Forte Payment Systems
Forte Payment Systems (CSG Forte) is a US-based omnichannel payment processor handling $195B+ in annual volume for 175K merchants across healthcare, government, insurance, property management, and ISV verticals via APIs, tokenization, AI fraud detection, and embedded payments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersAllen, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Forte Payment Systems does
Forte Payment Systems, operating commercially as CSG Forte or CSG Payments, is a US-based enterprise payment processing platform that processes more than $195 billion in annual payment volume across 260 million transactions for roughly 175,000 merchants worldwide. The platform accepts payments omnichannel — online, in-person, by phone (IVR), and by SMS (Text-to-Pay) — across ACH, credit and debit cards, and digital wallets. Core platform modules include Dex (centralized operations and reporting), Protection.ai (AI-driven fraud detection using behavioral and contextual signals), Forte.js tokenization with a PCI-compliant vault, Straight Through Processing (STP) for healthcare virtual card reimbursements, Bill Pay electronic presentment, and the PFaaS (Payment Facilitation-as-a-Service) partner platform. Forte holds PCI DSS Level 1, ISO 27001, SOC 1 Type II, HIPAA-aligned controls, and Nacha Preferred Partner certifications, and operates licensed money transmitter entities in the United States (NMLS ID: 1986669) and Quebec, Canada.
Forte serves primary verticals including healthcare (hospitals, clinics, labs, dental groups with HIPAA-compliant RCM), insurance (carriers and MGAs), government (state, municipal, and county agencies), property management (residential and commercial), retail and eCommerce, telecommunications, and utilities. Its go-to-market combines enterprise field sales for large organizations, a developer-first API and SDK motion through developers.forte.net for embedded integrations, and a tiered partner channel (referral, reseller, PFaaS) for ISVs. Forte makes money through transaction fees on processed volume, subscription revenue from its $7.99/month PCI Compliance Program (and $29.99/month non-compliance fees), and value-added services including account validation, tokenization, fraud prevention, revenue recovery, account updater, and surcharge programs.
Forte was founded in 1998 and has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of CSG Systems International since 2016; CSG Systems itself was acquired by NEC and Netcracker in 2024. The company maintains its headquarters at 2121 Providence Drive, Suite 151, Fort Worth, Texas, with a reported headcount of 101–250 employees.
Forte Payment Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Forte Payment Systems
- Legal name
- CSG Forte Payments, Inc.
- Website
- https://forte.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Forte Payment Systems (CSG Forte) is a US-based omnichannel payment processor handling $195B+ in annual volume for 175K merchants across healthcare, government, insurance, property management, and ISV verticals via APIs, tokenization, AI fraud detection, and embedded payments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Forte Payment Systems industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing Platform
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)
Keywords
Where Forte Payment Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Allen
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Forte Payment Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Fees: Transaction fees from processing payments across omnichannel including ACH, credit/debit cards, and digital wallets. Volume-based pricing with cost-effective ACH/eCheck processing ideal for recurring billing models.
- Payment Facilitation Revenue: ISVs and partners earn revenue through buy rates (markup on processing), revenue share from payment sales, and value-added services including validation, fraud protection, and tokenization.
- PCI Compliance Program: Monthly subscription program at $7.99 providing breach insurance, vulnerability scans, compliance assistance, and PCI compliant status notification.
- Value-Added Services: Additional revenue from payment validation, fraud prevention, revenue recovery (NSF automation), tokenization, account updater, and surcharge programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | PCI Compliance Program - Monthly subscription for merchants |
| Subscription | Monthly | PCI Non-Compliance Fee |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Forte Payment Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Forte Payment Systems (operating as CSG Forte / CSG Payments) provides an omnichannel payment processing platform that enables businesses to accept, manage, and protect payments across online, in-person, phone (IVR), and SMS channels via ACH, credit/debit cards, and digital wallets. The platform processes more than $195B in annual payment volume across approximately 175,000 merchants, with integrated fraud detection, tokenization, PCI compliance, healthcare revenue cycle management, and embedded payments for ISV partners.
Product overview
CSG Payments (operating as CSG Forte) offers a unified omnichannel payments platform designed for businesses across healthcare, insurance, government, property management, retail, telecommunications, and utilities sectors. The platform architecture centers on the CSG Payments core platform enabling acceptance of ACH, credit/debit cards, and digital wallets across online, in-person, phone (IVR), and SMS channels. Key product modules include: Dex (operations and reporting hub), Bill Pay (electronic bill presentment), Text-to-Pay (SMS payments), Tokenization (PCI scope reduction), Protection.ai (AI fraud detection), ACH Processing, IVR Payments, Revenue Cycle Management with Straight Through Processing for healthcare, and Payment Facilitation as a Service (PFaaS) for ISV partners. The platform processes over 260 million transactions annually and handles $195B+ in annual payment volume across 175,000 worldwide merchants.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CSG Forte Unified Payments Platform
- Omnichannel Payments
- ACH Processing
- Text-to-Pay (SMS Payments)
- IVR Payments
- Payment Tokenization
- Protection.ai (AI-Powered Fraud Detection)
- PCI DSS Compliance Program
- CSG Forte Bill Pay
- Revenue Cycle Management (RCM)
- Payment Facilitation as a Service (PFaaS)
- Dex Platform
- Embedded Payments
- Account Validation & Authentication
Quantifiable outcome
- Insurance reimbursements accelerated from 60 days to 1 day with Straight Through Processing
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Forte Payment Systems
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Forte Payment Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature7 records
Forte Payment Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- NEC and NetcrackerflagshipNEC and Netcracker completed acquisition of CSG Systems in 2024. The integration of CSG with Netcracker creates a more comprehensive and unified digital platform, combining CSG's payment solutions with Netcracker's digital transformation capabilities.
- Optum FinancialcoreCollaboration with Optum Financial for Straight Through Processing (STP) to accelerate insurance reimbursements and member payments, strengthen cash flow, and reduce administrative burden for healthcare providers.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Forte Payment Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stripe: Stripe is a leading omnichannel payment gateway and processor offering RESTful APIs, hosted checkout, and embedded payments for ISVs. Forte competes most directly with Stripe in the developer-first payment gateway segment, though Forte differentiates via vertical depth.
- Block (Square): Block operates Square, a payment gateway and processor serving SMB and mid-market merchants with omnichannel acceptance. Forte overlaps with Square in serving smaller merchants with self-service onboarding and cost-effective ACH/card processing.
- Authorize.Net: Authorize.Net is a long-standing payment gateway serving SMB and mid-market merchants with API and hosted checkout. Forte competes head-to-head in the merchant payment gateway category, particularly for SMBs and ISVs.
- EBizCharge: EBizCharge provides vertical-focused payment processing for industries including healthcare, government, and utilities. Forte's vertical specialization in healthcare and government directly overlaps with EBizCharge's go-to-market.
- Stax (Fattmerchant): Stax is a payment facilitator and subscription-based processor serving ISVs and SMBs with embedded payments. Forte's PFaaS model directly competes with Stax's payfac-as-a-service positioning for software platforms.
Broad incumbents
- Adyen: Adyen is a global enterprise payment processor offering unified omnichannel acceptance across online, in-person, and platform payments. Forte's enterprise omnichannel platform and PFaaS offering overlap with Adyen's broader global platform play.
- Worldpay: Worldpay is a major global merchant acquirer and payment processor serving enterprise and mid-market. Forte's enterprise omnichannel offering overlaps with Worldpay's platform processing capabilities across regulated verticals.
- Chase Payment Solutions: Chase Payment Solutions is a bank-owned payment processor offering gateway, ACH, and card acceptance for businesses. Forte competes with Chase for enterprise and mid-market merchants, particularly in regulated verticals.
- PayPal: PayPal operates Braintree and PayPal Checkout as merchant payment gateways with broad omnichannel capabilities. Forte competes with PayPal's gateway offerings for enterprise and SMB merchants, though PayPal's broader portfolio dilutes focus.
Emerging players
- Finix: Finix provides payment facilitator-as-a-service infrastructure enabling ISVs and platforms to embed payments. Forte's PFaaS offering competes directly with Finix for ISV partnerships and embedded commerce deals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Forte Payment Systems social profiles
Digital presenceForte Payment Systems compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Forte Payment Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Forte Payment Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Forte Payment Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Forte Payment Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Forte Payment Systems
What does Forte Payment Systems do?
Forte Payment Systems (operating as CSG Forte / CSG Payments) provides an omnichannel payment processing platform that enables businesses to accept, manage, and protect payments across online, in-person, phone (IVR), and SMS channels via ACH, credit/debit cards, and digital wallets. The platform processes more than $195B in annual payment volume across approximately 175,000 merchants, with integrated fraud detection, tokenization, PCI compliance, healthcare revenue cycle management, and embedded payments for ISV partners.
Is Forte Payment Systems a public or private company?
Forte Payment Systems is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Forte Payment Systems founded?
Forte Payment Systems was founded in 1998. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Forte Payment Systems based?
Forte Payment Systems is headquartered in Allen, United States, in the North America region.
How does Forte Payment Systems make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Payment Processing Fees are the primary driver. The others are payment Facilitation Revenue, PCI Compliance Program and value-Added Services.
Who are Forte Payment Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stripe, Block (Square), Authorize.Net, EBizCharge and Stax (Fattmerchant). Broad incumbents are Adyen, Worldpay, Chase Payment Solutions and PayPal. Finix is listed as an emerging player.
Does Forte Payment Systems have an API?
Yes. CSG Payments offers a RESTful API for developers to embed payment functionality into software platforms. The platform provides Forte.js, a JavaScript SDK for tokenizing payment credentials at the point of form submission. APIs support ACH processing, payment facilitation, account validation (Validate, Validate+, Authenticate), token management, and full lifecycle control for custom integrations. The platform supports batch file processing for high-volume transactions and manual portal entry for smaller volumes or exceptions. Integration is handled through REST API with extensive developer documentation, typically requiring a four-week development phase with a dedicated channel engineer. Developer documentation is at developers.forte.net.
What industry is Forte Payment Systems in?
Forte Payment Systems's product category is Payment Processing Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMACAA, Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout), with a secondary code of FSAGALAB, Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets). Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6211.