KIS Payments Review (Canada)

Pros

• Month-to-month agreements
• Transparent cost-plus pricing
• Excellent customer service

Cons

• Limited pricing disclosed online
• An enrollment fee is likely

What Is KIS Payments?

Canadian merchant services provider KIS Payments focuses on Canadian businesses and the close relationships it maintains with its clients. Being a small business itself, KIS helps simplify payments for other small business owners through dedicated advisors so that no one ever feels lost in the crowd.

As with most of the best credit card processors, KIS also offers a variety of options in retail, food service, eCommerce, mobile payments, and loyalty options, all with PCI-compliant, secure payment processing at the core. What’s more, the overwhelmingly positive KIS Payments reviews posted by merchants indicate that KIS is the Canadian payment processor that stands on guard for thee.

Read on for our full KIS Payments review.

Products & Services

KIS works in a somewhat brokerage capacity, searching different platforms to find the best set of solutions for its merchants — including proactively instigating new integrations and solutions between platforms.

With a wide range of solutions and platforms to choose from and a dedicated advisor that helps bring it all together, KIS earns an excellent rating in the Products and Services category.

Here is an overview of what KIS Payments has to offer:

• Merchant Account: KIS Payments provides a dedicated merchant account. KIS has a few different back-end processors it works with, including Elavon, Fiserv, and People’s Trust. No matter what processor is the best fit, you’ll still get care in-house, with Level 3 technical support provided by the platforms themselves.
• Omnichannel Platform: KIS Payments customizes your merchant account with the tools you need, including a virtual terminal and eCommerce solutions (such as a payment gateway). And if you’re looking to build an online store or add additional sales channels, KIS now partners with Ecwid to offer all of its eCommerce features in one handy, easy-to-use shopping cart package. You’ll be able to sell products on your eCommerce website (or websites) and through your social media accounts.

• Mobile POS: Clover is its most popular platform currently, so you’ll have the Clover Flex as an option that you can rent without a lease or buy outright. Additionally, KIS has reached out directly to negotiate deals with software companies, including Koomi, an integrated mobile ordering app geared for food service.
• POS Terminals: Because of their flexibility, KIS recommends and offers Android-based terminals, such as Clover or Poynt. But if an integrated system requires a specific device, the company works with you to find the best solution.
• Payment Gateway: KIS works with several gateway products, so you should have no trouble finding what you need as far as a compatible solution. Depending on the processing platform, you’ll have specific options, including Authorize.Net, Cybersource, Pay Flow Pro, NMI, Bambora, and USAePay.
• Integrations: Our contact at KIS informed us that because there isn’t one platform in Canada that successfully provides all of the integrations a merchant may need, the company branches out and finds ad hoc solutions that fit its clients, including spearheading new integrations (e.g., between Zusa and Elavon).
• Invoicing & Recurring Billing: You’ll find several invoicing and recurring billing tools to fit your needs via a payment app based on the platform or a solution geared for eCommerce.
• ACH Processing: KIS Payments offers Bambora or NMI options for ACH.
• Gift Card & Loyalty: KIS Payments reaches out and negotiates relationships to offer merchants various loyalty and gift card options. You’ll find Ackroo and LoyLap, to name a few, with more built-in solutions and apps in the works — KIS is always scouring up-and-coming tech for newcomers.
• High-Risk Processing: KIS Payments works with People’s Trust and will work with travel, cannabis, and other high-risk Canadian companies.

Fees & Rates

While KIS doesn’t have a set rate for all merchants, the company discloses that it uses the cost-plus (or interchange-plus) pricing model. We prefer cost-plus pricing because it leaves little room for smoke and mirrors.

As for processing, KIS is not a direct processor — it works with a variety of processors to find the best overall solution for each merchant. As such, KIS doesn’t offer the kind of pricing disclosures we prefer to see from a merchant account provider. We appreciate that it does disclose its use of interchange-plus pricing, however.

Additionally, KIS guarantees its charges will not increase, so while interchange fees may change since they are based on the card brands, KIS won’t pile on its own fee increases.

In addition to payments, of course, there are a lot of other features and services you may need. Here are some additional costs to keep in mind (all prices are in Canadian dollars):

• Signup Fee: You will pay a one-time setup fee (typically $99) to offset boarding costs, but you could see a charge as high as $299 at the company’s discretion. You’ll want to discuss this fee and see if you can negotiate, but the charge may be reasonable if your merchant account is especially complex.
• PCI Compliance Fees: KIS only passes on this fee if it exists with the back-end processor. For instance, Elavon has mandatory PCI fees, but Fiserv does not. KIS does not add any fees from its end for security.
• Chargeback Fees: If a customer initiates a chargeback, you’ll pay based on the charges set by the platform, typically about $25 per occurrence. Read our guide on preventing chargebacks for tips on boosting your defenses.
• Software Fees: Additional software fees are based on what is passed on by the SaaS platform (e.g., ACH, gateway, and POS), so consider any monthly fees for your POS or add-on integrations as you build your service.
• Hardware Rental: A refreshing detail about KIS is that it does not do binding leases for equipment. You have the option to rent or buy equipment outright.

KIS Payments stands out from other Canadian processors by going the extra kilometer to keep costs low.

Sales & Advertising Transparency

The KIS Payments website is relatively minimal in that it doesn’t offer a lot of specifics, but that isn’t uncommon, and we can still glean plenty from what is there. Plus, we don’t see many common processor red flags that come in the form of shady gimmicks (e.g., over-the-top claims or guarantees). These are all great signs.

Another great thing KIS makes clear on its site is that a merchant’s contract terms will be month-to-month with no early termination fees, so again, we have a good amount of transparency as far as what to expect in contract flexibility.

Contract Length & Early Termination Fee

KIS Payments provides month-to-month billing with no long-term contract or termination fees, which is excellent news. We see far too often that merchants get stuck in a binding contract with what can be hundreds of dollars of cancellation fees.

While we’re glad multi-year contracts are not on offer, we still encourage all our readers to read their entire contract so that all fees and terms are fully understood.

Customer Service & Technical Support

Here’s a closer look at the customer service options offered by KIS Payments.

KIS merchants have specifically called the company out for providing quality, local service, so I reached out to our contact to find out more details. Here’s how KIS handles your concerns and questions:

• KIS Advisors: If you have a question about your service, KIS Payments is your first point of contact through its in-house advisors. These advisors can be reached Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM PST. However, should you have an issue requiring immediate support, they utilize an answering service for time-sensitive matters.
• Instructional Video Library: In some cases, the company will even create a quick, informative how-to video on the fly to address any specific questions. KIS also has an instructional library with tutorials and other how-to videos that will help you onboard.
• Technical Concerns: If you need Level 3 support that requires technical expertise, help can be reached 24/7 via email or toll-free numbers with the specific platform.

Because KIS offers extensive support options and personalized, responsive customer care in-house, the company earns excellent ratings in this category.

User Reviews

Owing to KIS Payments’s small size, very little merchant feedback exists regarding the company. However, what does exist is quite positive.

Final Verdict

KIS Payments is different from many other Canadian processors I’ve come across. The company promises a focus on providing highly personalized and adaptive service based on the unique needs of any Canadian business, and by all available evidence, it delivers.

KIS sets itself apart by ensuring you won’t just be a faceless name in the crowd. You’ll get your own dedicated advisor when you’re approved for an account, plus you’ll have the phone number of a customer service rep for direct support.

While KIS does local, personalized service well, the company serves small to mid-sized businesses as well as larger enterprises and organizations. It has the tools and features to help a wide variety of businesses, including international sales, high-risk, eCommerce, mobile, and more.

All things considered, we’re happy to name KIS Payments as one of the best merchant accounts for Canadian small businesses.

Credit Card Processor Review Methodology

We evaluate and test each payment processor that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on certain key characteristics in order to generate our granular ratings for merchant accounts and credit card processors.

For payment processing reviews, we use a 24-point rubric to evaluate the provider. First, we look at pricing structure – interchange plus, subscription-based, tiered, or hybrid – giving the most points to providers that provide fair, transparent pricing and docking those that rely on tiered models. Then we examine rates, the presence and transparency of early termination fees, and any additional fees.

We also look at contract length and fairness and test out sales staff and customer service channels ourselves to ensure that the company uses reputable, above-the-board sales techniques. Finally, we take the company’s online reputation into account, reading customer reviews and comments.

Read more about how we rate payment processors.

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

KIS Payments	Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see KIS Payments for yourself.

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

KIS Payments	Visit Site

After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see KIS Payments for yourself.

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