchant Advantage plan, you’ll receive one month of free processing and next day funding if you’re considered a “qualifying” business.
Credit and Debit Card Processing
The bulk of information available about credit and debit card processing on EpicPay’s website actually comes in discussions of equipment, which we’ll address in a separate section. EpicPay allows you to accept all major credit and debit cards. Depending on the equipment you choose, you may be able to take newer EMV chip cards or contactless technologies like Apple Pay and Chase Pay.
Checks and ACH Debits
Some customers prefer paying by check or ACH debit. EpicPay can set up both. ACH debits allow you to process transactions from your customer’s checking account. Debits can be recurring (for subscriptions and other ongoing payments) or a one-time payment.
When it comes to paper checks, you’ll be able to use check guarantee, or check conversion. With check guarantee, verification and authorization are obtained at the time of the transaction, with approved transaction receiving a guarantee for funding. With check conversion, you’ll accept paper checks but ‘convert’ them to electronic transactions using a check reader connected to your card terminal. This allows you to accept checks without needing to deposit them at the bank.
Payment Processing for Non-Profits
In addition to serving for-profit businesses, EpicPay offers payment processing specifically for non-profit organizations. One unique option is the “giving kiosk,” a free-standing payment terminal created by SecureGive. This video from SecureGive offers an introduction to the giving kiosks and how they can be used at your non-profit organization:
The giving kiosk allows you to receive donations securely using the giver’s card, but it’s not the only way to use SecureGive. You can also accept ACH/echeck payments, set up recurring giving for donors to schedule their donations, or organize fundraisers.
Additionally, SecureGive offers a mobile donation option, letting you accept one-time or recurring donations through a smartphone and the SecureGive app.
If you’d rather take donations on your website, that’s possible, too. You can integrate SecureGive into your existing website and customize the look while offering 1-click donations. Donors can also view their donation history.
Related Article: Taking Credit Cards as a Non-Profit Organization.
Other Services
In addition to payment processing, EpicPay offers services that may be of value to businesses, including gift and loyalty card programs and merchant cash advances.
Gift Cards
A convenient alternative to paper gift certificates, gift cards are a popular option for many different gift-giving occasions. EpicPay offers predesigned or custom cards that can be shared among multiple franchises or branches. Cards can either be created with pre-determined amounts or sold in an amount of the customer’s choosing. You can also choose to issue refunds on gift cards if local and state laws permit.
Loyalty Cards
Loyalty cards are a popular way to reward customers and encourage repeat business. EpicPay offers several choices, including a frequency rewards program, dollar rewards program, or a rebate/discount program. The frequency program lets you set a number of purchases, and when the customer hits that number, they’ll receive the reward you choose. The dollar program offers rewards based on spending, with points converted to a dollar value that can be used on future purchases at your business. The rebate/discount program lets you offer a discount based on a certain percentage of the sale.
As with gift cards, both pre-designed or custom cards are available.
Merchant Cash Advances
Merchant cash advances are a form of funding that can be used for business expenses. There are a few key differences between cash advances and business loans. Notably, with a cash advance, you’re effectively selling the cash advance company a portion of your future credit card sales. You’ll repay the advance through an automatic deduction of a percentage of your card sales until the original amount plus fees is repaid. Cash advances are often more expensive than business loans and other types of funding, but do have a place for some businesses. They generally don’t require collateral and are available to those with lower credit scores.
Related Article: Should you get a merchant cash advance?
Processing Equipment
EpicPay has processing equipment for any method of accepting cards. You can take payments in-person using traditional countertop terminals or a full-featured point-of-sale system, online with a choice of gateway,
For countertop terminals, EpicPay offers a variety of models from popular brands, including:
- Dejavoo
- Equinox/Hypercom
- First Data
- Ingenico
- Verifone
For a full POS system, EpicPay offers NCR Silver, a system included in our list of alternatives to Square POS because of its more robust features. NCR Silver runs on Apple devices, including iPads, iPhones, or the iPod Touch, and can be customized with the accessories you need, such as cash drawers, barcode scanners, and more.
If you’re looking to take payments online, you’ll have a choice between the EpicPay gateway and the universal Authorize.Net gateway. Either gateway can be integrated into your website to allow for online transaction processing.
The giving kiosk, for accepting donations, is a free-standing steel payment terminal that can optionally be anchored to the ground. Measuring 58.5” high by 19.5” wide by 20.5” deep and weighing 190lbs, it features a 19” touchscreen monitor, security locks, an integrated card swiper and receipt printer, cooling fan, and internal power strip. It’s ADA compliant and is available in several colors with a powder-coated finish.
EpicPay Rates and Fees
Like many processors, EpicPay doesn’t publish rates or fees. CardFellow’s limited experience reviewing EpicPay statements is not enough for us to determine patterns, but the statement we have reviewed utilized transparent interchange plus pricing, although it was more expensive than the quotes businesses typically receive through CardFellow.
EpicPay’s website specifies that there is a 90-day risk-free guarantee, where if you cancel with 90 days, you won’t have to pay an early termination fee. This indicates that there may be a cancellation fee after 90 days.
You don’t need to sign up and hope for the best, though. You can request a full quote from EpicPay to review in private and compare to other processor pricing by using our pricing comparison tool.
Security and PCI Compliance
EpicPay utilizes advanced security like end-to-end encryption and tokenization. The company can also assist you with PCI compliance obligations and offers breach assistance in the event of a security problem. A PCI compliance portal offers a wizard and online security advisors to help you become PCI compliant and validate your compliance.
See also: Understanding PCI Compliance.
Reporting
EpicPay offers a full reporting dashboard with transaction details, multiple location management, and more. Called MyEpicPay, it’s a secure website where you can set administrative controls for different users. You can search transaction history by several variables, including date, card number, or authorization code. You can set email or text alerts to notify you of chargebacks, refunds, deposits, and other important payment events.
EpicPay Reviews
This is one of those times when there isn’t a lot of information out there. For customer reviews, we have to go to the EpicPay site itself, as there is nothing available on Yelp, Google Reviews, or Ripoff Report. The lack of reviews on external sites may indicate customers who are generally happy with EpicPay, as the sites mentioned frequently see reviews when a customer is angry. EpicPay does have a Better Business Bureau profile, but there are no reviews for the company there, either.
EpicPay at the Better Business Bureau
EpicPay has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2014 and currently has an A+ rating, the highest available. The company has not had any complaints reported through the BBB in the past 3 years, but also doesn’t have any customer reviews on the BBB’s website. The BBB profile for Spectrum Merchant Services shows the same details – an A+ rating with no complaints or reviews.
According to EpicPay’s Website
There are multiple testimonials on EpicPay’s website, from customers and from affiliate partners. However, some of the reviews repeat when clicking through to the next page, making it look like there are more total reviews. It may simply be a programming glitch.
Reviewers praise the company’s integrity, exceptional customer service, reasonable rates, up-to-date equipment, easy switching from existing processors, and fast answers. Several reviewers mention that they would recommend EpicPay to a friend. The testimonials include the reviewer’s first name and location, but not a business name.
