Marketing
Payzone promotes itself as a consumer payments network that works with acquirers to get customers the lowest rates. It uses a clear, clean approach and offers plenty of details about how it works and who it works with on deals. Its site is eye-catching, easy to navigate, and offers plenty of helpful resources, including many FAQs pages. Overall, nothing seemed deceptive or misleading.
However, we did no appreciate its referral offer in which a Payzone retailer earns £100 that is deposited into its bank account for every successful referral. Once you get through the many disclaimers, you will find its nothing more than a slick gimmick.
Finally, Payzone is active on Twitter and Facebook. It use the platforms to give company updates and product and service offerings. Also, it has a profile on LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.
Honesty
Overall, we find Payzone to be honest. We like that it clearly notes the merchant acquirers it negotiates with on behalf of customers. However, we think it’s a bit misleading that it says it charges no early termination fee. It does not levy a fee but merchants that cancel before the ends of their contracts do have to pay out the remaining months of their agreements. The way Payzone promotes it throughout the site makes it appear like terminating a contract is risk-free. This is especially important since a large number of customers have complained about not be told about other hidden fees.
Sales
Payzone UK Limited is an independent sales organization and member service provider that works with a number of merchant acquirers, including Barclaycard and Elavon. The acquirers handle the card transaction processing and therefore, also set the fees. Since its sales are handled in-house, you likely won’t have to worry about any aggressive agents or sales tactics. However, you will have to do your due diligence to determine what you will end up paying per month and ask about any hidden costs because the processing is handled by the third parties. Also, keep in mind the price you are quoted may not be what you actually see in your final contract.
Support
Customer service is definitely a priority for Payzone. The team is friendly, knowledgeable, and customer-focused. We found the staff to be clear and easy to understand. At no time, did we feel pressured or forced to make a quick decision. They spoke with confidence and also could explain services and their features.
Staff Responsiveness
Since Payzone handles its own customer support and its team is rather small, it can be difficult reaching team members. However, this was not impossible. The waits were a bit long but once you got a person that team member was responsive. Staff also responded quickly to email and its online inquiry system. Additionally, Facebook messages are returned very quickly – usually within one day.
Availability
Payzone is available by phone, email, and by submitting an online inquiry form. It offers separate phone lines for sales and support. Also, it offers 24/7 support via live chat.
Payzone uses a hands-on approach when assisting customers. It has dozens of local card payment specialists across the UK that personally help businesses with the set up or any other problems that may occur. Merchants can actually make appointments to meet with a specialist in person.
Pricing
Payzone doesn’t disclose any pricing on its site because it doesn’t have fixed rate plans. Instead, it looks at each company’s individual needs and puts together a bespoke plan for each specific merchant based on transaction volumes.
You can expect monthly fees to start from a minimum of £20 per month, with card transaction fees of 0.6% -2.5% plus a flat fee. Also, you will pay an additional fee for Payzone’s services. Your final pricing plan also be based on your business’ size, the type of services you need, as well as extra features.
Payzone doesn’t charge a set-up fee, a joining fee, or an exit fee. It also has the shortest contracts in the business, at only 12 months. However, some customers have complained that their contracts automatically renewed after the year.
Additionally, some customers have reporting paying other fees for terminal collection and maintenance after collection.
Termination Fees
There is no fee if you cancel your merchant account before the contract expires. However, merchants likely will have to pay out the remaining months of their 12-month contracts.
Hardware Costs
Payzone offers a full range of card and PDQ machines from Ingenico. The cost for card machines and contactless technology costs are included in pricing packages. However, again, none of the pricing is disclosed.
Complaints
With approximately 15,000 customers, overall, it is fair to say Payzone has a small number of complaints. Less than 15% of the customer reviews on TrustPilot are negative with most of the complaints being about hidden fees and terms, specifically the 12-month contract automatically renewed. It is not rare to see an increase in these issues when a company works with a third-party processor. This always increases the chances of more technical glitches and the potential or undisclosed fees because of the third-party dynamic.
On average, it has a 4-star rating. There were many positive complaints from customers. They appreciated the Payzone’s set-up services and the in-house team’s approach to customer service. Also, several customers online noted that staff was extremely helpful for those who were inexperienced or new to certain types of payment solutions. All things considered, that is pretty good.
Also, it is important to note that there a number of complaints lodged against Elavon and Barclaycard. Some of those have to do with customer service and staff responsiveness, which are not concerns here because Pazyone handles its own customer service and support.
