
Payment Depot offers credit card processing using an interchange-plus pricing model, selling itself as a "wholesale" processor. Customers pay interchange plus an additional percentage fee on each transaction, with no monthly subscription costs, making it a good option for small businesses willing to explore cost-saving options outside of flat-rate processors The company supports in-person, online, mobile, and keyed payments. It also offers eCheck and ACH processing services, online shopping cart integration, and developer tools for web designers. Hardware partners include Clover, Dejavoo, Ingenico, PAX, and SwipeSimple terminals.
The key strength is the pricing model itself. Payment Depot uses an interchange plus pricing model, charging a variable rate starting at 0.2% to 1.95% on top of the interchange fee, depending on the business and transaction type, and doesn't charge a separate setup fee or any of the many additional account fees common in the industry. For high-volume merchants, this can translate to significant savings. Payment Depot also provides a free payment gateway for processing credit cards online, mostly using Authorize.net, and can integrate an existing Authorize.net account or set one up.
The primary weakness is what has happened to the company since 2021. Multiple recent reviews report that after the acquisition by Stax, fees increased, customer support became hard to reach, and mysterious charges began appearing on statements. The most troubling pattern is that many recent complaints come from long-time customers who noticed a decline in quality and transparency, with common issues including unexpected fees and difficulty canceling service. The company also has a more limited feature set than competitors such as no native invoicing, no free mobile app, and basic reporting compared to Stax or other modern processors.
Payment Depot, now operating as "Payment Depot by Stax," is a California-based merchant services provider founded in 2013 that pioneered the subscription/interchange-plus pricing model for small businesses, but has experienced significant customer service and transparency issues since its 2021 acquisition by Stax.
No products or services information available.
Based on 1,265 reviews across 3 rating platforms
BBB complaints describe missing deposits, funds being held without explanation, and accounts continuing to be billed after cancellation requests. One BBB reviewer feels the company has gone downhill since the Stax purchase, citing customer service declining from great to almost nonexistent.
Long-time customers report that after the Stax acquisition, fees increased significantly, customer support became hard to reach, and hidden charges appeared without notice. Positive reviews from earlier years praise low rates, excellent customer service, and transparent pricing.
Very limited data; reviews are outdated and don't reflect the post-acquisition service changes.
Card-not-present, e-commerce, and online payments
Card-present retail and point-of-sale transactions
Manually entered card-not-present transactions
Cross-border and foreign currency transactions
Recurring monthly account fee
One-time account setup and onboarding fee
Annual PCI DSS compliance and security fee
Monthly account statement and reporting fee
Per-incident chargeback dispute fee
Fee for canceling before contract end
Regular deposit schedule to your bank account
Faster deposit option (may have additional fees)
Minimum balance required before payout
Required commitment period
None
Payment Depot lets merchants cancel whenever they want without paying early termination fees. Payment Depot operates on a month-to-month basis. If you return any equipment after cancellation, there will be a 20% restocking fee. If you choose to keep the equipment, you'll be charged for the value of the terminal. Despite the month-to-month terms, complaints allege that Payment Depot continues to bill merchants after cancellation requests.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliance level
PCI Level 1 certified (highest level)
Fraud detection and prevention tools
Standard fraud tools through Fiserv/TSYS backend
Encryption standards for data at rest and in transit
End-to-end encryption
Replace sensitive card data with secure tokens
Compatible shopping cart and online store platforms
Sync transactions with your accounting tools
Manage recurring subscriptions and billing cycles
Create and send professional invoices
Multi-vendor marketplace functionality
Accept payments manually via web interface
Automated recurring payment processing
Most Payment Depot staff effectively operate under the Stax umbrella, where Stax's overall Glassdoor rating is 2.9 out of 5 stars based on 158 anonymous reviews, with only 33% of employees recommending working there to a friend. Given Payment Depot's size and subsidiary status, no meaningful independent employee review data is available specifically for the Payment Depot brand.
Recent reviewers report it is impossible to reach live support for account or billing issues post-acquisition, with only sales representatives available — and service cancellation requests have gone unanswered for weeks or months.
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