Easy Pay Direct is a payment gateway and merchant account provider headquartered in Austin, Texas.
The company also has a second office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 2000, Easy Pay Direct serves over 60,000 clients, making it a mid-sized provider. The companys EPD Gateway is their primary product, with associated merchant accounts provided through partnerships with a large number of major US and international processors and banks.
Its also possible to use their gateway with your existing merchant account if you already have one. Easy Pay Direct primarily markets their products and services to high-risk merchants, but they have several features that might be of interest to non-high-risk businesses as well. Because the company relies on so many different backend processors, they do not list an acquiring bank on their website the way most merchant account providers do.
Having an extensive network of processors is a common strategy among high-risk providers. The advantage to you as a merchant is that youre much more likely to be approved for a merchant account. At the same time, it also means that processing rates, account fees, and contract terms will vary widely from one merchant to the next.
Because of this, Easy Pay Direct doesnt offer very many specific pricing disclosures on their website. At the same time, having flexible pricing and contract terms can give you some leeway to negotiate your rates and terms when working with the companys sales team. Be aware, however, that if youre a high-risk merchant, you will in almost all cases have to pay higher rates and fees than low-risk merchants do.
Theres a lot to like about Easy Pay Direct. Their EPD Gateway is a solid, feature-packed product thats compatible with most online shopping carts and provides top-notch Level I PCI-compliant security. They offer a broad selection of both wired and wireless terminals, POS systems, and mobile payment systems, and will sell them to you at wholesale prices rather than sticking you with an expensive equipment lease.
The companys perfect record with the BBB is another strong indication that they provide a reliable service and are keeping their merchants happy. At the same time, you should be aware of a few minor shortcomings. The company primarily charges processing rates under a tiered pricing plan, and you will likely have to agree to a three-year contract rather than being billed month-to-month.
The lack of an early termination fee (in most cases) takes a lot of the sting out of the long-term contract, but you might still run into problems if you try to close your account early. You can also expect to pay a $99 account setup fee when you first sign up. All these issues are relatively common among high-risk providers.
In fact, Easy Pay Direct is probably less expensive overall than most other high-risk providers in the industry. All things considered, the company qualifies for a 4.5 out of 5 stars rating. While theyre not quite perfect, they compare very favorably with other providers that specialize in serving the high-risk sector.
