Payline Data Review

Pros

• Transparent pricing
• Month-to-month billing with no long-term contract
• No early termination fee
• ACH processing available
• Free virtual terminal
• Accepts some high-risk industries

Cons

• Only available to US-based merchants
• High interchange-plus processing rates

What Is Payline Data?

Payline Data is a merchant account provider that offers interchange-plus pricing and a range of services for most types of businesses. The company provides true month-to-month billing and strong customer support. It also works with merchants in many high-risk industries, including CBD and cannabis.

Payline Data’s pricing is transparent and predictable, and you won’t be hit with some of the unexpected fees you’ll find with some of its competitors. While Payline Data’s current interchange-plus rates are higher than what most processors charge, these rates are offset by the company’s low monthly account fee and minimal extra charges often make its overall cost of processing pretty competitive.

Products & Services

Payline Data’s products and features cover the needs of most merchants, from retail to eCommerce to omnichannel businesses. Here are the highlights:

• Merchant Accounts: Payline Data offers full-service merchant accounts. While FIS Worldpay (formerly Vantiv) is its primary back-end processor, your account will be underwritten by Fiserv (formerly First Data) if you use a Clover device.
• High-Risk Accounts: Payline accepts many high-risk industries, though you’ll likely face higher rates and stricter terms than advertised.
• Nonprofit Accounts: Payline offers discounted processing rates to registered 501(c)(3) charities and nonprofit organizations. If you’re running a nonprofit, you can also take advantage of the company’s “Commercial Co-Venture” program to gain recurring donations by referring business customers to Payline Data. There are no additional costs to you or your customers to sign up for this program.
• Payment Gateway: Payline Data offers eCommerce merchants a choice between its proprietary Payline Gateway, Authorize.Net, or the NMI gateway. With any of these options, you’ll have access to recurring billing, electronic invoicing, and a customer information vault. There are no separate gateway fees or per-transaction charges.
• Virtual Terminal: Accept card-not-present payments from any computer, or pair with a USB card reader for in-person transactions. The default Virtual Terminal is CardPointe, but an unbranded version is available. Both versions can store customer data, set up recurring billing, accept ACH payments, view customized reporting, send invoices, and have direct access to support.
• Mobile Payments: Payline Data offers several third-party mobile payments systems for iOS and Android devices, including the Cardpointe mobile POS system and the Clover Go mobile app and card reader.
• Credit Card Terminals: Payline Data offers a variety of countertop credit card terminals from various manufacturers. The Ingenico Desk/3500 and Clover Flex are currently featured on its website, but other models are also available. All support magstripe, EMV, and NFC payments. To keep costs reasonable, Payline does not offer terminal leases.
• POS Systems: In addition to the Clover POS hardware suite, Payline Data also features the NCR Silver and many other POS systems. If you’d prefer to run your POS on a tablet, the company also offers Vend cloud-based POS software.
• Shopping Cart Integration: eCommerce merchants can integrate their website with any of Payline’s third-party shopping cart partners. There are currently over 175 shopping cart options available.
• QuickBooks Enterprise & Premier Integration: These are available for integration free through Instant Accept, a CardConnect partner. The process takes about 15-30 minutes to set up and allows merchants to work directly through QuickBooks. While the integration is free, you will still have to pay for QuickBooks.
• ACH Processing: Payline Data also supports ACH payments. This gives your customers an additional payment method to choose from while saving you money in processing costs.
• Fraud Protection: Payline Data offers several anti-fraud features designed to lower the risk of chargebacks. The company partners with Ethoca and Verifi to provide specialized programs to prevent chargebacks before they occur.
• Payline API: This is a REST API toolkit aimed at developers who want to accept their B2B clients’ credit card payments. It’s compatible with over 175 online shopping cart integrations. You’ll mostly be interested in payment APIs if you plan to primarily make use of Payline’s payment gateway.

Fees & Rates

We rated Payline Data highly in this area due to its transparent, affordable pricing.

Payline Data uses interchange-plus pricing exclusively and offers a complete breakdown of its fees and rates on its website. Pricing is simple, with most businesses paying the same monthly fees and processing rates:

Customized pricing is available to larger businesses with a very high monthly processing volume. Also, discounted rates are available for healthcare businesses and qualified nonprofits. Note that these rates aren’t standardized, so you’ll have to negotiate to get the best rates available.

While we generally recommend interchange-plus pricing, Payline Data’s rates are noticeably higher than most competitors. Many providers have raised rates due to inflation, and with interchange fees also increasing, merchants are facing a double hit. On the plus side, Payline’s rates cover American Express transactions, and there’s no separate PCI compliance fee.

Payline Data also waives fees for the first month after you open your account, which is a nice discount. You’ll still pay all applicable transaction processing fees, of course.

We’d also caution you that Payline’s advertised rates are most likely only available to low-risk businesses. High-risk merchants will pay considerably higher processing rates and may also have additional monthly fees.

Sales & Advertising Transparency

Payline Data’s website is clean and easy to navigate. While the information isn’t exhaustive, it does disclose standard pricing and contract terms — something many providers don’t.

Account setup is handled by a mix of in-house staff and independent sales reps. Independent agents are often a red flag in this industry, but Payline maintains consistent support and integrity across the board. The company provides thorough training and oversight, and because pricing, contract length, and early termination fees are already disclosed online, agents have little opportunity to mislead customers.

High-risk merchants and large businesses seeking enterprise pricing will probably still have to negotiate the best rates and terms they can get, as these businesses won’t be on one of Payline’s standardized pricing plans.

Contract Length & Early Termination Fee

Payline Data’s standard contracts come with month-to-month billing and no early termination fee (ETF). In other words, you can close your account at any time — and for any reason — without paying a penalty or worrying about being charged for months after your account is closed. Be aware that you’ll have to return any free equipment that came with your account promptly.

One word of caution: If you’re a high-risk merchant, you probably won’t be on a standard contract, and you might not be offered such flexible terms. Be sure to read your merchant agreement carefully so you’ll know your contract length and whether you have to worry about an ETF.

As mentioned above, Payline Data waives its monthly fees for new customers.

Customer Service & Technical Support

Payline Data offers 24/7 customer support via phone and email, plus a dedicated account manager as your main point of contact during business hours. While most interactions are positive, a few merchants have reported rude or unhelpful experiences with support.

Payline Data’s website includes a helpful FAQ that answers the most common questions for new merchants. Developers also have access to a detailed API Reference for integrating Payline’s payment platform. Technical support for Clover products is handled directly by Clover and is available 24/7.

The company maintains a strong social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, sharing blog posts and educational content. Its YouTube channel includes company and educational videos, though it hasn’t been updated recently.

Overall, Payline Data earns a higher-than-average score for customer service.

User Reviews

Payline Data has minimal complaints and high average scores on aggregate consumer review websites, and their Merchant Maverick User Reviews score reflects this.

Negative Payline Reviews & Complaints

Payline Data has been BBB-accredited since 2014 and holds an A+ rating. In the past three years, the company has received only two complaints, the most recent over two years ago — a very low volume for a company of its size. Payline responded to each complaint and worked to resolve issues whenever possible.

While this low complaint rate is reassuring, merchants may still occasionally encounter the following issues:

• Account Freezes & Holds: This is probably among the most common complaints about any merchant account provider. Be sure to read your contract carefully and be honest about the nature of your business up front to minimize your risks here. Also, be aware that issues such as a funding hold or the imposition of a rolling reserve are the back-end processor’s responsibility, not Payline Data.
• Customer Service: Though the company usually seems responsive, there are a few cases where customers expressed frustration about not being able to get their issues resolved quickly.

Positive Payline Reviews & Testimonials

Payline Data doesn’t blow its own horn very much, and you won’t find customer testimonials on its website.

Payline’s YouTube channel includes a few testimonials, but these are delivered by employees speaking on behalf of clients. While it shows the company engages with its customers, these scripted testimonials don’t carry the same weight as unscripted feedback from real clients.

Here are some of the positive vibes we’ve seen from customers in Payline reviews:

• Fair Rates: It may not be the lowest price-wise, but Payline Data offers competitive, transparent interchange-plus pricing and a big helping of side perks.
• Customer Service: Hiccups such as those above notwithstanding, customers generally seem happy with the service they get.
• Positive Sales Experience: Again, there are exceptions, such as those noted above, but most customers felt Payline Data’s sales approach was respectful.

Final Verdict

With month-to-month billing, no early termination fee, and exclusive interchange-plus pricing, Payline Data offers the key features you want in a reputable merchant account provider. Strong customer support and a low complaint volume make it a solid choice, especially for nonprofits and healthcare businesses.

The company’s wide selection of terminals, card readers, and POS systems can be purchased upfront when you open an account. However, it would be helpful if equipment prices were listed, so merchants can make more informed decisions.

Payline’s fee schedule is competitive compared with other top providers, though its interchange-plus rates are higher than average. The absence of additional fees offsets this somewhat, but we recommend reviewing your current sales data to determine if Payline can save you money.

Payline Data is great, but if you want some more processing options, check out our list of the best credit card processing companies.

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 🏆

Payline Data	Visit Site

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

The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆

Payline Data	Visit Site

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