Priority Payment Systems can process credit cards, debit cards, and checks with a variety of equipment and software. With the options provided, your business will be able to handle transactions in traditional store environments, mail/phone orders, ecommerce, and mobile payments.
If you are looking to process credit or debit cards, Priority Payment Systems can help. A variety of EMV-ready terminal options are available for those who are in tradition storefront environments, like retail or restaurants. ApplePay, a method for taking contactless payments from people with iPhones or iPads, is supported as well.
Priority also offers a variety of mobile card readers for those who need to take transactions on-the-go. More information is available in the equipment section. And, if you are looking for ecommerce and mail/phone order options, you will find more details in the sections on virtual terminals and payment gateways.
Processing paper checks electronically is a way of minimizing trips to the bank, as well as getting assurance that they won’t bounce. Priority Payment Systems can process electronic checks but does not appear to supply check readers. You can key-in check information to a virtual terminal and process the check electronically using your computer. The e-check process allows you to get authorization on the check and have the funds deposited directly to your account.
Simply put, a virtual terminal is software that allows your online computer to become a terminal for accepting payments. You can key-in the transaction or set up a card reader that attaches with a USB cord. Virtual terminals vary in capabilities but can process credit/debit cards, checks, and often offer features like recurring payment set-up and reporting.
A payment gateway is what the transaction must go through online in order to be processed. You must use a payment gateway whether your customer is making an online purchase, or you are keying-in a transaction on your virtual terminal. Priority Payment Systems offers the following 3 options that act as virtual terminals and payment gateways:
ACH.com
This virtual terminal is the most cost effective option. You can accept credit and ACH payments (checks can be converted into ACH payments using a check reader). It also allows you to set up recurring payments, store customer information, integrate with online shopping carts, and accept mail/phone order payments. It also offers some reporting features.
Instant Accept
What sets this option apart is that Instant Accept can integrate all your payments with QuickBooks as they happen as long as you are online and using the interface. Whether the transaction is in person (cash, credit, check, etc.), online using your website or shopping cart, or made with a mobile device, the payment and customer information will be simultaneously added to QuickBooks. Payments can be accepted on mobile devices, desktops, or laptops.
Within QuickBooks you have reporting, customer management, invoicing tools, and other features.
MX Merchant
This product is showcased on Priority Payment System’s website as an integrated payment solution with a range of tools that can help manage your business. Along with being a virtual terminal, MX Merchant has the following options:
MX Storefront: This is an ecommerce tool that allows you to accept payments online from customers and transfer your existing website into the MX Storefront system.
MX Express: MX Express is an iOS app that allows you to take credit card payments, customize tips, manage voids and returns within the payment history, give receipts to you customers, and more all using your mobile device.
MX Invoicing: With MX Invoice you can process invoices as well as set up recurring and scheduled payments. Reports and forecasting are also included.
MX Insights: MX Insights is an enormous database of transactions and card holders. It also gives you tools for comparing your numbers with your competitors and looking at demographics and spending habits of card holders.
MX Retail: Product management, stock control, order management, discounts, and other features are included in MX Retail to help with specific retail needs.
MX Medical: MX Medical is a program targeted at helping with patient bill paying and the inherent challenges associated with them. The program is designed to make bill paying more manageable for both patient and provider.
The MX Merchant solution is a good option for companies that regularly accept commercial credit cards, as it automates the process of providing enhanced data. Read more about B2B transactions.
Priority Payment Systems offers the following services that go beyond payment processing and might appeal to your business:
Gift cards are a great option for expanding your clientele by allowing your current customers to share your business with others. Electronic gift cards can be purchased 24/7 and used in-store or online. You also have access to reporting features.
With AMEX Merchant Financing, Priority Payment Systems can provide capital for businesses with terms it claims are easy to understand and manageable. The company also has alternatives to traditional bank financing through various lending partners.
This is a program for restaurants that offers a way for customers to browse menus and place orders online with an easy to use interface. It also includes an order management system to be used by the restaurant.
With Priority Payment Systems you have many EMV-ready terminal options from popular brands like Ingenico, Verifone, and FirstData. An abundance of mobile and USB card readers are also offered.
Mobile card readers will attach to your mobile device and allow you to take payments anywhere you go. They are great options for those who travel with tradeshows, perform in-home services, or participate in various other professions that keep you moving. USB card readers can plug into a desktop or laptop, allowing for quicker swiped transactions rather than keyed-in when using a virtual terminal.
Priority Payment Systems doesn’t publish rates or fees on its website, as rates will vary depending on solutions needed. Request a quote through CardFellow and get fully disclosed pricing from Priority Payment Systems. With our free service, you can privately request and compare information from as many processors as you want. Sign up here!
A good place to start when researching a company is the Better Business Bureau, and Priority Payment Systems has about 10 different profiles with the BBB for various locations. The bulk of the complaints can be found on the Alpharetta, GA location’s profile since that is where the company is headquartered. Not all the profiles have been accredited (some do not have ratings either) but the headquarters profile is accredited and has an A+ rating.
Priority Payment Systems has 39 complaints closed with the BBB in the last 3 years. This may seem like a lot but it is a relatively modest number when comparing processors. Complaints allege held funds, bad customer service when trying to resolve issues, high cancelation fees, difficulty cancelling services, continued billing after cancellation, dishonest sales tactics, hidden fees, and others.
As with the complaints at the BBB, the number one complaint on Ripoff Report was held funds. There are 8 complaints on RR total, many of them very suspicious of Priority Payment Systems’ business practices. The sentiments are similar when looking at the 3 reviews on Yelp, one of which declares “at least robbers wear ski masks.” The reviewer indicates that not only is Priority Payment Systems crooked, but they are shameless about it. All three reviews on Yelp lament problems with their accounts that were made worse by rude and incompetent customer service.
It’s difficult to say how many people experience similar circumstances when working with Priority Payment Systems, or if these reviews represent a small percentage of the company’s clientele. Anger definitely motivates more people to take their opinions to the web than satisfaction. If you have experience working with this company, you could help by letting us know your opinion.
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.
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.
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Posted by janice on Nov 23, 2021
My experience is the same as many others and I'm planning to join the class action lawsuit.
Posted by CardFellow on Mar 04, 2016
Priority Payments is another large ISO that leverages an in-house sales force in addition to a large network of independent sales offices, agents, and banks to sell its processing services. The type of pricing and level of service you will receive from Priority directly depends of the sales channel you use to acquire its service and how much you know about processing fees. Priority Payments has a section on its web site called “University” that offers little in the way of useful knowledge about the fundamentals of processing fees. We suggest looking elsewhere (like here on CardFellow's blog) for more comprehensive facts before discussing pricing with Priority's sales people.