Launched in 2007 as Capital Payments under the BluePay brand, Bluefin Payments Systems is a data security and payment processing company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company, highly suitable for e-commerce businesses, is an authorized ISO/MSP of U.S. Bank National (Canadian branch), Elavon, Wells Fargo Bank, and Deutsche AG. It serves small to medium-sized companies and large enterprises, including retailers and financial institutions.
Bluefin mainly caters to the retail, healthcare, and education industry. It offers online, mobile, and in-person card payment solutions to government agencies, SEO and SEM, MOTO, SAAS, non-profits, MLM, convenience stores, and utility businesses. The provider has partnered with over 130 processors to facilitate full-fledged POS systems and efficient payment gateways for businesses in more than 55 countries.
The company aims to provide merchants with frictionless payment processing, enabling them to accommodate customers with a secure shopping experience and prioritizing their convenience. It prides itself on building an integrated payment security platform that knows how to keep a balance between securing and freeing the flow of information. Here is a Bluefin Payment Systems review to provide a better understanding of its pros and cons to merchants looking forward to signing up with the company.
Benefits, Products, and Services
Bluefin focuses on providing secure e-commerce merchant accounts and offering mobile and contactless payment solutions. It accepts all major card brands for credit and debit card payments and accommodates ACH and e-check transactions.
Merchants are offered virtual terminals, payment gateways, and omnichannel POS systems. They can benefit from the provider’s recurring billing options, QuickSwipe for mobile transactions, EMV compatibility, and software integration. The provider offers advanced technology features compatible with Apple and Android devices, enabling merchants to access and control everything on smartphones and take their business anywhere they go.
Data and Payment Security
According to Bluefin Payment Systems reviews, the provider is a PO (Participating Organization) of the PCI Security Standard Council and one of the first companies to get PCI validation. It offers tokenization and end-to-end encryption to make customers’ payment information unusable to hackers. It provides a shield against data breaches and helps businesses meet Nacha regulations while assisting them in protecting PII and PHI (Personally Identifiable Information, Protected Health Information.)
ShieldConex takes out any sensitive data and ensures that a business follows PCI security standards and that a customer’s information does not enter their system without being tokenized first.
QuickSwipe Mobile
Merchants are offered seamless mobile payment processing with QuickSwipe, enabling them to take their business beyond the four walls and set up an easy-to-use POS system anywhere. The company provides a customizable interface to match a brand’s look and theme while lowering its PCI audit cost.
Merchants can eliminate the cost of expensive hardware since they can access QuickSwipe on an internet-enabled device. They can enhance cybersecurity, create a standalone solution, and offer a fast checkout experience to customers. QuickSwipe allows merchants to send email receipts, customize the products catalog, track each transaction, and access multiple locations remotely with a web-based management dashboard.
Software Integration
Bluefin Payments has partnered with over 200 companies to integrate its PCI-validated payment processing solutions into their payment gateway, software, and ISVs and offer secure DaaS (Decryption as a service) solutions. It provides merchants with white-labeled products to add to their suites without disturbing their existing platform.
The online portal, P2PE manager, assists merchants with the chain of custody, attestation, and device management. Merchants can assign custodians, manage locations, view device activity, track every step of the payment device, and generate and upload reports.
The Decrypt integration enables merchants to choose from various mobile, countertop, and unattended devices from renowned processors, including Verifone, PAX, ID Tech, Ingenico, USAePAY, Transact, Upwire, and many more. Merchants can offer customers the highest card payment security solutions while keeping their company’s current configuration intact.
The company provides QuickBooks integration to automate a merchant’s data, allowing them to track their sales, inventory, expenses, and invoices and eliminate manual data entry. The PayConx for Salesforce app integrates with the PayConx platform, providing omnichannel card payment processing for businesses in Canada and U.S.
Sandbox Environment
The Bluefin Payment Systems reviews indicate that the provider facilitates a sandbox environment, allowing merchants to test the software from the provided SDK before utilizing it for their daily business. Developers can request Sandbox access for a specific product and start developing without affecting the local applications. This service allows merchants to test every product aspect, weigh its pros and cons, and determine if it befits their payment processing plan.
Pricing and Contract Terms
The company binds merchants to a three-year contract through Fiserv, tailored to each merchant’s needs, and a variable early cancelation fee. Multiple Bluefin Payment Systems reviews indicate that the provider does not disclose its pricing and contract details on the website. Still, merchants can request a direct quote and gain all the information.
The provider does not provide insight into the pricing model and list of charges. An average Bluefin agreement costs 1.00% to 4.99% per transaction for swiped and keyed-in transactions and does not require an application setup fee. The company’s virtual terminal rate is presumably similar.
Bluefin Customer Support
Merchants are offered a toll-free domestic phone support number available during business hours and a live chat option to address their queries to the dedicated support assistant. The provider has maintained a technical support line to answer any questions related to payment devices and product issues. Moreover, an email address is reserved for merchants to address their concerns. There is an FAQ page on the website covering the most common concerns.
Sales Practices
The company trains an in-house sales team and refrains from hiring independent sales agents to promote its services. The official website is easy to use and offers authentic information. Merchants are provided with complete guidance concerning the propriety payment gateway and its terms and do not hint at deceptive marketing. However, Bluefin does not provide all the necessary information on the website.
Bluefin Payment Systems Reviews and Complaints
The company has received over 25 complaints concerning termination fees, non-responsive customer service, and delayed payouts. To top it all off, the provider does nothing to resolve the issues and ignores the complaints until a negative review is posted online. The company then forces merchants to update or take down the negative reviews instead of solving the issue.
In 2016, Bluefin was charged with a lawsuit by Federal Trade Commission for processing payments for a telemarketing scheme that was scamming small businesses. The company continued to be affiliated with the scheme even after knowing it was involved in fraudulent activities. After the settlement, the provider is banned from conducting business with several companies.
BBB Report
The provider was rated A+ on its BBB profile after being accredited in 2017. Two formal and two informal reviews are posted on the review platform concerning poor customer service, product issues, and billing disputes. Only one complaint was given any attention.
Shortcomings
The provider has maintained a low complaint rate, but the few reviews it received have a negative tone, and merchants are frustrated about its denial of their concerns. Even though Bluefin is a reasonable payment facilitator, there are several drawbacks to hiring the company as your payment facilitator.
Early Termination Fee
The provider does not disclose its early termination fee, but multiple Bluefin Payment Systems reviews show merchants are charged a high fee for contract cancelation. An undisclosed early termination fee is never a positive sign. When there are no pre-determined terms, the provider can change policies anytime and charge as much as it wants by justifying it for whatever reason.
Claiming to charge a cancelation fee only under specific conditions is a formality to satisfy merchants. Indeed, it is a way to either gain a hefty amount or force merchants to stay in the contract when they cannot pay it.
Unavailable Customer Service
Even though the company has reserved multiple consumer support options, merchants have complained about it being unreachable. It is not competitive with the top-rated companies and needs improvement. Bluefin Payment Systems reviews prove merchants are frustrated after their complaints go unanswered. After being ignored by the provider, they post reviews on the consumer protection websites, but the company keeps badgering them into removing the reviews.
Undisclosed Information
The company has partly mentioned its online payment solutions and security features on the website. Merchants are deprived of the contract details and price transparency. It does not disclose its PCI compliance, batch, payment gateway, technical support, and monthly fee. The provider’s pricing structure and marketing terms are not disclosed, and merchants are not given insight into the equipment lease charges and conditions. Even though merchants can request a rate quote, there is no evidence that it helps.
Conclusion
Deduced from this Bluefin Payment Systems review, the company is not a reliable payment facilitator. It claims to serve high-risk businesses, but after its settlement with FTC, the type of businesses it can cater to has been limited. Instead of understanding the issues and solving them, the provider indulges in immature tactics to keep the dirt from staining its reputation.
Bluefin does not offer disclosure and dependability to its clients and fails to prioritize their needs. Merchants are advised to look for a trustworthy provider capable of handling the risk, providing an honest approach, and offering services to tackle their daily requirements.
