Our Take
4.5
The bottom line:
Payline
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No long-term contracts or cancellation fees.
- Free one-month trial.
- Works with high-risk merchants.
- 24/7 support.
Cons
- Charges separate monthly fees for online and in-person processing.
- Must reach out for hardware costs.
Full Review
Payline is best for businesses that:
- Are in high-risk industries: Payline doubles as a high-risk payment processor, making it an especially good solution for businesses in high-risk industries — like travel, CBD, tobacco, credit repair and vitamins — that have difficulty qualifying for a merchant account from a more conventional processor. However, since it creates custom solutions for these types of businesses, processing costs may be more expensive than those advertised for lower-risk businesses.
- Want to try it out before committing: Payline extends a one- to two-month free trial to qualifying businesses. And even if you decide it isn’t the right fit for your business after that, there are no termination fees.
Deciding factors
Payment processing model | Interchange-plus on top of a small monthly subscription fee. |
Payment processing fees |
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Monthly fee |
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Hardware cost | Payline offers a variety of POS hardware from Clover, NCR Silver, Vend and Oracle Micros. Merchants must contact Payline’s sales team for pricing. |
Contract length | Month to month. No fee to cancel. |
Customer support | 24/7 phone support, email support and online knowledge base. Clients get a dedicated account manager. |
Where Payline stands out
Works with high-risk merchants
No long-term contracts
Free trial
24/7 customer support
Where Payline falls short
Separate online and in-person payment subscriptions
Not transparent about hardware costs
Alternatives to Payline
Square
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium and Square Restaurants Plus plans.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $165 for Square Restaurant Premium plan.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail plan.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $59 for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).
PayPal Zettle
- 2.29% plus 9 cents for in-person and QR code transactions.
- 3.49% plus 9 cents for manual-entry card transactions.
- 2.99% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with card).
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with PayPal).
- $29 for first card reader; additional readers cost $79. Price includes USB cable.
- $199 for terminal only.
- $239 for terminal with barcode scanner built in.
- $249 for Store Kit Mini (screen terminal with card reader).
- $339 for Store Kit Portable kit with mobile card reader and printer.
- $499 for Store Kit Standard (adds printer).
- $699 for Store Kit Plus (adds barcode scanner).