Don't onboard especially if they defer you to Zen Payments
This has been, without question, the worst onboarding experience I have encountered. We thought we were signing up for authorize.net but they deferred us to their partner Zen Payments. Both were incredibly underwhelming and would not recommend.To begin with, our business was never properly approved. Based on the eventual feedback we received, we should not have been onboarded at all. We operate a small hormone practice with monthly memberships and lab billing—nothing complex—but no one took the time to understand our payment model during onboarding.We were never informed that our subscriptions would be classified as keyed transactions, nor were we advised that a POS system would be required to swipe transactions through Zen Payments. As a result, during our first month, all transactions were processed in test mode, meaning zero funds were deposited despite transactions appearing authorized and swiped. This was later explained as an onboarding error between Authorize.net and Zen Payments. We are left to chase thousands of dollars of payments now with customer reputational damage in explaining this.We were left to resolve these technical issues ourselves, which unfortunately aligned with the overall service experience after we learned authorize.net and zen payments were never even configured on the back end correctly together.We were then instructed to purchase a POS system and overnight it to our business, costing us approximately $300. Only after doing so were we informed that our memberships would never qualify for swipe transactions and that we would instead be required to enroll in a 100% keyed program, which carries approximately $1,500 per year in Visa and Mastercard fees—rendering the POS purchase unnecessary.Despite onboarding in October, four months later we have not received a single dollar of our own revenue, as all funds remain held in reserve. We have been told a determination *may* be made in February regarding release of funds. Expectations are extremely low.While holding all of our revenue, the company has nonetheless deducted hundreds of dollars in fees, which I consider excessive given the circumstances.I have repeatedly requested to cancel the service, return the POS (which was opened but never installed), and have our funds released. These requests have gone unanswered.At this point, I am preparing to dispute the POS charge due to the lack of response or return process and to leave reviews wherever possible to document this experience.I strongly advise any business to avoid onboarding with this company. Based on our experience, the process is disorganized, poorly communicated, financially damaging, and unsupported.
Amanda L.
THEY HOLD ONTO YOUR CLIENTS PAYMENTS
They allow you to create an account after you give them ALL the details about your type of business... then they let you charge your clients, HOWEVER, they then HOLD ON TO THIS MONEY, and tell you they will no longer work with you because they don't work with your type of business. They hold onto the transaction for at least 120 days, with a small chance of releasing it before that (which doesn't happen).If you're a bit confused, they essentially hold on to your money until they feel like it. You're only allowed to send emails, there's no one you can talk to. In my case they held onto $11k, which forced me to handle things with money from my savings and I even had to overuse my credit cards, and trust me, within those 120 days I contacted them a lot, they simply "followed their protocol" and barely cared about how serious 11k is in this economy, and how much it really threatened my stability. It was extremely frustrating and I felt powerless, AND SO WILL YOU.Unethical practices, non comprehensive nor fair system.I finally got my money back, and now I can comfortably say, F this company!I recommend you simply check with your business's bank to see if they have a credit card payment option. Way better, safer, and damn near free.Wish I would've come across all the reviews here before I signed up with those guys.If you're reading this, lucky you! Good luck in your business efforts!
Jean S
They are A SCAM!!!!!!
They are A SCAM!!!!!!
Adam Gaczewski
Was denied for a merchant account
Was denied for a merchant account, did not use their service at all, then charged multiple times. They are next to impossible to cancel, you can't delete your account online, you can't request refund, their hold times are 30-60 minutes long and it's part of their tactics to charge money. Yes, if you have a merchant account with them, their gateway works, but lord help you if you need to cancel or if you apply, but then you're denied. They'll charge your card until the end of time. It'll be quicker for you to cancel the debit/credit card you gave them, order a new one and resetup all your bills you pay with that card, over trying to actually cancel and be refunded for the service you never used. STAY AWAY!!!!!
Shaun R.
They do not have a reference to…
They do not have a reference to developers to set up authorize.net on your website. Terrible support - a bunch of foreigners. I would not recommend this awful company.
Samantha B
***Stay Away***
***Stay Away***They will stick you in the highest rate without telling you. Meanwhile, they will promise you the best rate while signing you up and taking your information. The is a deceptive practice...!!!
Ernest Rodriguez
Worst customer experience ever
Worst customer experience ever. They will hold your information hostage. Dont work with them.
Diego Samper
Theives
Theives. Took money from me for two years for a service I never used and didn't know I was signed up for and would not give it back.
Anthony
Authorize.net login is just awful
I think I better provide feedback about authorize.net login obstacles. It took several minutes to log in. Here are the obstables.1. To open the merchant page, a new page needs to open. (already really backwards just like a pop up window back 20 years ago)2. Once it opens, it takes time to verify using I cloudflare or some kind of cyber security. I have to click on some icon saying I"m human (wasting more time)3. After verifying I'm human.. after typing in the password, it send a text message to my phone. I then need to check the phone 4. I then have to copy and paste the code and submit it.5. After the code is pasted, the site asks me to change my password (This is extremely unnecessary to be forced to change your password every 3 months. Authorize.net is the only website that requires this. It's a big hassle and no user should be forced to change their password every 3 months. Whoever is the programmers for Authorize.net does not understand this is very old methods and creates an osbtable for the users. 6. I then realize there is another new requirement for passwords that it has to be 12 characters long. This is new. Also need a capital letter, number and a symbol. This is just all very unnecessary and makes it harder for the user to log in. It's BIG waste of time and a hassle. So I'm now forced to create a new password with 12 letters and a bunch of unnecessary requirements. This is too strict. It's just a portal to view transactions. Banks and credit card companies don't even do this.7. After changing my password, I am text another code to verify. What is this for? Is this to waste more time and create more obstacles?8. I then need to check my phone for the code and then have to enter it on the website again.9. After verifying and the password is changed, I am asked to log in again. But once I submit, I am asked to verify a code again! OMG, this is really unbelieveable.10. I then need to check my phone and for the code and enter it in the website.11. Finally I was able to log in. It took so many steps and several minutes to just do a simple log in. And this has to be done repeatedly every 3 months. Within the 3 months, there are still many steps because you still have to verify you are human and then verify text codes. I can honestly say Authorize.net has the worst login system I've ever experienced on any platform and of any system and website. Please try to ask other users and you will most likely get the same negative feedback. I'm extremely dissatisfied with authorize.net. In addition, the page will log out automatically even while you are doing work. In addition, the system does not detect fraud payments as the majority of fraud payments I get are from Authorize.net. In one year previously, I've actually lost over $30,000 in fraud payments. I had to set up my own system to detect fraud. So I ended up using other payment systems and authorize.net is just a back up system.
elaw suit
We got a call from these guys statmissing transactionsing…
We got a call from these guys stating they could lower our fees to 1.8%. Sounds Great. They said they integrated seamlessly with our CRm Jobber.First of it did not integrate. which meant my guys in the field could not collect payments. So then we had to have someone in the office call each customer and collect payment. My business partner spent 3 days on the phone with them and Jobber trying to get it to sync. They finally told us that it will not sync. Because of this we decided to stop using them and just process through our existing software. Now we find out all of our money from an entire week of business are no where to be found. Not in our bank, do not show on our dashboard. The company says they do not see them, but yet our customers can send us screenshots proving they were charged. Currently we are missing about 15k worth of transactions, and customer service may as well be non existent. I would run away from these guys. We have wasted many days trying to figure this out, and today is another one.
Thayne Davis
Read The Fine Print... trust your gut.
Seeking a more streamlined alternative to my payment processor, I transitioned to Authorize.net. Regrettably, this decision introduced a new set of operational challenges and frustrations.Prospective users of Authorize.net are strongly cautioned to undertake a thorough examination of all contractual terms and conditions. They do not advertise that they automatically sign you up for a payment processor. Authorize.net did not disclose to me about any RISK holds, RISK hold requirements [documents] nor was I given directions to set up the payment processor account that was with a third party processor. In my experience, their policies were notably intricate and laden with fine print. It is paramount to recognize that Authorize.net functions as a payment gateway, rather than a direct payment processor. Post-account approval, a disconcerting incident occurred wherein a customer transaction was processed despite the system ostensibly remaining in "TEST" mode—an early indicator of potential systemic issues. Subsequently, upon transitioning to "LIVE" operations and processing a legitimate payment, the whereabouts of the transacted funds became a point of significant concern. There was a conspicuous lack of clarity regarding Authorize.net's utilization of third party processor for merchant account services. Although this third-party processor is presented as an independent entity, it functions more akin to an internal department, further complicated by restricted customer support availability (weekdays, Pacific Time). It was also concerning to discover the emails that were now being sent from Authorize.net employees were from a '@VISA.com' email domain.My attempts to resolve these issues necessitated three separate interactions with their merchant support. The most recent engagement was particularly unsatisfactory: I was provided with information I had strong reasons to believe was inaccurate. Upon requesting clarification and while the support agent was ostensibly verifying the details, the call was abruptly terminated. Prior to this disconnection, I was informed that the Risk Department required a comprehensive review of my account to assign a risk assessment. A final effort to remediate this challenging vendor relationship and navigate the initial period of operational friction involved an attempt to utilize their online chat support; however, this communication channel also proved inconclusive as my message was apparently cut short. On 6/6/25, I was assured via phone that my first payout was scheduled and will be received within three business days. Yet, just ten minutes later, I received an email from the RISK assessment department that my funds were now frozen as this department conducted a review. They requested several documents, two I had already submitted during the initial application. This sudden review, coming a full week after the transaction, 06/09/25 I was emailed to let me know it will take 1 to 2 business days to review these documents, only to contradict themselves two hours later by emailing requesting that a document show certain customer information. on 6/10/2025 I was then given a max of four days to get a response and on 6/13/2025 my merchant account was now closed without any reason or purpose. The same day Authorize.net referred my portal account to a new third-party from which I stopped and had the entire account closed and reverted back to my original payment processor. I highly suggest looking into whom they assigned you as your merchant account holder ASAP.
Jordan Butler
We are on boarded with them and got on…
We are on boarded with them and got on their full package, we were very excited. Our very first high profile transaction. They froze our account and said it looked like a high risk transaction. We sell expensive therapy devices so this was $26,000 that they were holding. They said they have to hold it for a minimum of 120 days and possibly longer.They’re still holding it to this day. I asked for their legal team and they said that I could never speak about my account again with any customer service if I spoke to their legal team. So they are just holding onto the $26,000. I’ve verified that the therapeutic product has been delivered and is being used by the doctor happily and they still refuse
Jason Anderson
We have been a partner with…
We have been a partner with Authorize.net since 2018 earning residuals for our boarded merchants. They claim they sent us an email regarding the inactivity of our account as we have not boarded a new merchant in a year (which was incorrect and much longer than a year). They state the account was closed for inactivity. I asked them for a copy of our signed agreement that states that term/condition and I was referred to an online version. I asked when that policy was enacted, and they advised me to send an email. They are stealing partner residual revenue. I am not the only one on this forum that this happened to, and I am finding other business associates that describe the same event. No notice, no phone call and no letter in writing. Just a phantom email that no one receives. This company is owned by VISA. I am in disbelief that this practice exists. Never have we dealt with another partner in the merchant industry that would effectively steal your residual income. I am currently waiting to hear back from an email that I sent to naacceptancepartners at visa.com
Mel W
Unprofessional Fund Withholding and Poor Resolution process - Avoid if You Value Your Cash Flow
I strongly advise businesses to reconsider using Authorize.net for payment processing. As a small business we partnered with them for over 20 years, but the experience has been financially devastating. In March this year, Authorize.net began withholding our money of our legitimate transaction funds without clear justification. Their support team repeatedly cited vague reasons like Chase has a block in your account blah blah, but refused to provide written evidence or specifics, despite our compliance with all documentation requests by Chase. We’ve since switched to Bill.com, which processes payments transparently. Authorize.net’s lack of merchant support and arbitrary fund withholding makes them a liability for any business !
Miguelina gamb
Worst company I've dealt with
Worst company I've dealt with. They kept billing my credit card after I had told them I was not using their service any longer. Finally thought the issue had been dealt with..... only to receive an email from a collections agency earlier today for a $50 charge. I had forgotten about all these additional charges made until today's email.If anything this company owes me money. The phone call to them is going to be interesting to say the least.While the date of the issue is listed as today; these charges have gone on for well over a year.
Sandra Stewart
The worst tech support
Authorize.net support department's phone number is (877) 447-3938. Agents who work there do not know hardly anything but yet they are full of confidence. They confidently give wrong answers 90% of the time. Even when you doubt them, they would put you on hold and check with their supervisors, they still come back with the wrong answers. I confirmed this many times. Whatever they tell you, the opposite is likely to be true.
Myron Kwan
Beware of Inflexible Partner Cancellation Policy – Even If You're Earning Them Money
I was a longtime partner (over 25 years) with Authorize.net and had an account that was generating approximately $600/month in residuals. Unfortunately, I missed a single email sent in December stating that my partner account would be closed due to inactivity in boarding new merchants—even though the account was still active in generating revenue for them.By the time I noticed the issue in March (when a residual payment didn’t show up), I contacted Partner Support. They were polite but completely inflexible. I was told, point-blank, that the account could not be reopened under any circumstance, regardless of the residuals being paid or the overall relationship history.There was no phone call, no follow-up email, no real attempt at human engagement before the termination. It felt more like a tactic to eliminate residual payments than a genuine enforcement of a partner agreement.This experience highlights a rigid and, frankly, unsympathetic policy approach. For those considering a long-term partner relationship with Authorize.net, I would strongly caution you to be vigilant—even a missed email can cost you an entire partnership with no option for remediation.I share this not out of bitterness, but to warn others to read the fine print, monitor communications closely, and not assume that a productive financial relationship will offer any flexibility or goodwill.
Bill Seven
Awful company
Awful company
Dark Warrior
If I could give this company zero…. I would
If I could give this company zero stars, I absolutely would. We have been in business for over 15 years, successfully processing high-value transactions, including many around the same amount as this one — approximately $46,000. We provided everything required: a fully executed contract agreement with clear descriptions of the services, all signatures, and thorough documentation.Despite doing everything by the book, this company chose to hold the funds and terminate our account with no valid explanation. Even more outrageous, they made this decision without even attempting to contact our client to verify the transaction.Their “risk team” is completely unreachable by phone, hiding behind generic, dismissive emails with no clarity or accountability. But here’s the worst part: The funds have already been withdrawn from our client’s account, yet this company refuses to refund the money back to the client. Somehow, it was perfectly fine for them to authorize the withdrawal and pull the funds, but suddenly, there’s supposedly not enough authorization for the money to go where it was intended.Their actions are borderline fraudulent and absolutely unprofessional. They are damaging business relationships and withholding massive sums of money with no justification.Save yourself the stress, financial loss, and frustration — DO NOT trust this company with your transactions or your reputation
tara ashbaugh
Use high caution if you are a business…
Use high caution if you are a business owner considering this platform. They will stop legitimate payments to your company from your clients and put it on hold. You are not able to get in touch with anyone there as they will only provide communicate via email, when they decide to communicate. I would highly recommend against this platform.
Joe Genova
