Overall Score
How did they treat you?
Aurora Payments Card Processing Reviews & Complaints
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Competitive Rates: Structured fee system focusing on merchant profitability. | Mixed Reviews: Some users report negative experiences and issues with service. |
| Diverse Industry Support: Offers services across various sectors including retail and hospitality. | Variable Contract Terms: Rates and terms are not publicly listed and vary. |
| Cutting-Edge Technology: Provides over 100 integrations for seamless user experience. | ion Penalties: Contracts may include early termination fees. |
| Customizable Solutions: Tailors solutions to fit specific business needs. | Cancellat Equipment Leasing: Leasing options available, which might not suit all. |
| US-Based Support: Offers 24/7 in-house customer and technical support. | Limited Transparency: Lack of clarity in contract details and provisions. |
Overview
In this review of Aurora Payments, we will provide a detailed overview of the company's credit card processing services. We will cover the range of services they offer, including point-of-sale (POS) systems, mobile payment solutions, and e-commerce capabilities. The review will identify the types of businesses that might benefit from these services. Additionally, we will examine client and customer reviews to highlight common trends and potential concerns. The article will also address the company's pricing structure, contract terms, and specific features provided. By the end of this review, you will understand whether Aurora Payments meets your payment processing needs.
About Aurora Payments
Aurora Payments is a full-service merchant account provider based in Tempe, Arizona. According to their website, Aurora Payments has existed since around 2005, operating most of that time as Applied Merchant Services. AMS was a smaller payment provider that was able to secure large volumes of merchant accounts with their acquisitions of Entrust Bankcard and Bancard Systems, Inc around 2015.
In 2018, Sabin Burrell of BlueSquare Resolutions and Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments joined with Brian Goudie (formerly of First Data, which is now Fiserv) to become partners under a new parent company, Aurora Solutions. BlueSquare Resolutions had already added large amounts of clients to their portfolio through prolific acquisitions including Electronic Processing Solutions LLC, Merchant Select Services, Discount Payment Services, e-Pay Commerce, Data One Payment Solutions, Secure Choice Merchant Solutions, ProPoint Card Services, and Diverse Payment Solutions.
Aurora has continued to acquire small to medium-sized payment providers to grow its client portfolio. Since the rebrand, they have acquired Harmony Pay, Altiras, and FMPS, and rebranded Chosen Payments as “an Aurora Company”, but the Chosen Payments brand has been allowed to continue operating for the time being. Aurora boasts that it serves over 23,000 merchant accounts and $8 billion in yearly processing volume.
In 2022, private equity firm Corsair purchased a majority stake in Aurora Payments. Aurora also bought One Payments in 2022 and NailSoft in 2023.
Aurora Products and Services
Payment Processing
Aurora Payments processes major debit and credit cards for various business types. Their services include POS systems, EMV/PIN card readers, employee and inventory management tools, data reporting and analysis, business funding, cash discounts, gift and loyalty programs, and mobile solutions.
Online Payment Gateway
Aurora Payments provides an online payment gateway, enabling businesses to accept and process payments through their websites securely and efficiently.
Point of Sale Systems
Aurora Payments offers point of sale (POS) systems for physical retail locations. These systems process credit card transactions, track sales, manage inventory, and handle other retail-related tasks.
Mobile Payment Solutions
Aurora Payments offers mobile payment solutions, allowing businesses to process credit card transactions using mobile devices. This is beneficial for businesses with mobile or remote operations.
Fraud Protection Services
Aurora Payments also provides fraud protection services to enhance transaction security. These services aim to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions, offering additional security for businesses and their customers.
Aurora Payments Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Total Online Complaints | Few |
|---|---|
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint (As AMS) | Unauthorized Charges |
| Recent Lawsuits | No |
Exploring Aurora Payments Customer Feedback
While Aurora Payments is in the process of integrating its recent acquisitions, finding specific Aurora Payments reviews can be challenging. We have noted a few reviews on our profile, with some highlighting concerning aspects. It’s important to mention that there are numerous reviews associated with companies acquired by Aurora, but these are not included in our evaluation. We welcome our readers to share their experiences and leave a review about Aurora Payments in the comments section below.
Reviews of Applied Merchant Systems
Our research uncovered several complaints regarding Applied Merchant Systems, a company associated with Aurora Payments. These complaints predominantly revolve around the issue of continued billing post-service cancellation and subpar customer service experiences.
Legal Matters Involving Aurora Payments
As of our latest check, we found no outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints against Aurora Payments. There is, however, a case involving a former employee, Sabin Burrell, who has been sued by the company. The specifics of this case are not fully clear, and it appears that Burrell has faced previous legal challenges related to alleged deceitful activities. Clients who are considering non-litigious actions against Aurora Payments might find it beneficial to report their experiences to appropriate supervisory bodies and by sharing their customer reviews in the comment section of this article.
Customer Support Offered by Aurora Payments
Aurora Payments provides 24/7 phone support to its merchant accounts, aligning with industry standards for companies of similar size. Their commitment to customer service is evident, yet it seems that their support offerings do not significantly exceed standard practices.
Contacting Aurora Payments Customer Service
- (833) 287-6722 – General Customer Service
- Customer support form
- Live chat feature
Considering the available support options, we currently rate Aurora Payments’ customer service with a “B” grade, acknowledging their adherence to conventional support methods but also noting the absence of exceptional service features.
Aurora Payments Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| BBB Reports | 7 |
|---|
Profile Being Updated
Aurora Payments has been in business for 18 years according to The Better Business Bureau, primarily under the name Applied Payment Systems. The company has an “A-” rating with the BBB, with 6 complaints in the last 3 years.
What Merchants Say
Aurora Payments has received 1 review through the BBB, which is negative. The most recent negative review describes poor customer service and issues with payments:
Worst Company Ever! Do NOT use them! In 3 months they have wasted hours of my time and cost my thousands of dollars!I can’t process payments properly, their customer service is terrible…please save yourself the headache and NEVER work with this company!
A “B” Performance Overall
Taking into consideration the company’s low complaint total and high resolution rate, we have slightly adjusted the BBB’s grade to a “B” at this time.
Aurora Payments Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Cancellation Penalties | Yes |
|---|---|
| Monthly & Annual Fees | Likely |
| Processing Rates | Variable |
| Equipment Leasing | Yes |
Partnered with Elavon, Fiserv, and TSYS
Aurora Payments maintains partnerships with significant payment backend providers, including Elavon, Fiserv (previously known as First Data), and TSYS. The terms of Aurora Payments contracts might reflect common conditions found in agreements with these providers, such as a $295 early termination fee and four-year equipment leases. For those familiar with Aurora Payments’ specific rates or fees, sharing your insights in the comments would be greatly appreciated.
Variable Contract Terms
Aurora Payments does not disclose its pricing details publicly. Given its extensive partnerships with established service providers like Fiserv, Elavon, and TSYS, it’s plausible that Aurora’s contract terms might align with the variable rates these companies offer, which are often tailored to the business size, type, and transaction volume.
Negotiate Contract Pricing
Details regarding Aurora Payments contracts are currently unavailable. Businesses that have engaged with Aurora Payments for their payment processing needs are invited to share their experiences below. It’s advisable for business owners to negotiate terms, thoroughly review all contractual details before committing, and compare options. Additionally, for optimal terms, we recommend exploring our compilation of the top merchant account providers.
Aurora Payments Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Uses Independent Resellers | No |
|---|---|
| Telemarketing | No |
| Misleading Marketing | No |
| Discloses All Important Provisions | No |
No Independent Sales Teams
We have found no indication that Aurora Payments utilizes independent agents. This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors. Job postings listed online have been for in-house and dedicated sales professionals.
Aurora Payments Contract Terms
Aurora Payments has openly announced their partnerships with Fiserv, Elavon, and TSYS. For more information on their particular contract details, we invite our readers to review the individual payment provider profiles.
Our Aurora Payments Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
Aurora Payments is emerging as a significant player in the credit card processing industry, born out of the consolidation of numerous mid to small-sized payment companies through mass acquisitions and mergers. This strategic expansion has positioned Aurora Payments among the new wave of large, full-service credit card processing providers. The precursor companies that now form Aurora Payments had relatively few complaints or lawsuits and maintained generally positive reputations. This historical context bodes well for Aurora Payments, suggesting a foundation of reliability and trustworthiness.
However, to elevate its rating beyond the current 4-star level, Aurora Payments will need to address and improve the clarity of its contract details. Transparent and straightforward contract terms are crucial for building and maintaining merchant trust, and any ambiguity in this area can detract from the company’s overall appeal. As Aurora Payments continues to integrate and refine its services, we anticipate revisiting and potentially revising our rating once the brand has further solidified its operations and addressed any outstanding issues. For now, while Aurora Payments shows significant promise, merchants are advised to carefully review contract terms and consider this aspect when making their decision.
Location & Ownership
Aurora Payments is a registered ISO and FSP of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA; Esquire Bank, Jericho, NY; Elavon, Inc., N.A., Atlanta, Georgia; Evolve Bank & Trust, Memphis, TN.; Merrick Bank, South Jordan, UT; and Deutsche Bank AG, New York, NY. Aurora Payments Bank is headquartered at 1095 W Rio Salado Pkwy Ste 104, Tempe, AZ 85281. Brian Goudie is listed as the company’s CEO.
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SHERI PRUITT
They were terrible, hidden fees everywhere. Won’t allow you to cancel without a $1400 fee. Even when I found a better merchant account with better rates.
Shirley
The credit card company is not professional. They treak you into some shady contracts and then make you pay them monthly fee without even having a contract with them. If you would like to choose a payment system, go dirrectly to first data, Clover is the best pos you can find in us. This people buying merchant accounts from them and resell. Customers believe they are getting best deal from them but is is not so. If you want to lose your money you can proceed with them.
Kipp Webb
Our small LLC has a fishing lodge in The Bahamas purchased in 2019, so it’s a new business. We signed on with Aurora for bookings credit card processing. We also receive revenue from fishing bookings companies that don’t go through our credit card account. It’s been a hell of a start up with a Hurricane and then the pandemic. We had to refund some bookings as travel was not possible for awhile.
In Feb. 2021 Aurora blocked our account. They allege they sent us an email saying they wanted info on a refund. We never received that email. However we continued to get reports from them showing transactions and their charges but no mention our account had been blocked. In the reports is a page highlighted in red with the caption “Important Information about your account” and none of the reports state our account had been blocked.
For a variety of reasons including the fact the Credit card receipts are not the main source of our revenue it wasn’t discovered until last week we weren’t getting paid by Aurora.
It took me 17 hours to finally get a rep after calls, emails, and chat requests.
Finally I got a courtesy response and initially the rep. didn’t know why we weren’t receiving our revenue. As we sorted this out we discovered since Feb. our revenue was going to an investment account in CA. We both thought someone had hacked our account.
Several hours later the rep. emails me back informing me of the block as a cause.
I was referred to the “risk department” and their emails despite using words like I found this and that is signed risk department with no person’s name. I was told the reason our account was blocked this long is because we failed to respond to an email to us from Feb.
As I said we never received an email. I asked for the email and was sent an email with no header or date. I asked for the metadata on that email in the form of the emails native format. Thus far they haven’t complied.
So currently it appears our account was blocked without informing us and they seemed to have no intention of informing on the monthly reports, while they still processed our credit card charges and sent those funds to their investment account in another state.
I have asked for answers from Aurora about this activity but they are stonewalling.
Interestingly once I raised this issues I was told our account would be unblocked immediately.
So this activity begs the question, was this company blocking our account without notifying us and depositing that revenue over the last 7 months in an investment account in another state to profit from blocking our account? I certainly hope not but I’m worried it might be true and the company is stonewalling. If this is true how wide spread might it be?
C. Tang
In November of 2020, our restaurant Boiling Cajun Shrimp stopped processing with Aurora Payments, and suspended use of the account. At that time one of our associates had contacted Aurora Payments regarding issues with our bill and the lack of customer service support. We received an email from customer service manager Charles stating that Aurora Payments had taken over our accounts from Pearl Payments which is who we signed
up with back in 2018. Charles also went on to tell us in his email he would be researching for us why our Clover Service Fee was so high ($273 a month for 3 Clover Stations, one of which wasn’t even working). He also let us know that he could handle all of our needs including cancellation if we so chose. After switching to another provider (who is saving us hundreds a month), we sent Charles an email saying we wanted to cancel. We continued to get billed for8 months of inactivity costing us $3,990.12 in fees. We were paying $450 to $650 a month despite not using their service. Avoid Aurora Payments!
JHynes
Well Sabin Burell Has been fired from Aurora and is Currently being sued from them for over 50m for being con man. Just as he was accused as being a con man for his felony conviction in 2021. https://unicourt.com/case/ca-ora-aurora-solutions-llc-vs-sabin-burrell-1099327
JJohnston
Sabin Burrell leaves a court record trail in Arizona, involved in at least 21 civil lawsuits since 2002 in Maricopa County.
https://www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/docket/CivilCourtCases/caseSearchResults.asp?lastName=Burrell&FirstName=Sabin&bName=