Central Payment Corporation Review
Merchant Maverick's Rating: (4 out of 5)
Last Updated: December 10th, 2009
Overview:
Central Payment Corporation is based out of Larkspur, California.
Here's their review...
Obviously the lack of testimonials is an issue for me. I can't imagine that a large company like CPC doesn't have any satisfied customers. Actually, I'm sure there are probably a bunch of 'em, but unless I can contact them myself, I can't really be sure. So get some legit testimonials posted up on the site guys, case studies would be great, and if you offer references as well, then even better.
I don't like the 3-year contract term or early-cancellation fee (see below), but from what I was told...they're both negotiable. 
That's pretty much it for the downside. I mean, 69 BBB complaints (as of this review) is definitely on the high side, but I'll tell you why I didn't hold that against them very much.
Even though they have quite a few complaints on the BBB, they don't have very many negative reviews (from merchants) on sites like RipOffReport or ComplaintsBoard. The negatives that they do have on those third-party sites are mainly from past salespeople that are disgruntled because they either got fired or think they were treated unfairly. Although that's good information to know, negatives from past sales reps don't really speak for how CPC treats their merchants, and that's what really matters to us...right?
Most MSP's that have a high complaint count on the BBB, also have a lot of negative reviews, but that's not really the case with CPC...at least not from merchants. Which makes me wonder how many of those BBB complaints are from former sales reps rather than actual customers of Central Payment Corporation...something to keep in mind.
I obviously like the Facebook page and Twitter accounts (don't know if it's the official one), which shows me that they operate like they don't have anything to hide.
And, the fact that they offer both interchange-plus pricing and seasonal downtime helped out their score a bit.
I gave them a 4 out of 5 for now, but that score could easily go up with a few additions to their site. So long as I don't see a bunch of negative reviews in the next month or so.
Keep reading to learn more about Central Payment Corp.
Date Established:
2006.
Parent/Partner Company:
Central Payment Corporation operates alone, but has some backing from iPayment.
After a noncompetition agreement expired, they started Central Payment with backing from iPayment.
They use either PayJunction (Trinity) or Authorize.net as their payment gateway.
Other Domain Names:
- www.centralpayment.org
- www.cpcwestmichigan.com
Type:
Registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo and First National Bank.
Trust Symbols:
The CPC BBB profile is sporting an "A-" rating with about 69 complaints as of this review.
Security/Privacy:
The site is "https" secured.
Customer Service:
The rep that I spoke with was extremely professional and helpful. She answered all of my questions truthfully (I hope), and she didn't try to pull a "hard-sell." She acted more like a consultant than anything. Those are the kind of reps you want to get your hands on.
Contract Duration:
The Central Payment Corporation contract length is 3-years.
Cancellation Fee:
Their cancellation fee operates on a sliding scale starting at $500 if you cancel within the first year, and dropping by $100 each year thereafter. I was told that both the contract length and cancellation fee are negotiable, so don't forget to put on your bargaining hat.
Seasonal Downtime:
They do offer seasonal downtime, but be sure to specify up-front which months you need to deactivate the account for.
Negative Reviews:
They have 9 complaints on RipOffReport (as of this review), but I'd say 80% are from past employees who for one reason or another are no longer happy with CPC.
Personally, I could care less about the company's internal beef's. My concern is with the merchant and how they're being treated, and as of now, I don't have any reason to believe that past merchants aren't happy with their service.
I do like the way CPC has taken the time to respond to any complaints made against them. Most of those negative ROR reviews are followed by a rebuttal from CPC, and usually it's the company's owner who's doing the responding.
Common Complaints:
Most of the BBB complaints are in the "Billing, Collection and Contract Term" categories. A good solution to that would be to scrutinize your contract early and often. It might be a pain in the ass, but it'll save you from any surprises.
The negative reviews on ROR don't have much in common except for the fact that most are from ex-employees.
Verifiable Testimonials/References:
I was a little surprised that I didn't see any testimonials on their site, but I'll keep you posted if any go up.
Locality:
Larkspur, California.
Product Offering:
Check Guaranty, Check Conversion, eCommerce/Internet, Wireless, Gift Cards, ATM, POS, PCI Compliance.
Specialty:
None in particular.
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