Sekure Payment Experts Review

There is a significant amount of evidence online indicating that Sekure Payment Experts has operated under other business names, including “Sekure Merchant Solutions” and “First Choice Payment Solutions.” Additionally, the company appears to primarily act as a reseller of North American Bancard — one of the worst-rated merchant account providers we have investigated. Sekure Payment Experts advertises that is also markets PayAnywhere as a POS solution, further supporting that it has ties with North American Bancard.

Payment Processing

Sekure Payment Experts provides payment processing services for all major debit and credit cards, focusing on small businesses. Their offerings include traditional swipe and dip terminals, as well as e-commerce and mobile payment processing solutions.

Point of Sale (POS) Systems

Sekure Payment Experts offers POS systems designed to help businesses manage sales, inventory, and payment processing. These systems include features like inventory management, employee management, and customer management. They can also be customized to meet the specific needs of different businesses.

Virtual Terminal

Sekure Payment Experts provides a virtual terminal that allows businesses to accept payments from any location. Accessible through any web-enabled device, this terminal supports on-the-go payment processing and includes features like recurring payments and electronic invoicing.

E-commerce Solutions

Sekure Payment Experts offers e-commerce solutions to help businesses sell products and services online. The platform integrates with various e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento. It also includes a virtual terminal for accepting payments over the phone or through email.

Understanding Sekure Payment Experts Customer Reviews

We’ve uncovered over 80 negative reviews about Sekure Payment Experts across various online platforms. Several reviewers accuse the company of deceptive practices. The main concerns include:

• Aggressive telemarketing tactics
  • Example: A customer complained that Sekure Payment Experts called their office 11 times in 5 days, despite requests to stop. Another reported multiple calls per day even after asking to be removed from call lists.
• Misleading sales information
  • Example: One customer reported being told they were getting a “special” low rate for restaurants, only to discover upon billing that the rates were actually very high.
• High cancellation fees
  • Example: A business owner reported being charged high cancellation fees immediately after trying to cancel their account, despite being told they could cancel at any time without penalty.
• Unexpected rate hikes
  • Example: Several customers reported that their rates increased significantly after the initial agreement, with no prior notice or explanation.
• Difficulty canceling services
  • Example: One customer reported that the company refused to provide an RMA to return their credit card machine and continued to charge fees even after the account was supposedly canceled.

Authenticity of Positive Reviews

While Sekure Payment Experts has some positive online reviews, their legitimacy has been questioned. Some claim that competitors may post fake negative reviews due to industry competition. However, no concrete evidence supports this claim. It’s worth noting that:

• There are reports that the company has offered statement credits for positive Google Reviews, requiring customers to include the ‘agent name’ and ‘name of your business’ in the review.
• Some positive reviews appear to be from employees or affiliates of the company, rather than genuine customers.
• The disparity between the content of positive and negative reviews is significant, with positive reviews often lacking specific details about the service.

Possible Rating Manipulation

Sekure Payment Experts appears to be actively manipulating its ratings on user review forums that do not verify the authenticity of the reviews and websites that accept payment for allowing artificially skewed positive ratings. This is evidenced by an abnormally high number of published testimonials, which is unusual for companies in the credit card processing industry.

Additionally, many of the testimonials carry the tone of marketing language, not that of real customers. For the reviews that may be from genuine users, they often name individual support agents, which suggests that they offer customers incentives for leaving positive reviews, such as credits towards monthly fees. Such activities were made illegal by the Federal Trade Commission in 2024 due to the false picture they create on a company’s reputation. The ratings discussed on the websites below should be carefully considered for authenticity.

PaymentPop Rating for Sekure Payment Experts

Positive Feedback

There are countless online reviews stating a variety of grievances about Sekure Payment Experts and its former business names.

Trustpilot Rating for Sekure Payment Experts

Sekure Payment Experts has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating based on 165 user reviews on Trustpilot.

Google Maps Rating for Sekure Payment Experts

Sekure Payment Experts has a 4.3 out of 5 star rating based on 1,128 user reviews on Google Maps.

Yelp Rating for Sekure Payment Experts

Sekure Payment Experts has a 2 out of 5 star rating based on 66 user reviews on Yelp.

Long-Term Contract With Cancellation Fees

Sekure Payment Experts typically requires a three-year contract with North American Bancard, including potential for:

• Liquidated Damages early termination fees
• Tiered pricing
• Additional undisclosed fees

Note that specific details, such as PCI Compliance fees and monthly minimum fees, vary depending on business size, type, and tenure. Sekure Payment Experts primarily partners with North American Bancard for merchant accounts.

Beware Liquidated Damages

Sekure Payment Experts’ contracts contain Liquidated Damages clauses, which can lead to substantial early cancellation fees. These fees are calculated based on:

• Fixed amounts or average monthly processing costs
• Remaining contract months

Potentially exceeding $900, these fees are considered excessive. Sekure Payment Experts’ contract terms are rated average to below-average, suggesting better deals may be available with other merchant account providers.

Sekure Merchant Solutions Telemarketing Class Action Settlement

In August 2018, the company (operating under First Choice Payment Solutions) reached a $6.25 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit. While specific details about the nature of the lawsuit are not readily available, the settlement amount suggests it was a significant legal action against the company.

The lawsuit likely involved allegations related to telemarketing practices, given the company’s history of aggressive telemarketing tactics.

While the exact terms of the settlement are not provided, class-action lawsuits involving telemarketing often address violations of regulations such as the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). These settlements typically result in compensation for affected individuals who received unwanted calls or messages.

Lawsuits Related to Former Business Names

James Schaffer v. First Choice Payment Solutions G.P. case:

Case Details

• Case Number: 8:18-cv-01981
• Court: California Central District Court
• Judge: David O. Carter
• Filed: November 5, 2018
• Terminated: August 7, 2020
• Nature of Suit: Other Statutory Actions (890)
• Cause: Violation of Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Parties

• Plaintiffs: James Schaffer, Terry Fabricant
• Defendant: First Choice Payment Solutions G.P.

Settlement Details

• Settlement Amount: $1,600,000
• Attorney Fees: $400,000
• Costs: $61,544.72
• Incentive Awards: $5,000 each to James Schaffer and Terry Fabricant
• Claims Administration Costs: $210,948.42

Key Points

This was a class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The case was resolved through a settlement agreement, which received final approval from Judge David O. Carter on August 7, 2020. The settlement required the defendant to pay $1.6 million into a settlement fund to compensate class members, cover administrative costs, and pay attorney fees and incentive awards to the named plaintiffs.

The court found the settlement to be fair and reasonable, approving the requested attorney fees, costs, and incentive payments. The case was then terminated following the final approval order and judgment.

Barbara Chadwick et al. v. First Choice Payment Solutions G.P.

• Case Title: Barbara Chadwick et al v. First Choice Payment Solutions G.P.
• Case Number: 1:19-cv-00590-RBJ
• Date Filed: February 27, 2019
• Plaintiffs: Barbara Chadwick, Frederick Marshall, Cassandra Macarthur, Howard Potter, and James Dill
• Defendant: First Choice Payment Solutions G.P., d/b/a Sekure Merchant Solutions

Nature of the Case

This is a class action lawsuit alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The plaintiffs claim that the defendant, Sekure Merchant Solutions, made unsolicited telemarketing calls to their cellular telephone numbers using an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) or artificial or prerecorded voice, without their prior express written consent.

Key Allegations

• The defendant allegedly called the plaintiffs’ cellular phones without their consent.
• Some of the plaintiffs’ numbers were allegedly on the National Do Not Call Registry.
• The calls were made for telemarketing purposes, specifically to sell merchant processing services.
• The plaintiffs seek statutory damages under the TCPA, which provides for $500 per violation and up to $1,500 for willful or knowing violations.

Class Action

The plaintiffs seek to represent two classes: 1. Those who received calls from Sekure to their cellular phones using an ATDS or artificial/prerecorded voice without prior express consent. 2. Those whose numbers were on the National Do Not Call Registry and received more than one call from Sekure within a 12-month period.

Covalt et al v. First Choice Payment Solutions G.P., d/b/a Sekure Merchant Solutions

• There is no publicly available information on the specifics of this case. What is available states that the case is still pending.

Aggressive Telemarketing

Sekure Payment Experts relies heavily on telemarketing. Most complaints about the company cite aggressive, repeated sales calls from representatives, often ignoring clients’ requests to stop.

There’s More To The Story

Sekure Payment Experts’ website presents itself as a business advocate, offering free initial statement analyses. However, evidence suggests Sekure Payment Experts is actually a reseller of North American Bancard’s merchant services, rather than an independent rate review service.

Key Concerns

• No disclosure of North American Bancard affiliation on the website
• Clients receive services from Global Payments and North American Bancard without clear explanation
• North American Bancard is a reseller of Global Payments

Expect Only One Option

It appears that Sekure Payment Experts’ primary goal is to sell North American Bancard contracts. Business owners should be aware of this when receiving calls from the company. Consider exploring our list of top-rated merchant account providers.

Sekure Payment Experts is a below-average credit card processing provider due to its deceptive business practices and costly contract terms. Evidence indicates the company operates as a North American Bancard reseller, contrary to its presentation as a business advocacy or referral agency.

Concerns for Business Owners

• Misleading self-presentation
• Expensive contract terms
• Increasing online complaints
• Better alternatives available

To ensure optimal value for processing needs, potential clients may want to compare Sekure Payment Experts’ terms with top-rated merchant account providers