by Ben Dwyer Simple, straightforward payment processing: that’s what Forte Payment Systems is claiming as its strength. But is there more to this company than its unassuming website suggests? What can you really expect to pay for its service? Along with helpful industry insights, this Forte Payment Systems review and profile will give you objective information regarding its service, pricing, and reputation.
- What services can Forte Payment Systems provide?
- What about equipment options?
- Forte Payment Systems Rates, Fees, and Contract Terms
- Forte Payment Systems Reviews
What services can Forte Payment Systems provide?
Forte Payment Systems can process all major brands of credit and debit, as well as ACH and electronic checks. Options are available for in-store, mobile, online, and mail/phone order transactions. Also, a program called BillPayIt is a feature for clients that want to present bills and receive payment for them online. Forte offers this video introduction about its services:
In-Store Payments
Credit? Debit? Check? No problem. Accepting various methods of payment can simplify sales. With Forte Payment Systems doing the processing, all you need is the right equipment and you will be able to process magstripe cards, EMV chip cards, and contactless payments as well.
Mobile Payments
Don’t let a terminal tie you down; you can chase sales to wherever they occur by accepting payments on a mobile device. Currently, Forte Payment Systems’ mobile app is only available for iOS, so if you were looking to process payments with your Android smartphone or tablet you are out of luck. iPhones, iPods, and iPads can download the app from the Apple Store. You can accept credit, debit, and eChecks through the use of the app and you can swipe cards by attaching a small card reader to your device.
Online Payments
For those interested in ecommerce, Forte Payment Systems offers a full featured gateway with point to point encryption for keeping transactions secure. Additionally, tokenization allows you to store data safely by transforming sensitive payment information into a code. The company claims it has an integration team that can help find solutions for any website to accept payments. In an online review it was mentioned that the gateway may be difficult for some developers to work with, but the company does offer a test account that you can use.
Mail/Phone Order Payments
Every account with Forte Payment Systems comes with a virtual terminal. A virtual terminal allows you to use your internet-connected computer to accept payments. Any number of users can access the virtual terminal, making it a good option for call centers. With Forte Payment Systems’ virtual terminal you can set up scheduled and recurring payments. Transactions can be keyed-in or you can attach a USB card or check reader.
Check Acceptance
Forte Payment Systems processes eChecks and ACH payments. Both get processed using routing and account numbers, but an eCheck is a one-time payment whereas ACH payments can be used for recurring and subscription payments. eChecks are not guaranteed through Forte Payment Systems, but using Forte Verify can significantly decrease instances of fraud. In both cases, funds are directly deposited into your business account.
BillPayIt
With BillPayIt you can send Forte Payment Systems a file of outstanding bills. The files are uploaded and customers are then able to look up what they owe you and pay on your website. You can specify search criteria and upload files as many times as you like.
What about equipment options?
Every account comes with a virtual terminal, but if you need equipment Forte Payment Systems says it can provide you with competitively priced options. It’s worth noting that the app for mobile payments is only available for iOS, meaning that Android and Blackberry smartphones will not be compatible. The company also mentions that it can probably reprogram existing equipment, but it is best to check and be sure yours is compatible.
Forte Payment Systems Rates, Fees, and Contract Terms
Forte offers interchange plus pricing (called the Select+ package) for larger volume companies, and flat rate pricing (standard package) for small businesses.
Rates for the standard plan are 2.75% + 25 cents per Visa, Mastercard, or Discover transaction and 3.5% + 25 cents for American Express. These rates apply to both swiped and non-swiped transactions.
For businesses that process high volumes of transactions, Forte Payment Systems offers the Select+ package, an interchange plus pricing model. The company does not offer specifics about the pricing, but generally this is a preferred, more transparent way of charging for processing.
Other Fees and Contract Terms
Forte Payment Systems has a $75 application fee, and a $25 per chargeback fee. There may be other fees associated with the service as well. Contracts are listed as being for 1 year and have a $99 early termination fee.
If you would like to see fully disclosed pricing information for your business, request a Forte Payment Systems quote through CardFellow. Our easy to use, free service lets you to obtain and compare pricing information from any processors you choose. Sign up here!
Forte Payment Systems Reviews
Forte has been around long enough to have acquired reviews from customers at popular review sites online, including the Better Business Bureau and Google Reviews. The company does have a Facebook page
Better Business Bureau
Forte has a Better Business Bureau profile, where they boast an A+ rating and accreditation dating back to 2014. However, the company also has had 7 complaints lodged with the BBB and has 1 negative review with no positive reviews.
The customer complaints allege that Forte sent certified letters to collect funds that were not owed, that the company withdrew money unauthorized from business’ bank accounts, that Forte cancelled accounts without warning, and difficulty closing accounts that are no longer wanted.
The negative review alleges that Forte holds funds for long periods of time.
Google Reviews
Forte has 10 reviews on Google Reviews, but not all reviews include comments. Currently, the company has a rating of 2.8 stars out of 5. Positive reviews praise the company’s prompt setup and helpfulness for smaller businesses. Negative reviews express difficulty getting in touch with the company, with one reviewer complaining that it’s impossible to get issues resolved (being told that Forte will “look into” things further but then takes no action) and another saying that they couldn’t even reach sales to open an account. Others allege that Forte holds funds and doesn’t return calls or emails about the funds.
Other Reviews
There is also 1 complaint on Ripoff Report. The complaint claims that an agreed upon portion of the contract regarding fees was never upheld and, when disputed, a Forte Payment Systems representative stated that nothing could be done about it and that the previous representative may have failed to completely disclose information. Not exactly an answer you want to hear.
