Processor Directory > Forte Payment Systems
Forte Payment Systems Review
- 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.
If you have worked with this company, we want to hear about it. Leave a review!
SATISFACTION
RATES & FEES
CUSTOMER SERVICE
0/5
Unlike general web reviews, verified reviews are posted by businesses that have chosen the processor's quote through CardFellow's marketplace, and CardFellow has confirmed with the processor that the business is using its service. Businesses can update verified reviews at any time to ensure the review accurately reflects the processor's performance over time.
SATISFACTION
RATES & FEES
CUSTOMER SERVICE
1.1/5
Unlike verified reviews which are validated by CardFellow, web reviews can be submitted by anyone viewing this profile. While we validate these reviews as best we can, CardFellow does not verify that a reviewer is using or has used a processor's service.
Do you Know this processor? Write a review about it
Posted by Tom on Mar 29, 2022
SATISFACTION
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
1/5
Blocking payment with no explanation.
Posted by Pedro Y on Aug 11, 2021
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
1/5
The risk management team at Forte approved our account to process payments. Then they put the account on hold and are making us go through a series of additional checks to release the funds paid by our customers. They said that the initial check was preliminary and they have the right to block any transaction that poses a risk to them. In the meantime, it can be 40-90 days before we see our funds.
Posted by Michael on Jan 30, 2019
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
1/5
Charges fake "PCI compliance" fees to upcharge customers for payment gateway integrations. I use Zoho Books to bill clients. Forte has a payment gateway through them. Average pricing, not awful. BUT they hit me with a PCI compliance failure fee, for $30 per month. When I reached out to them to see what that was about, and to let them know that I provide PCI compliance for MY customers, and that I only accept payment through Zoho, so only Zoho needs to be PCI compliant, they passed the buck to Zoho, and said they need to provide PCI compliance!!! Which is ridiculous, obviously they are PCI compliant, but I verified with them anyway. Of course they were. Forte just gives me a run around with people who do not even know what PCI compliance is, much less how you would comply with it, or who actually needs to comply, there isn't anything I could do to prove that I was compliant through Zoho other than the fact that Zoho is compliant. It is clear that this company just hits everyone with whatever fees that they can get away with.
Posted by James Connors on Aug 15, 2018
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
1/5
Terrible company. They cancelled our account after 5 years with NO notice. No bounced checks, no problems - they said we were too small. Had to scramble to set up customer with new ACH provider. These guys are just the worst.
Posted by Marcella Gonzalez on Jul 05, 2018
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
0.8/5
Horrible company. They did a credit check, authorized me to use them and then came back with a long list of items after the fact. They should not allow us to use the system until we are fully authorized. They asked for these items days after and are holding on to my money. They are requesting a copy of the leases for every client now. I have a feeling they are in financial trouble and this is why they are using these tactics. I already complained to the property management company Buildium about this. Note: Long delay when I ask for their written policies and the agreement from when I signed up! Love Buildium, but this will not do.
Posted by Sarah on May 08, 2018
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
0.2/5
I have used this company with another non for profit and thought it would be an easy transition to do another. I was WRONG! I have had problems with usernames and password. I reached out for service and got nothing. They are not available. They charged me twice. I asked for a credit for a service I didn’t receive and was denied. Do not use this company.
Posted by Dalen on Dec 22, 2017
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
1/5
Forte has been awful to work with. We signed up at the beginning of November and were told that we were ready to start processing payments. Then I received an email from Stephanie Shaw at Forte saying that they need more information to verify that the payments that our clients submitted online were legit. I provided all the requested information (invoice, service order agreement, and website). She replied saying that she received the information and I heard nothing more from her so I assumed we were good to go. But then when I did our bookkeeping a month later, I noticed that we hadn't received ANY of the payments our clients had made to us and they were withholding nearly $1000 from us that our clients had paid over the last month. Worse yet, they weren't even telling us that they were doing this. The payments were listed as "settled". No one seems to know anything, and no one seems to be able to do anything abut this. I'm furious!!
Posted by CardFellow on Aug 24, 2017
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CUSTOMER SERVICE
3/5
Forte gives lots of information about its services and pricing, including contracts and termination fees, which is great.
