This data comes from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database and reflects consumer complaints, not proven violations.

CFPB complaint data Grade D 159 complaints

Heartland Payment Systems Inc - Debt Collector Complaint Profile

CFPB complaint profile across 34 states, reputation grade D.

Complaints by issue type

What consumers report about Heartland Payment Systems Inc

complaints
Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database

Data updated July 2026

D

Grade D · 58.0/100 composite

This collector has a poor complaint record with above-average complaints and below-average response rates.

Based on consumer-filed CFPB complaints, not proven violations or a court finding of wrongdoing.

The verdict

A reputation grade of D: Heartland Payment Systems Inc ranks ahead of 35% of the 5,283 collectors PlainCollector grades - 65% keep a cleaner CFPB record, on 159 all-time complaints and a 94% timely-response rate.

35th pct
reputation rank of 5,283 graded collectors
159
CFPB complaints, all-time
94%
answered inside the CFPB window
16
in the last 12 months (falling)

Grades are relative: every collector is ranked against the others, so an A reflects a cleaner record than peers, not a clean bill of conduct. A complaint is a consumer filing, not a proven violation.

What do CFPB complaints reveal about Heartland Payment Systems Inc?

Heartland Payment Systems Inc has accumulated 159 total CFPB complaints across 34 states, with 16 filed in the most recent 12 months against 143 historical complaints before that window. The trailing-12-month volume represents 10.1% of the full complaint history, a falling pattern that implies either tighter collection practices, portfolio sell-offs, or improved dispute handling.

The dominant consumer grievance logged with the CFPB is "Attempts to collect debt not owed", narrowing to "Attempted to collect wrong amount". The company posts a 94% timely-response rate against a 17% consumer-dispute-after-response rate.

Complaints have been recorded across 34 states, led by New York with 14 and Pennsylvania with 14. Normalized against the full CFPB collector database, the reputation score of 58.0/100 places Heartland Payment Systems Inc in grade band D.

How to read a complaint count →

Complaint Summary

Total CFPB complaints

159

mid-volume (CCDB)

Last 12 months

16

10.1% of all-time complaints

Falling ↓

States active

34

multi-region footprint

Timely response rate

94%

good band

Consumer disputes

17%

average (vertical avg ~19%)

Reputation grade

D

58.0/100 composite

How does Heartland Payment Systems Inc's reputation rank nationally?

Reputation score vs. every graded collector

PlainCollector composite reputation score (0–100, higher = cleaner CFPB record)

58 35th percentile higher than 35% of 5,283 graded collectors

0–10: 0 graded collectors (0%). Below this entry. 10–20: 3 graded collectors (0%). Below this entry. 20–30: 29 graded collectors (1%). Below this entry. 30–40: 160 graded collectors (3%). Below this entry. 40–50: 583 graded collectors (11%). Below this entry. 50–60: 1,469 graded collectors (28%). This entry sits in this band. 60–70: 1,364 graded collectors (26%). Above this entry. 70–80: 871 graded collectors (16%). Above this entry. 80–90: 660 graded collectors (12%). Above this entry. 90–100: 144 graded collectors (3%). Above this entry. This collector 0 100 every graded collector, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more graded collectors. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCollector composite of CFPB Consumer Complaint Database · 2013–2026

Response-quality profile

Heartland Payment Systems Inc versus the debt-collection vertical average.

Timely response within SLA 93.7%
Vertical avg

CFPB requires companies to respond within 15 days for most complaints; 60 days for credit-reporting.

Consumer dispute rate (post-response) 17.4%
Vertical avg

Lower is better. The percentage of consumers who flagged the company's response as unsatisfactory.

State coverage breadth 60.7%

Share of US states + territories with at least one filed complaint against this collector.

How does Heartland Payment Systems Inc compare to its peers?

How does HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYSTEMS INC compare? Versus a similar-volume peer and the national average, drawn from 10 collectors with a comparable complaint count
HEARTLAND PAYMENT SYST… National average
Complaints (last 12 mo)lower is better
16
89
268
Timely-response ratehigher is better
94%
100%
91%
Consumer-dispute ratelower is better
17%
0%
19%

Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database.

Complaint Trend (24 months)

2024-04 2026-03

Issue Detail Breakdown

Issue Sub-Issue Complaints
Attempts to collect debt not owed - 52
Written notification about debt - 33
False statements or representation - 33
Took or threatened to take negative or legal action - 13
Cont'd attempts collect debt not owed - 12
Communication tactics - 8
Disclosure verification of debt - 3
Electronic communications - 3
Threatened to contact someone or share information improperly - 1
Improper contact or sharing of info - 1

Where do complaints against Heartland Payment Systems Inc come from?

Heartland Payment Systems Inc's own per-state count, not a national baseline.

Top states by complaints against Heartland Payment Systems Inc

Across 34 states with at least one filing

complaints
Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database

What to do if Heartland Payment Systems Inc contacts you

A grade of D signals how Heartland Payment Systems Inc's CFPB record compares to peers, here is how to act on it.

  • Demand written debt validation within 30 days of first contact, collectors must prove the debt is yours. Validation letter
  • Confirm the caller is really Heartland Payment Systems Inc and not an impostor before paying anything. Verify a collector
  • Know your FDCPA rights, you can stop calls and report harassment. Your rights
  • See how Heartland Payment Systems Inc ranks against every other collector by complaint record. Browse rankings

Complaint counts and grades reflect the public CFPB record, not a regulator's finding of wrongdoing or legal advice. For your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common complaint against Heartland Payment Systems Inc? ▼

The most common issue consumers report about Heartland Payment Systems Inc is "Attempts to collect debt not owed", specifically "Attempted to collect wrong amount". This is based on 159 complaints filed with the CFPB.

Are complaints against Heartland Payment Systems Inc increasing or decreasing? ▼

Complaints against Heartland Payment Systems Inc are falling. The company received 16 complaints in the last 12 months, showing improvement over prior periods.

What is Heartland Payment Systems Inc's reputation grade? ▼

Heartland Payment Systems Inc has a reputation grade of D (score: 58.0/100), PlainCollector's composite letter grade blending complaint volume, response timeliness, dispute rate, and complaint trend.

Does Heartland Payment Systems Inc respond to consumer complaints? ▼

Heartland Payment Systems Inc has a 94% timely response rate to CFPB complaints. Consumers disputed the company's response in 17% of cases.

In how many states does Heartland Payment Systems Inc operate? ▼

Heartland Payment Systems Inc has received CFPB complaints from consumers in 34 states, with the most complaints from New York (14 complaints).

Data sourced from the CFPB Consumer Complaint Database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCollector Editorial

Every figure on PlainCollector is rendered directly from federal source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.