Headquartered in Melville, New York, Zuma Payroll (also known as Zuma Merchant Services) is a U.S.-based payroll and merchant service provider established in 2006 in Garden City. The goal behind establishing Zuma was to provide small businesses with an easy, organized, and trouble-free system to manage their payrolls. Since its foundation, the company has expanded its approach to a complete suite of payroll technology and talent management software.
The provider accepts all major credit card networks and specializes in personalized support and payroll processing solutions for most small and medium-sized businesses, helping them reach their full potential. Zuma was ranked in the Inc. 5000 annual list and was awarded the Bethpage Best of Long Island award in 2022. The company utilizes cloud-based technology to simplify the complexities of taxes and payrolls. Its revenue has noticeably increased in the past few years.
The provider serves multiple industries, including union sectors, financial services, and construction companies. It calculates, deposits, and reconciles a merchant’s taxes, enabling them to focus on their business without distractions. Merchants are promised expert assistance to satisfy their credit and payroll processing needs under one roof. Here is a detailed Zuma Payroll and Processing review concerning the pros and cons of choosing the company as your payment facilitator.
Pricing and Contract Details
The company does not offer insight into its rates and agreement clauses. According to Zuma Payroll and Processing reviews, merchants are offered uncertain contract terms depending on their business type, size, and processing history. Since the provider facilitates credit card and payroll processing, it may offer separate contracts for each service or provide a bundle package with one contract and combined expenses.
An average Zuma agreement costs 1.00% to 4.99% for swiped and keyed-in transactions. However, the rates can vary. The company does not disclose its early termination fee, and the rest of the charges are also unavailable to the public.
Sales and Marketing Strategies
According to Zuma Payroll and Processing reviews, the company relies on strategic partnerships, traditional marketing, and an in-house sales team to promote its services. It stays away from independent resellers and does not employ sales agents to market its name. However, the provider fails to disclose all the necessary information and keeps the public from accessing most areas of its official website. This is unfair to new merchants trying to determine if the company fits their requirements.
Consumer Support Options
The company has reserved multiple toll-free phone support numbers and an email address for consumers to reach out to. A fax number, a contact form, and a customer support form are available on the website. The available communication options by the provider are limited compared to the best-ranked payment processors.
Benefits and Services
Zuma claims to ease the complexities of managing payrolls and credit card processing. Merchants are spared from spending hours making schedules, fulfilling administrative tasks, and keeping everything in check. The provider helps businesses eliminate tax penalties and save significant time and manual labor by automating payroll processing. It provides product support, real-time reporting, compliance expertise, and time-tracking tools. The company’s ERTC and comprehensive HCM solutions enable merchants to integrate multiple business functions into one system, simplifying employee experience.
ERTC Programs
Employee Retention Tax Credit is a program facilitating businesses that continued to pay wages and health insurance to employees during the lockdown. Even though numerous non-profits and small companies are eligible for ERTC, claiming it is more complex and tedious than it seems.
Zuma Payroll and Processing reviews indicate that the provider incentivizes its clients to keep their employees on payroll and helps them pass the eligibility criteria for ERTC. This way, the cycle continues without a break, and merchants can access full credit amounts regardless of their tax liabilities and income.
Payroll Reporting
The provider facilitates thorough reports on payroll operations. Merchants can access withheld and paid taxes, employee wages, and the working hours of each employee. This way, they can verify tax liabilities, overtime data, and timesheets and control their accounting data. Zuma payroll reporting tools enable merchants to control different areas of their business, helping them maintain a beneficial employee relationship that keeps them motivated to give their best. It also analyzes the percentage of revenue used for payroll and how it can be improved.
Payroll Processing
The provider utilizes advanced technology and offers online payroll software solutions to automate payroll processing and save merchants from manual labor. Consumers do not have to spend time calculating wages and sending them out. Instead, the company automates the process, deposits payments to the employee account, and keeps track of each payment for the year-end tax calculation.
Human Capital Management Solutions
The company offers iSolved HCM solutions to manage their employees from when they are hired to when they leave. These solutions are designed to cater to large enterprises with an even larger number of employees and their payroll needs. Zuma enables merchants to make timely and critical decisions by providing accurate information and keeping them up-to-date. It increases efficiency by integrating data into employee records and optimizing the workforce.
The provider offers strategic support for HR operations and boosts mobility and human capital value. Its HCM solutions can greatly impact various business departments and increase a company’s capital investment.
Zuma Payroll and Processing Reviews and Complaints
The company does not have a large clientele, as it focuses on promoting its services within Long Island. Few clients mean fewer complaints which is the case in this scenario. Zuma has maintained a low complaint rate, and none of the reviews accuse it of being a scam. However, there are not many positive reviews either. It suggests that the lack of negative feedback can also mean merchants have filed complaints against the provider’s backend processor.
Consumer Review Platforms
Zuma does not have any lawsuits or negative FTC reports against it. The provider was accredited by Better Business Bureau in 2016 and is rated A+ on its BBB profile. There are no formal or informal complaints against the company on the review platform. However, this rating is unreliable and has proven to be flawed regarding payment facilitators.
Disadvantages and Shortcomings
Even though the company offers reliable services and has maintained a clean record, merchants should not ignore the drawbacks that come with it. The provider lacks a basic understanding of what a client requires as it does not prioritize their right to disclosure. It offers limited resources and is suitable for specific business types. Here is a Zuma Payroll and Processing review concerning its shortcomings;
Does not Disclose Information
The company’s website is not accessible to the public and only available in certain areas. It does not disclose its early termination fee and is secretive about PCI compliance, batch, and virtual terminal rate. It provides incomplete information and only mentions some of the contract details. Merchants can not determine what they may face after signing up. They cannot know what equipment and products they may receive.
The provider’s equipment lease terms are also a mystery. Merchants are not offered information about its backend processor, and there is no mention of its acquiring bank on the website.
Variable Contract Terms
Zuma Payroll and Processing reviews portray that they are offered variable contracts, which is not a good sign and does not purvey stability. Variable contract terms can frustrate and confuse merchants as they can not estimate what they may face. Uncertain contract details that differ for each merchant can be dissatisfying in the long run. It is mostly a strategy to justify illogical terms and clauses and make any changes without liability.
Inadequate Customer Service
The company’s customer support options are limited and not competitive with a well-reputed service provider. Merchants are not provided with any live chat option for instant assistance and are not accompanied by a dedicated account manager to answer their queries. Sub-par customer service can cause employees to do double work, which affects their efficiency, leading to missed queries and unresolved issues.
When a business does not receive immediate support to resolve a problem, its efficiency will be compromised. Resultantly dissatisfying its customers and creating a chain of displeasing events for everyone.
Final Verdict
This Zuma Payroll and Processing review concludes that the provider is a good payroll processing company for some business types but cannot be trusted completely. It does not prioritize its merchants’ needs and deprives them of transparency. Consumers can not determine if they can afford its services as it does not mention any of its rates. The company’s contract details are vague and confusing for new merchants.
Lack of information and proper customer support can be troubling for merchants signing a long-term contract. Consumers should find a service provider that does not hide anything and offers trust. Merchants looking forward to hiring the company as their facilitator are advised to ask questions and get their queries answered. They should cover all areas, negotiate the pricing to match their affordability, and be 100% sure before signing the agreement.
