KIS Payments Review (Canada)

Taking $5,000 per month or less in card payments?

You’ll save with Square

Pros

• Month-to-month agreement
• Transparent cost-plus pricing
• Excellent customer service

Cons

• Limited pricing disclosed online
• Enrollment fee likely

KIS Payments Overview

KIS Payments is a Canadian-owned and operated merchant services provider focused on the needs of Canadian businesses. In fact, the co-founder and CEO, Rick Owen, is the author of An Insider’s Expert Guide To Canadian Credit Card Processing, so Canadian merchants can expect a high degree of relevant expertise from the company.

Founded in 2017 and based in British Columbia, KIS Payments is relatively new on the scene, but it stands out for several reasons, not the least of which are the relationships the company maintains with its clients. Being a small business itself, the company’s goal is to simplify payments for other small business operators through dedicated advisors so that no one ever feels lost in the crowd. And as I dig around, I’m pleasantly surprised by what KIS has to offer.

KIS provides flexible contract terms with cost-plus pricing and no early termination fees or long-term stipulations, which we always love to see. Additionally, KIS offers a variety of options in retail, food service, eCommerce, mobile payments, and loyalty options, all with PCI-compliant, secure payment processing at the core. What’s more, the positive KIS payments reviews posted by merchants are a great indicator of the company’s priorities. Suffice to say, KIS is the Canadian payment provider that stands on guard for thee.

For these reasons, I’m happy to give KIS a 5-star score with our full recommendation. But is KIS right for your particular business?

Products & Services

When I spoke with our contact, he clarified for me that KIS works in somewhat of a brokerage capacity, searching different platforms to find the best set of solutions for its merchants — including proactively instigating new integrations and solutions between platforms as well.

Here is an overview of what you can find with KIS Payments:

• Merchant Account: KIS Payments provides a dedicated merchant account. KIS has a few different back-end processors it works with, including Elavon, Fiserv, and People’s Trust. No matter what processor is the best fit, you’ll still get care in-house, with Level 3 technical support provided by the platforms themselves. We’ll talk more about customer service channels in an upcoming section.
• Omnichannel Platform: KIS Payments customizes your merchant account with the tools you need, including a virtual terminal, and eCommerce solutions, including your payment gateway. And if you’re looking to build an online store or add additional sales channels, KIS now partners with Ecwid to offer all of its eCommerce features in one handy, easy-to-use shopping cart package. You’ll be able to sell products on both your eCommerce website (or websites) and through your social media accounts.

• MobilePOS: Clover is its most popular platform currently, so you’ll have the Clover Flex as an option that you can rent without a lease or buy outright. Additionally, KIS has reached out directly to negotiate deals with software companies, including Koomi, an integrated mobile ordering app geared for food service.
• POS Terminals: Because of their flexibility, KIS recommends and offers Android-based terminals, such as Clover or Poynt, but if an integrated system requires a specific device, the company works with you to find the best solution.
• Payment Gateway: KIS works with several gateway products, so you should have no trouble finding what you need as far as a compatible solution. Depending on the processing platform, you’ll have specific options, including Authorize.Net, Cybersource, Pay Flow Pro, NMI, Bambora, and USAePay.
• Integrations: My contact at KIS informed me that because there isn’t one platform in Canada that successfully provides all of the integrations a merchant may need, the company branches out and finds ad hoc solutions that fit its clients, including spearheading new integrations (e.g., between Zusa and Elavon).
• Invoicing & Recurring Billing: You’ll find several invoicing and recurring billing tools to fit your needs via a payment app based on the platform or a solution geared for eCommerce.
• ACH Processing: KIS Payments offers Bambora or NMI options for ACH.
• Gift Card & Loyalty: KIS Payments reaches out and negotiates relationships to provide a variety of loyalty and gift card options to merchants. You’ll find Ackroo and LoyLap, to name a few, with more built-in solutions and apps in the works — KIS is always scouring up-and-coming tech for newcomers.
• High-Risk Processing: KIS Payments works with People’s Trust and will work with travel, cannabis, and other Canadian high-risk companies.

Cash Discounting Through NoPay.Ca

KIS now offers a cash discounting program, NoPay.ca. While credit card surcharging is prohibited for most merchants in Canada, cash discounting (the practice of offering customers who pay with cash/debit/checks a discount equivalent to the cost of credit card processing) is always permitted. Read our guide to credit card surcharging for more on the differences between surcharging and cash discounting.

With NoPay, you get an Android payment terminal, one POS software license, and the Cash Discount app. The result is that your credit-paying customers will offset the credit card charges, thus saving you money. The program also offers a Customer Rewards Program, invoicing, an online dashboard, and a free virtual terminal.

NoPay costs $65/month if you’re using one terminal. An additional $39.95/month will be charged for each additional terminal. There’s also a one-time $99 setup fee charged after approval. (All prices are in Canadian dollars)

All in all, with a wide range of solutions and platforms to choose from and a dedicated advisor that helps bring it all together, KIS provides excellent options in products and services.

KIS Payments Fees & Rates

Screenshot of the KIS Payments website

While it doesn’t have a set rate for all merchants, KIS does disclose that it uses the cost-plus (or interchange-plus) pricing model. Remember from the previous category section that KIS works with a variety of processors to find the best overall solution for each merchant. We prefer cost-plus pricing here at Merchant Maverick because it leaves little room for smoke and mirrors. You can read more about this pricing model in our post, Trading Ease For Transparency With Interchange-Plus.

Additionally, KIS guarantees that its charges will not increase, so while interchange fees may change, as they are based on the card brands, the company won’t pile on with its own fee increases, too.

In addition to payments, of course, there are a lot of other features and services you may need. Here are some additional costs to keep in mind as you build your services:

• Signup Fee: You will pay a one-time setup fee that’s typically charged at $99 to offset boarding costs, but you could see a charge as high as $299 at the company’s discretion. You’ll want to discuss these fees and see if you can negotiate, but if your merchant account is especially complex, the charge may be reasonable.
• PCI Compliance Fees: KIS only passes on this fee if it exists with the back-end processor. For instance, Elavon has mandatory PCI fees, but Fiserv does not. KIS does not add any fees from its end for security.
• Chargeback Fees: If a customer initiates a chargeback, you’ll pay based on the charges set by the platform, typically about $25 per occurrence. To boost your defenses against the dreaded chargeback, read The Small Business Owner’s Guide To Preventing Chargebacks (& 12 Tips For Fighting Chargebacks).
• Software Fees: Additional software fees are based on what is passed on by the SaaS platform (e.g., ACH, gateway, and POS), so consider any monthly fees for your POS or add-on integrations as you build your service out.
• Hardware Rental: A refreshing detail about KIS is that it does not do binding leases for equipment at all. You have the option to rent or buy equipment outright.

KIS Payments stands out from other Canadian processors by going above and beyond to keep costs low, earning it an excellent rating in this category.

Sales & Advertising Transparency

The KIS Payments website is comparatively minimal in that it doesn’t offer a lot of specifics, but that isn’t uncommon, and we can still glean quite a bit from what is there. And what we don’t see are some of the common red flags in the industry that come in the form of shady gimmicks (e.g., over-the-top claims or guarantees). These are all positive signs.

Another great thing KIS makes clear on its site is that a merchant’s contract terms will be month-to-month with no early termination fees, so again, we have a good amount of transparency as far as what to expect in contract flexibility. Regardless of what any website or salesperson claims, however, we always recommend reading your full contract and paying special attention to the terms of cancellation as well as rates and additional charges, if any. Those can often be negotiated, but you may not be aware of them unless you take a look at your contract (or your bill after the fact).

Contract Length & Early Termination Fee

KIS Payments provides month-to-month billing with no long-term contract or termination fees, and that is excellent news. We see far too often that merchants get stuck in a binding contract with what can be hundreds of dollars of cancellation fees. Suffice it to say that we are not a fan of multi-year contracts. We encourage all of our readers to read their entire contract, however, so that all fees and terms are fully understood.

Customer Service & Technical Support

KIS merchants specifically called the company out for providing quality, local service, so I reached out to our contact to find out more details. Here’s how KIS handles your concerns and questions:

• KIS Advisors: If you have a question about your service, KIS Payments is your first point of contact through its in-house advisors. These advisors can be reached Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM PST. Should you have an issue requiring immediate support, however, they do utilize an answering service for time-sensitive issues. And you’ll also get a business card with your advisor’s phone number so that you can call them directly.
• Instructional Video Library: In some cases, the company will even create a quick informative how-to video on the fly to address any specific questions, but it does have an instructional library with tutorials and other how-to videos that will help you onboard.
• Technical Concerns: If you need Level 3 support that requires technical expertise, help can be reached 24/7 via email or toll-free numbers of the specific platform.

Because KIS offers extensive support options and provides personalized, responsive customer care in-house, I’m giving the company an excellent rating in the customer service and technical support category, with no lingering doubts that you’ll be taken care of well.

KIS Payments Reviews, Complaints & Testimonials

Negative KIS Reviews & Complaints

I tried my best to find some complaints from merchants regarding KIS. After all, I have to write something in this section. However, I couldn’t find a single complaint. Not on the company’s BBB page (not in the past 3 years, anyway), not on any review site — not anywhere. This definitely reflects well on the company!

It can probably be assumed that somewhere in Canada, some merchant has had an issue with KIS Payments at some point. However, I can find no public evidence of this. Compare this to the avalanche of negativity found in the review pages of just about any leading US-based merchant account provider, and the contrast is astonishing.

Positive KIS Reviews & Testimonials

KIS Payments is a relatively new company, and as such, there aren’t a large number of positive customer reviews to be found, either. However, the company has already earned an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, which can be a great indicator of a trustworthy company. And what little customer feedback I have found is uniformly positive — another fantastic sign.

The many positive video testimonials from Canadian merchants (mostly from BC and Alberta) found on KIS’s website come from business owners proud to identify their names & locations, lending weight to their credibility.

The main thread that weaves through the positive testimonials: personalized service and an easy-to-use platform. Here is an example quote by Renee from Talon Signs:

Talon Signs is a local, when you need it, sign shop. Previously, the only times I had to call for help (from a previous processor) it was quite a process – sit on the phone, wait for someone to help me, even with simple processes. With KIS even when setting up the machine, called the local help line and got the local rep. Martin was local and came right out to help.

I have recommended KIS to other businesses and continue to do so.

With the only available feedback on KIS being positively glowing (and well-attributed), KIS earns an excellent rating in the User Review category.

Screenshot of organizations KIS Payments serves

Final Verdict

KIS Payments is different from many of the Canadian processors (most any processor, really) I’ve come across. The company promises a focus on providing highly personalized and adaptive service based on the unique needs of any Canadian business, and by all available evidence, it delivers.

What sets KIS apart is that you won’t just be a faceless name in the crowd. You’ll get your own dedicated advisor when you’re approved for an account, but there’s more. KIS learns your business model so that they can make the best recommendations, and you’ll have the phone number of a customer service rep for direct support. While KIS does local, personalized service well, the company serves small to mid-sized businesses as well as larger enterprises and organizations and has the tools and features to help a wide variety of businesses, including international sales, high-risk, eCommerce, mobile, and more.

For all of these reasons, and for consistently rating highly in every category, I can confidently award KIS a 5-star score and our full recommendation in the Canadian payment processing space.

Have you had any experience — good or bad — with KIS Payments? Please leave us a comment! And if you’d like to consider your other options, read our piece on the best merchant accounts for Canadian small businesses.

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

KIS Payments	Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see KIS Payments for yourself.

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

KIS Payments	Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see KIS Payments for yourself.

Read Next

Need Merchant Services For Small Business? These Are The 9 Best Credit Card Payment Processing Companies

Read More

Jun 17, 2021 328 Filed under: Credit Card Processing

7 Retail POS Systems With The Best Features For Small Businesses In 2021

Read More

Apr 23, 2021 6 Filed under: Point of Sale