Omega Bank Card Services (or Omega Financial Solutions), founded in 2002, is a UK-based merchant account provider located in Alabama, Birmingham, with two offices in Georgia. It is an independent sales organization of Wells Fargo Bank, Concordia, using First Data and Clearent for payment processing.
The company provides debit and credit card processing services to major businesses, helps merchants accept electronic payments, and provides the equipment and support for their customers. Tey offer cryptocurrency support, online restaurant ordering, business loans, check guarantee service, gifts and loyalty cards, POS systems, mobile card readers, ATM services, and other valuable services. Below is a review of the services that Omega Bank Card claims to offer.
Omega Bank Card Services Features and Products
The company aims to provide business solutions to all business types and meet the client’s needs every step of the way, bringing forth strategies for profit and business growth. Their products offer a wide range of features to choose from as per your business requirements and can be changed as your business expands.
Online Ordering for Restaurants
The provider offers user-friendly software for online food ordering that allows restaurants to turn their website into an online order platform and take unlimited orders. There are effective widgets to make the website stand out and easily manageable. Customers can order food from their favorite restaurants through their smartphones or reserve a table at the restaurant before going. The system allows regular customers to save their information and get it prefilled at checkout. The app is designed to help restaurants get notified of new orders, keep track of the previous ones on an app, schedule deliveries, and run promos and coupon deals.
Cryptocurrency Payments
Omega Services is partnered with CryptoBucks for all cryptocurrency payments. When a customer pays in cryptocurrency, CryptoBucks transfers the payment to the business’s bank account. Merchants can use the app compatible with iOS and Android, turn their smartphones into a terminal, and accept bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies anywhere. The company accepts cryptocurrency in 55 countries.
Cash Advances and Business Loans
Small businesses needing funds can take business loans from Omega within ten days of applying. The company offers a loan of up to $250K without any application fee, and the fund application can get approved within 24 hours.
Gifts and Loyalty Cards
Merchants and their customers benefit from Omega gift and loyalty cards. Omega promotes the brands and increases their sales and cash flow. The company provides consumers with tracking and reporting for their purchases and their security features saves businesses from fraud and scams.
Onsite ATMs
Omega has ATMs for customers to withdraw cash on the spot. This service attracts customers and benefits the merchants by giving surcharge revenues for each transaction. Even if your business offers credit and debit card transactions, it is always useful to have an in-house ATM service.
Atlanta Check Guarantee Service
Omega provides merchants with a check guarantee service that guarantees paid checks. If a check bounces, merchants are paid the amount by the company, and the check payment is continued. Merchants are charged a fee for this service.
Clover
The company has an all-in-one POS system offered by Clover combined with the Clover app.
- With Clover station solo, merchants can take payments, print receipts, manage their business with Clover software, and track sales and transactions.
- Clover station duo allows customers to view the transaction on a second screen
- Clover Flex is a handheld POS system allowing merchants to control their sales all from their hands.
- Clover Go allows merchants to take payments on the go.
- Clover Mini is the smaller version of a Clover POS that can fit in a small space and has almost all the power of a complete POS system.
Mobile and Wireless Payments
Omega provides handheld POS devices with touch screens and wireless downloads. If there is no signal, merchants can use the ‘store and forward’ option to allow card-present rates. It can be used for all debits, credit, and paper check processing. In addition, the company provides magnetic and smart card readers, optional micro-SD, and hardware and software capabilities for 3G compatibility.
Payment Gateway
Omega uses Autorize.net as its payment gateway for online transactions. It is a way to accept electronic payments and transfer funds into a merchant account. It is essential for businesses that take payments online.
OVVI POS
Omega has another innovative POS solution that provides hardware, software, and card processing solutions. Its software has more than 600 features that make a business more versatile. The 4G and fast WiFi option enable merchants never to miss essential financial details and be active at all times with quick reports and analytics. OVVI can connect with barcode scanners, printers, and cash registers.
PayLo Unlimited
To accept credit card payments, merchants pay a hefty amount that reduces cash flow. Omega PayLo allows merchants to accept credit cards without losing revenue by paying a flat $35 fee regardless of the amount they process each month. The company offers a standard and unlimited plan that businesses can choose per their needs.
Contract Term and Pricing
The company offers a three-year contract with an interchange-plus and flat pricing rate. There is no early termination fee unless the merchants have leased a piece of equipment from the provider. In that case, the termination fee is $199. However, the termination fee is canceled if the equipment is returned within 30 days of cancelation.
There are two interchange fee plans offered by Omega. Consumers have to pay 2.90% plus $0.30 per transaction in the basic plan and 1.89% plus $0.23 in the pro plan with a monthly fee of $19.95. Whereas in the flat fee pricing, merchants have to pay a flat $35 per month. There is also a $10 monthly fee, a $9.95 terminal fee, and a $7.50 PCI compliance fee.
Sales Transparency
The company hires independent sales representatives for their marketing which can cause unsatisfactory client feedback as the company does not have complete control over these agents. Most independent sales agents are undertrained and often mislead customers to get them signed up. However, the provider does not use deceptive marketing tactics on its end, and pricing plans are relatively transparent.
Omega Customer Care
The company has mentioned a phone number and an email address on the official website. Merchants can send their queries by filling out the form available there. However, these messages are prone to go unnoticed, considering a tremendous number of clients. Omega offers business consultants to assist merchants and a 24/7 help desk.
Omega Reviews and Complaints
There aren’t many reviews against or in favor of the provider. Despite that, merchants are still advised to read the contract and pricing plan thoroughly before signing an agreement with the provider. Omega has listed all its pricing plans clearly on the website, and there are no negative reviews in this area.
BBB Rating
Omega has accredited its Better Business Bureau profile since 2004 and is rated A+ by BBB. There have been 0 complaints in the last 36 months, and no informal reviews have been recorded against the company. Although, it should be noted that the BBB rating is doubtful as the reviews are not always verified. The BBB rating alone cannot be considered a reliable factor in deciding upon a merchant service provider.
Drawbacks
Omega is considered an affordable merchant service provider for most small and large-sized businesses with a vast range of services. Its pricing plans are also affordable for most business types. It should be noted that there are not many positive reviews given by the merchants either. Only two significant businesses posted positive reviews on the official website. This shows that the lack of negative feedback may be because most consumers don’t take the time to file any complaints online. Below is a review to point out some drawbacks of Omega.
Average Customer Care
A company as big as Omega is expected to have excellent customer support as it has a large clientele, but it is average in that area. The customer support channels only include an email and a phone number. There isn’t any live chat feature, and the merchants are not provided an online complaint portal on the website.
Independent Sales Agents
Hiring independent sales representatives can be viewed negatively by any merchant service provider. When a company hires independent sales agents, it loses control over marketing strategies, which can affect customers. Independent sales agents rarely work out in favor of merchant service providers.
They can choose to promote the services of one provider over the other if they get a better cut. Furthermore, they incorporate misinformation and withhold important contract terms just to get customers to sign up and maximize their commission. It also indicates that a provider is having difficulty scoring new clients based on its services. These factors are worth considering when choosing a payment processing company.
Final Verdict
Although Omega Bank Card Services is a good option for many business types, the lack of customer care and reliance on independent sales agents can be a headache. The company claims not to charge a PCI compliance fee. However, it can still burden merchants as they will have to pay a large sum under certain conditions at the time of contract cancellation. This happens when a merchant fails to return the leased equipment in the given time frame. It can be tricky as sometimes there is a glitch in the system that causes the merchants to pay the fee even after returning the equipment, and not finding adequate customer support to resolve this can add fuel to the fire. Merchants are advised to compare their options and understand all intricacies before choosing a service provider.
