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North Payments is a credit card processor that stands out from competitors by making setup fast and easy. The company is willing to work with many business types, even those in high-risk industries. This is significant because finding a credit card processor in a high-risk industry can be challenging. Additionally, North Payments provides fast and easy approval, free equipment and next-day funding. Through Payments Hub, you can access many of the same payment tools that big-name credit card processors provide.
8.1 / 10
North Payments promises an easy application process, fast approval and a straightforward setup for businesses that want to start accepting credit card payments. Notably, unlike many competitors, North Payments will work with businesses in high-risk industries, including CBD, debt collection, peptides, telemedicine and credit repair.
Additionally, we like that the company offers next-day funding with cutoff times as late as 12 a.m. ET. You can also choose from various free equipment options upon sign-up to get up and running with credit card processing immediately. For these reasons, North Payments is our pick for the best credit card processor for fast setup.
North Payments focuses on simplifying payment processing. Source: North Payments
North Payments uses a merchant portal called Payments Hub as its customer-facing software. We liked the user interface, which is well designed and intuitive, with a modern and sleek dashboard featuring collapsible menus.
From the Payments Hub main screen, you can easily view data analytics and key statistics, like gross sales, transactions, refunds, disputes and other recent activities. You can also access the virtual terminal, invoicing and other tools from the main screen. We think business owners and their employees will find Payments Hub easy to use, even the first time.
North Payments’ merchant portal, Payments Hub, is intuitive and well designed. Source: North Payments
North Payments offers several services and features that businesses of all sizes will find valuable. Here’s an overview of this vendor’s key features.
Small business data analytics can paint a picture of what’s happening in your organization, and we found Payments Hub’s reporting feature particularly useful for this purpose. You can view data on gross sales, transactions, average transaction amount and more. You can also run and export reports using various preset or custom fields. One particularly neat feature is that you can sort your employees by various measures, including sales, discounts and tips.
On Payments Hub, you’ll find the virtual terminal, where you can manually key in credit card information. For businesses that want to accept credit card payments over the phone, the virtual terminal is indispensable. We liked that you can also use this feature with a card reader to accept payments with a physical credit card.
Payments Hub’s virtual terminal allows you to enter transactions manually. Source: North Payments
If you’re looking to create an online store, Payments Hub’s developer portal provides the resources you need to create a payment solution on your website, even if you don’t have web design prowess. We liked that more tech-savvy business owners can integrate North Payments’ processing services into their online stores to add checkout functionality, integrate terminals with internal software, process payments on WooCommerce and more.
You can use the Payments Hub portal to manage your inventory and create a catalog of your products. You can set multiple prices, add modifiers and product images, track your in-stock items, and itemize your receipts. We like that you can integrate this system with a barcode scanner, so retail businesses can sync their POS operations with inventory management.
Credit card payment processing laws that business owners must understand include PCI compliance. We like that North Payments simplifies the PCI compliance process by eliminating the need for annual reports if you use a Payanywhere device. The company also partners with SecureTrust to provide a team of service professionals to help you with the technical aspects of PCI compliance. We were impressed by North Payments added PCI Plus service, which includes a more personalized, white-glove treatment that handles PCI compliance for business owners.
North Payments provides an impressive number of third-party POS devices. New customers receive free equipment when they sign up for a contract. Options include the Payanywhere Bluetooth credit card reader, which can accept EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa), magstripe and NFC contactless payments, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. Other Payanywhere devices include the handheld Smart Terminal, the Smart Keypad and the Smart Flex. The Smart POS+ functions as a full cash register, complete with a customer-facing touch screen, a receipt printer and an optional port for a cash drawer. North Payments also offers the handheld Ingenico ICT220 terminal.
The Payanywhere Smart Terminal is one of North Payments’ hardware offerings. Source: Payanywhere
North Payments offers a range of mobile payment solutions designed to help businesses accept payments on the go. The company’s portable devices are compact and versatile, allowing you to accept payments on smartphones or tablets. The platform ensures secure transactions with advanced security measures, providing peace of mind for you and your customers.
North Payments’ mobile payment solutions offer fast processing times, allowing you to complete transactions quickly and deposit funds into your account. Additionally, you can accept various payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards and digital payment methods.
Although there are many benefits of going cashless, some businesses still operate under a cash-only model. Unlike many competitors, North Payments offers a unique service called Edge, which is designed to reward customers for paying in cash. Additionally, when merchants face the cost of accepting transactions from rewards credit cards, they often must raise prices to compensate. The Edge program is designed to automatically adjust the transaction to reflect the payment method, which boosts your profit margins. We think this feature could prove especially useful for businesses that still deal with many cash transactions.
North Payments offers a few monthly subscription plans. The Free plan has no monthly charge, although you’ll pay processing fees. The Premium and Premium Plus plans cost $14.95 and $29.95 per month, respectively, and include free POS supplies and additional features. Here’s a breakdown:
Plan | Monthly fee | Key features |
---|---|---|
Free | $0 | In-person payments, next-day funding, tap to pay, virtual terminal, charge-back management, inventory management, unlimited users, developer API access |
Premium | $14.95 | Free supplies, terminal replacement, full access to integrations, reputation management |
Premium Plus | $29.95 | Enhanced invoicing, recurring payments, the ability to save cards on file, loyalty program |
North Payments’ pricing model for processing rates is straightforward and easy to understand.
Payment type | Processing fee |
---|---|
In-person (dip, tap, swipe, digital wallets, PIN debit, EBT, cash) | 2.69% per transaction |
Online (secure payment page or direct link) | Custom pricing |
Keyed entry (virtual terminal) | 3.49% + 19 cents per transaction |
Invoices (one-time or recurring) | 3.49% + 19 cents per transaction |
We were impressed by North Payments’ quick setup, which includes a straightforward application process and fast approval. You can apply online and receive approval in as little as one day or call the company directly to get started. North Payments works with businesses in a variety of industries, even high-risk ones. New customers have the option to receive free equipment at sign-up.
North Payments maintains a 24/7 customer service helpline for technical support. Representatives are available for other support needs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET daily. We appreciate that the company offers round-the-clock technical support by phone, especially in an era when many credit card processors have outsourced their customer service to automated systems or curtailed their hours. Additionally, North Payments has an online knowledge base and an FAQ section where customers can find answers.
North Payments hosts an online knowledge base where customers can find answers. Source: North Payments
North Payments doesn’t offer the lowest credit card processing rates, but the company’s pricing model is relatively straightforward. The software also lacks some of the bells and whistles of competitors. For example, unlike some competitors, like Clover, North Payments doesn’t offer a fully integrated POS and credit card processing solution. Learn more in our in-depth Clover review.
In addition, on user-generated review sites, some customers have complained about high termination fees and other undisclosed charges. North Payments doesn’t advertise its fees publicly, so we advise customers to read the fine print in their contracts to avoid misunderstandings.
We researched and analyzed leading credit card processors to find the best credit card processors for small businesses. We investigated by exploring demos and free trials, carefully examining user reviews, and interacting with each vendor’s customer service team. We looked at the usability of each company’s hardware and software offerings, as well as the fairness of the contract terms. Additionally, we scrutinized each processor’s rates and fees. To identify the best credit card processor for fast setup, we paid particular attention to the application process, ease of approval and free-equipment provisions.
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