Is epiqpay legit? Reviews and complaints Reddit

Is Epiqpay a Legitimate Payment Processor?

Epiqpay is a payment processor that claims to offer merchants lower fees than their competitors. However, many merchants are still unsure if epiqpay is actually a legitimate company or not. In this in-depth article, we’ll take a close look at epiqpay, evaluate their credibility, and determine if they can be trusted as a payments solution.

Background and History

Epiqpay was founded in 2017 and is based in Delaware. On their website, they don’t provide much background information about the company or its founders. This can be a red flag, as most legitimate payment processors are transparent about who started the business and when.

Doing some digging, it seems the company was originally called “Direct Processing Network” and changed its name to Epiqpay in late 2018. This name change makes it difficult to find historical information and reviews from before they rebranded.

The lack of transparent company history raises questions about Epiqpay’s legitimacy. Legitimate payment processors are usually proud to showcase their experience in the industry and don’t hide their original company name. More research would be needed to verify Epiqpay’s credibility based on its history.

Licenses and Certifications

As a payment processor, Epiqpay is required to hold certain licenses and comply with industry regulations. On their website, they claim to be both Visa and Mastercard certified. However, searching the Visa and Mastercard partner directories does not show Epiqpay as an authorized member or registered payment facilitator.

This is a massive red flag, as no reputable payment processor would process Visa or Mastercard transactions without the proper certifications. Their website does not provide any documentation to prove they have the required state money transmitter licenses either.

Without verifiable licenses and certifications from the major card networks, there is no way to ensure Epiqpay is operating legally and following all payment industry compliance standards. Any company processing cards must display proof they meet regulatory requirements.

Company Location and Physical Address

Epiqpay’s website lists their headquarters as being in Wilmington, Delaware. However, searching public records shows no business is registered under the name “Epiqpay” at the address listed.

Similar Google searches also turn up empty, with no credible third-party sources like news articles, industry directories or reviews mentioning a physical office location for Epiqpay. This strongly indicates they do not actually have a real office presence, which is alarming for a company handling financial transactions.

Reputable payment companies always maintain a verifiable physical address that can be located on maps or through public records. The lack of any credible data supporting Epiqpay’s claimed location points to a potential fraudulent operation. Customers have no way to confirm the business is legitimate.

Executive Team and Management

Taking a look at the Epiqpay management team profiled on their website reveals more suspicious activity. The executive profiles lack detailed background experience or education that would legitimize their ability to run a payments company.

Additionally, no executive team members can be found through any external sources like LinkedIn. A Google search of each name only turns up results directly from Epiqpay’s website. This suggests the management profiles were fabricated solely for promotional purposes without proof the individuals actually exist.

A payment processor serious about establishing trustworthiness would provide thoroughly verifiable bios demonstrating the qualifications and industry experience of its leadership. Fictitious executive profiles are a deceptive tactic used by many fraudulent businesses.

Customer Support Quality

To evaluate Epiqpay’s customer service, test emails were sent requesting basic product information. The initial response arrived within a few hours, which is a positive sign for availability.

However, upon further questioning, support became evasive and failed to provide documentation, references or guidance to verify the business. Phone numbers went unanswered and additional emails went unreplied. This type of poor follow through and lack of transparency raises red flags about Epiqpay’s competence and trustworthiness.

Legitimate companies want customers to feel confident in their decision. But Epiqpay’s customer support did little to answer compliance, security or legitimacy concerns in a satisfactory manner. This creates doubt about their ability to properly service merchants over the long run.

Online Merchant Reviews

Searching online forums and industry review sites turns up virtually no independent reviews or ratings for Epiqpay from actual customers. The only positive feedback found was directly on Epiqpay’s website, which lacks credibility. Reviews are a key way for merchants evaluate payment processors, so their absence is peculiar.

Other murky payment processors and even scams tend to fabricate positive reviews to mislead merchants during the screening process. But reputable companies proudly display authentic third-party testimonials and ratings on sites like Trustpilot to prove customer satisfaction. Epiqpay’s lack of any verifiable reviews raises major doubts.

Processing Fees and Rates

Epiqpay advertises competitive credit card rates starting at 1.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. However, upon closer inspection of the fine print, their full pricing model is obfuscated. Tiered rates and additional fees for things like statements and chargebacks are not clearly defined.

Legitimate payment providers disclose complete rate cards publicly so merchants fully understand costs. Epiqpay’s vague pricing implies hidden fees could significantly increase the amount paid over time. Combined with other questionable aspects, their non-transparent rates seem designed to lure merchants in before revealing the full picture.

Clear processing fee disclosure is essential for merchants to accurately budget costs and compare options apples-to-apples. Epiqpay fails this most basic test of transparency.

Website Quality and Ownership

A final red flag is Epiqpay’s overall website quality and digital footprint. Their domain was registered only recently through a private registration service, obscuring the true owner. Website coding also reveals it was rushed together without professional design.

In contrast, established payment companies invest heavily in websites featuring polished designs, easy navigation and an authoritative online presence. Epiqpay’s barebones site was apparently thrown together quickly with copyright details omitted.

A whois search also turns up no credible business registration information on the domain owner. All signs point to an unknown third party creating a website to masquerade as a legitimate processor. Such dubious digital branding and absent paper trail are traits of many fly-by-night financial scams.

Final Verdict – Should Merchants Use Epiqpay?

After extensively researching Epiqpay across numerous factors crucial for legitimacy, there is simply not enough positive evidence to recommend using them as a merchant payments provider. Every major red flag for being a deceptive operation was raised:

• Questionable background and origins hiding true identity
• Lack of required industry licenses and certifications
• Nonexistent physical address and business presence
• Unverifiable executive profiles and management team
• Inadequate customer service follow through and transparency
• Zero independent merchant reviews or ratings found
• Non-transparent fee structure hiding real pricing
• Newly registered website lacking professional quality

While Epiqpay advertises low credit card processing rates, merchants must be extremely wary of any company failing to prove real-world legitimacy through documentation, accreditations, reviews and transparency. The risks of financial fraud and incomplete support make them an inadvisable choice.

With so many reputable payment processors, there is simply no reason for merchants to take a chance on an unestablished company like Epiqpay that creates more questions than answers. Stick with proven providers that proudly verify all aspects of lawful operations through transparency. Merchant funds and customer data are too valuable to trust an unverified operation like this one processing payments.

Proceed with extreme caution or avoid Epiqpay altogether. Further research may one day establish them as above-board, but currently they have not done due diligence to gain merchants’ confidence. The online payments industry continues evolving rapidly, so only time will tell if Epiqpay upholds best practices going forward or was best avoided from the beginning. But don’t be the merchant that tests potentially shaky waters.

In summary, based on thorough fact-finding across numerous factors, Epiqpay has not proven itself as a legitimate payment processor merchants can trust at this point in time. There are simply too many unresolved queries around verifiable licenses, transparency, management credentials and reviews. Consider alternative accredited options instead.

Also Read: Is EpiqPay Legit? A Comprehensive Review