iPayment Review

Rates and Fees
80/100
Truth in Advertising
70/100
Consumer Reviews
50/100
Customer Support
90/100
2.3

Best for

Any of the following business types; eCommerce, subscription-based, acquiring, ISVs & Platform, and airline/travel businesses

Specializes in

Online, POS, and integrated payment solutions

Pricing Summary

Setup Fee: $0

Monthly Fee: Undisclosed

Swipe Rate: Variable

Keyed-in Rate: Variable

Early Termination Fee : $250-$350

Contract Terms:

3 Years
Visit iPayment

iPayment is the most recent acquisition of the massive payment processing firm, Paysafe. 

Paysafe functions as a conglomerate of several large merchant account providers and now administers the payment processing services of iPayment as well.

As a whole, Paysafe has received a large number of complaints regarding both its products and services as well as its billing and collections. Part of this large complaint volume is expected given the firm’s immense 200,000 merchant clientele. However, this doesn’t excuse the firm from many of the legitimate issues that merchants have identified with their Paysafe-administered contracts. 

iPayment Overview

 

iPayment is a merchant account provider that was acquired by Paysafe in June 2018. Visiting iPayments former website (ipaymentinc.com) now redirects users to Paysafe’s official website. As a result, the pricing and contract information in this article has been updated to reflect that of Paysafe.

Paysafe, also known as Paysafe Group, is a massive UK-based merchant account provider that was formed in 2015 as a rebranding of Optimal Payments. Since its rebrand, Paysafe has also added a number of other large payment processing subsidiaries (like iPayment) to its holdings. 

The Paysafe Group was acquired by 2 private equity firms (Blackstone Group and CVC Capital Partners) in August of 2017. At present, Paysafe provides payment processing services to over 200,000 merchants and is comprised of the following major subsidiaries:


  • Skrill

  • Meritus Payment Solutions

  • MeritCard Solutions

  • Merchants’ Choice Payment Solutions

  • iPayment (most recently)


Paysafe’s origination dates back to Optimal Payments start in 1996. The firm is currently headquartered in the city of Douglas on the self-governing, British-dependent island, Isle of Man with Philip McHugh as its listed CEO. Paysafe currently has an estimated 3000 employees and is a registered ISO of BVA USA in Decatur, AL; Wells Fargo, N.A. in Concord, CA; Woodforest National Bank in Houston, TX; BMO Harris Bank, N.A in Chicago, IL; and Merrick Bank in Woodbury, NY.

Quick Facts

Head Quarters

Westlake Village, California

Year Founded

1999

CEO

O.B. Rawls IV

Employees

3000

Merchant Provider Risk Tolerance

What We Like

What We Don't Like

Industries Served

  • Clothing & Apparel
  • Convenience Store
  • Education
  • Electronics
  • Gaming
  • Healthcare
  • Marketing Agency
  • Personal Service
  • Property Management
  • SAAS
  • Thrift Store
  • Travel

Business Types Served

  • Ecommerce
  • Mobile
  • Online
  • Retail / Card Present
  • Small Business
  • Wholesale

iPayment Products & Services

 

iPayment offers the following products and services, as per the company’s official website:

Digital Wallet Acceptance 


The ability to integrate Skrill and NETELLER digital wallets into a merchant’s customers’ checkout experience.

Integrated Payment Solutions


PCI-compliant integrated payment solutions that let you customize payouts, splits, flows and routing preferences.

Paysafecard


An online prepaid payment solution that’s designed for customers who prefer to pay with cash for their online purchases. These eCash payments are made by entering a 16-digit code and require no bank account or credit card.

Clover POS Station


Paysafe offers POS merchants the Clover Station Pro; An outward facing credit card terminal that processes customer orders, tracks inventories, and supports loyalty programs. 

eCommerce Payment Gateway


Enables merchants to accept over online payments of over 100 currencies from Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Apple Pay, digital wallets, Paysafecash, and Google Pay.

iPayment Payment Processing

  • ACH Check Transactions
  • Check Guarantee
  • Contactless NFC
  • Credit Card Processing
  • Debit Card Processing
  • eCheck & ACH Processing
  • Gift & Loyalty Program
  • Merchant Cash Advance
  • Mobile Payments App
  • Online Payments
  • Online Shopping Cart Integration
  • Payment Gateway
  • POS Equipment

iPayment Billing & Invoicing

  • Mobile Payments
  • Online Payments
  • Payment Processing

iPayment Advertising & Sales

 
As a massive conglomerate of several large payment processing firms, Paysafe does not have a central sales team that markets its contracts. Rather, the firm has a variety of sales tactics that vary from subsidiary to subsidiary. 

As a general overview, Paysafe and its subsidiaries appear to employ independent sales agents in order to market contracts to merchant prospects. For its eCommerce sector, however, Paysafe and its subsidiaries appear to rely primarily on internet marketing and strategic partnerships.

Truth in Marketing

Discloses All Important Terms

No

Public Pricing Available

No

iPayment Pricing, Rates & Fees

 

It is difficult to pin down a standard pricing model for Paysafe’s contracts since the firm has many sub-brands that each have their own products and pricing structures. Pricing therefore varies significantly depending on the subsidiary and sales agent(s) that you may be working with. 

To get an accurate estimate of pricing and fees as it relates to your particular business model, you can request a price quote via the official Paysafe website. 

Pricing at a Glance

Pricing Model

Tiered Pricing

Swiped Rate

Variable

Keyed-in Rate

Variable

Mobile Payment Rate

Virtual Terminal Rate

Variable

Monthly Fee

Undisclosed

Payment Gateway Fee

Undisclosed

Batch Fee

Undisclosed

Early Termination Fee

$250-$350

PCI Compliance Fee

Variable

Equipment Lease Terms

Variable

Address Verification Service (AVS)

Application Fee

Account Setup Fee

$0

Gateway Setup Fee

Annual Fee

Monthly Minimum

Undisclosed

Statement Fee

iPayment Contract & Terms

Despite the pricing variety of Paysafe’s subsidiaries, online evidence suggests that a standard contract is a three-year agreement with an Early Termination Fee of $495. 

Paysafe’s standard contracts also include a Monthly Minimum Fee of $14.99 and a non-cancellable 48-month equipment lease. It’s important to note that POS equipment leases are typically much more expensive than purchasing the equipment outright. 

This pricing is consistent with iPayment’s formerly reported pricing.

Contract Length

3 Years

Early Termination Fee

$250-$350

iPayment Setup & Support

 

Setup Highlights

  • Documentation / Knowledge Base
  • Live Online (1-on-1)
  • Recorded Video Training

Support Highlights

  • Domestic Phone Support (Business Hours)

iPayment Complaints, Ratings & Reviews

The Better Business Bureau does not have a comprehensive profile for Paysafe since the firm is a UK-based business. The BBB only reviews businesses in the U.S and therefore only has a profile for Paysafe’s U.S-based subsidiary, Meritus Payment Solutions. 

Meritus Payment Solutions has been accredited with the BBB since 2010 and has a 1.21 out of 5 rating based on consumer reviews. The firm has closed 66 complaints in the last 12 months and 201 complaints in the last 3 years. Approximately 60% of the complaints have to do with Paysafe’s products or services while the other 40% are related to billing and collection issues.

Ratings

BBB

NR and is not BBB Accredited. (16 Reviews; 94 Complaints)

Google

2.2 Stars / 27 Reviews

Facebook

N/A

Yelp

1 Star / 3 Reviews

Reviews

Total Online Reviews

600+

Total Online Complaints

300+

Lawsuits

None

iPayment Alternatives

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