PowerPay Review

The company has been in business since 2003 and offers a variety of payment solutions for businesses of all sizes. PowerPay markets itself as a flexible, dynamic one-stop shop for its clients. In this PowerPay review and profile, we will discuss what the company has to offer, and whether PowerPay is turning clients on or off to its service.

• What payment processing options does PowerPay offer?
  • Credit and Debit Card Processing
  • Mobile Payments
  • Internet Gateways and Virtual Terminals
  • Check Processing
  • Gift Cards and Loyalty Cards
  • International Payment Solutions
  • Cash Advance
• How about equipment and software?
• Does PowerPay offer any help with security?
• PowerPay Rates and Fees
• PowerPay Reviews and Online Reputation

What payment processing options does PowerPay offer?

PowerPay offers payment processing solutions that are traditional, modern, or industry specific depending on your need. Payment options include face-to-face card processing, mobile processing, check processing, internet gateways and virtual terminals for eCommerce, gift and loyalty cards, and international processing solutions as well. PowerPay also has an option for a cash advance if your business is in need of working capital.

Credit and Debit Card Processing

PowerPay offers the ability to accept major credit and debit cards at point-of-sale, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, and Diners’ Club. Additionally, businesses can accept debit cards, corporate cards, and EBT.

Mobile Payments

For those who need to be able to accept payments outside of a traditional store setting, PowerPay offers AppCharge. The AppCharge app is available at no charge and can be downloaded directly from the iTunes app store. AppCharge turns a smartphone or tablet into a credit card terminal where customers can sign for purchases directly on the device for extra security. AppCharge can process both swiped and keyed transactions and features an online interface to help you manage and track transactions.

Internet Gateways and Virtual Terminals

PowerPay offers the popular Authorize.Net gateway. It comes with a fraud detection suite designed to protect your business and your customers from fraudulent transactions. PowerPay can help process electronic transactions through your website using online shopping carts that your customers are already familiar with.

PowerPay offers a virtual terminal option with ChargeEasy, turning any internet-accessible computer into a credit card terminal. Using the ChargeEasy website and a USB card swiper, you can accept payment cards from any computer.

Check Processing

For businesses who want to accept and process checks, PowerPay offers a variety of options, including check conversion with guarantee, remote deposit capture, ACH processing, image cash letter, and check collection/recovery.

Check Conversion with Guarantee
If you want to accept paper checks, PowerPay offers the ability to convert checks to an electronic transaction. The check is funded at point-of-sale with verification, helping to eliminate the risk and expense of returned checks.

Remote Deposit Capture
PowerPay’s Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) lets you scan checks and upload them for deposit, making for fewer trips to the bank.

ACH Processing
For accepting payments from a customer’s checking account without actually having a paper check, PowerPay offers ACH processing. ACH is ideal for businesses who bill customers on a recurring basis (such as for monthly subscriptions) or for purchases online.

Image Cash Letter
If you are a company with a high volume of returned checks which would prevent ACH transactions, PowerPay offers Image Cash Letter (ICL) processing. The ICL solution converts a basic check and customer data into an electronic transaction, which can then be submitted as an ACH payment.

Check Collection/Recovery
Check Collection/Recovery is a recovery solution from PowerPay. In the event of a bounced check, the bank notifies PowerPay. Then PowerPay will act as the recovery agent to collect the value of the check and any insufficient funds charges. Once the money is recovered, the value of the check is provided to the business who accepted the check.

Gift Cards and Loyalty Cards

If your company wants to offer gift cards or loyalty cards, PowerPay provides several options regardless of business size. PowerPay’s program allows you to track sales and securely manage purchases.

International Payment Solutions

PowerPay can help international eCommerce businesses avoid interregional fees by establishing your account in your native country. By using multi-currency conversion (MCC), you can also allow your customers to make purchases in their native currency.

Cash Advance

Need some working capital to get your business up and running? PowerPay offers cash advances against your future credit card sales. Before you rush into a processor’s offer for a cash advance, read our article “Should You Get a Merchant Cash Advance?” and weigh the decision against other options.

How about equipment and software?

PowerPay has both hardware for free-standing terminals and software for creating PC based terminals. For point-of-sale credit card machines, PowerPay has a variety of popular models from companies like Verifone, Omni and Equinox. Features change from model to model, but include options such as backlit keys, LCD screens, fast transactions, integrated PIN pads, and built-in printers.

For mobile and PC software, PowerPay offers AppCharge, ChargeEasy and Paylink.

AppCharge

PowerPay’s AppCharge can transform almost any smartphone or tablet into a credit card terminal. An optional card reader connects via headphone jack for swiped transactions.

ChargeEasy

If you want to use an existing computer with internet access for card processing, ChargeEasy makes it possible. A swiper plugs into the computer USB port and connects to the ChargeEasy site with no other software or hardware required. The program accepts the same major credit and debit cards as other PowerPay processing options.

Paylink

Paylink is an organizational program to help simplify the processes of invoicing, collection, and financing. The program can be tailored to your specific needs.

Does PowerPay offer any help with security?

PowerPay boasts that they are recognized as a Level 1 Service Provider compliant with PCI standards for both Visa and MasterCard. Level 1 providers adhere to strict security standards. PowerPay works with you to help achieve and maintain PCI compliance to protect your business and your customers’ data. PowerPay offers a range of tools for understanding PCI compliance, dedicating a page of their website to PCI and including a list of additional links, educational tools, and glossaries.

PowerPay Rates and Fees

PowerPay doesn’t publish rate or fee information on its website, but you can request a quote directly through CardFellow. Sign in to your CardFellow account and click “Request quote” at the top of this PowerPay profile.

Not a CardFellow member yet? No problem. It’s free and signup only takes a few minutes. Get started today.

PowerPay Reviews

PowerPay has been around long enough to have gained a reputation, but unfortunately it’s mostly negative.

PowerPay at the Better Business Bureau

PowerPay, LLC has been accredited with the Better Business Bureau since 2004 and has an A+ rating in spite of multiple complaints and negative reviews. PowerPay has 73 complaints closed with the BBB in the past 3 years. There are 23 reviews with a negative experience and 1 with a positive experience. 

Complaints allege fumbled billing methods resulting in held funds, bad customer service, unresolved technical issues with equipment, continued billing after cancellation, difficulty with transaction approvals, misleading contracts, high fees, difficulty cancelling contracts, and unreasonable "reserve" amounts withheld from transactions.

The 23 negative reviews echo the dissatisfaction in the complaints while the stand alone positive review claims to never have had any problems and to have had a generally positive experience with customer service. The other thing that should be mentioned, and what is largely responsible for the A+ rating, is that there was an attempt at resolution from PowerPay with all of the complaints.  

Other Reviews

There are 16 reviews on Ripoff Report claiming terrible, unprofessional customer service, feeling flat out robbed, problems with accounts being terminated due to “high risk”, problems cancelling, and more. Yelp has 14 reviews, all 1 star. Again, you will hear of held funds, problems with cancellation, hidden fees, and bad customer service. Google’s reviews give the company 2.5 out of 5 stars. The 4 reviews bolstering the rating with 5 stars are from 4 years ago, while the other more recent ones are all 1 star and are fueled with similar client outrage over business practices.

Overwhelmingly, PowerPay clients are advocating that you run, don’t walk, away from this company and take your business elsewhere. Do you agree or disagree? Leave a review!