Payments Are Complicated. Your Vendor Shouldn’t Be.

In the crowded and often predatory world of merchant services, many businesses and nonprofits find themselves at the mercy of faceless support lines and fragmented platforms. From surcharges and fees to frozen funds and missed deposits, a lot can go wrong.

Since 1999, FrontStream has been helping nonprofits and companies simplify fundraising, and payments are no exception. Over 1,700 companies have trusted us to integrate payment forms, simplify multi-location payments, and pay less in processing fees. And every merchant is assigned a dedicated account manager who’s based in the U.S. — someone who knows your business and responds in minutes, not days.

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“You’re not just a number here. You’ll have a real relationship,” said Reese Kimball, who supports payment partners and agencies directly.

Whether you’re a nonprofit, franchise, or company, FrontStream Payments promises a single point of contact, same-day answers, and actual guidance.

One Login, One Statement — Why Integration Really Matters

Many merchants are juggling multiple systems: one for ACH, one for credit cards, and a third for reporting. Not only does this slow you down — it increases risk.

Frontstream integrates all of your payment processing into one platform, with one login and one statement, covering both credit card and ACH payments. No third parties, no handoffs, no gaps.

“Our customers have a single point of accountability,” said Reese. “Everything is handled in-house,” including the payment gateway and processing.

When you have a question, you make one call — not three. And when you reconcile payments at month’s end, it actually makes sense.

“In today’s market, it’s imperative to offer as many methods of payment as possible. FrontStream allows us to accept multiple credit cards, verify authorizations, and capture accounting data & and settlements all in one place. And FrontStream goes above and beyond for clients. Having a team that values collaboration is rare and extremely important."

Brooke Freshcorn, BrightStar Care Colorado Springs

If Your Payment System Isn’t Scaling with Your Growth, It’s Holding You Back.

For franchises, agencies, and multi-location companies, managing compliance, reporting, fee negotiation, and payment systems across dozens (or hundreds) of locations can be a headache.

Frontstream simplifies payments at scale:

One login for all locations
One centralized setup, and custom reporting
One statement
Competitive, consolidated rates
Embedded payment forms for frictionless collection

“Once the embedded form is implemented, we handle everything between your org and the card brands. Our goal is for it to feel turnkey and low-maintenance.” said Reese.

Donor-Advised Funds vs. Merchant Accounts — What’s Right for Your Nonprofit?

For smaller nonprofits, payment processing is low on a long to-do list. FrontStream offers a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) to help you get running within days, and requires no underwriting or merchant account.

As your fundraising grows, FrontStream helps organizations progress to a merchant account, which gives you more flexibility, better rates, and next-day deposits.

“The DAF is turnkey for small charities. But as a nonprofit grows, and especially if a nonprofit wants to host in-person events and accept credit cards for things like merchandise, a merchant account is more cost-effective and nimble” said Reese.

ACH Payments Seem Cheaper — Until They Cost You.

While ACH transactions often carry lower fees, they come with hidden risks. Unlike credit card payments, which are verified instantly and come with dispute resolution support, ACH transactions offer almost no protection.

Worse, an ACH can appear successful, only to be reversed days or even weeks later, after you’ve delivered a service or product.

If you must accept ACH, Frontstream still has you covered. We help you risk-proof your customer contracts and put protections into terms. We also offer lower credit card surcharge fees, so you pay less for credit card transactions, and stay protected.

Vendors like Stripe and PayPal Open You to Unforeseen Risk

If you’re using Stripe or PayPal and attempting to pass fees to customers, you could be doing it wrong. Most small businesses and nonprofits don’t realize that surcharging is regulated on a state-by-state basis:

You can’t surcharge debit cards.
You must follow Visa/Mastercard rules.
And the fines can top $100k per instance!

Frontstream can help you surcharge legally and transparently, so you get the cost relief without putting your business at risk.

And Frontstream is a responsive partner for solving rare-but-devastating scenarios, such as data breaches or a nonprofit temporarily losing its 501(c)(3) status. “Monolithic and anonymous vendors would freeze your funds, no question. We’d respond immediately, and work with you to keep you afloat,” said Danielle Stinson, FrontStream CRO.