mPOS is a tricky subject matter. Far too often am I expecting one thing and getting something else entirely. In the case of Payline, I can say it was a turn for the better. The market is currently saturated with mobile processors, but so few get it right. The majority of them would not even make it onto this list in the first place. There is something to be said for a mobile processor that attempts to break the status quo and do something fresh and new. It really comes down to the execution of the idea, and how well the method is applied. As far a Payline is concerned, it is a split dynamic—half anticipation, half skepticism for fear of disappointment.

I’m pleased to say that, for the most part, Payline does not disappoint. On the whole, Payline Mobile isn’t a new entity by any means. It has been offering a mobile solution for merchants for years at this point. The real news is behind the launch of the mobile app, boasting new hardware, a new pricing model, and an overall new look.

There are few parallels between Payline’s solution and the likes of Spark Pay and Intuit GoPayment, with your choice of mobile plans. This suggests that Payline Mobile is more of a standalone mPOS solution than an add-on product for merchant account holders. That is a major credit to the service considering most add-on mobile products have a tendency to be fairly rudimentary, and not capable of being a standalone. In most cases that I’ve seen thus far while surveying these solutions, they’re an extension of a larger platform. The worst of these underachieving solutions are just a stopgap for merchants who are looking to be able to accept payments in the field, and nothing more. In addition, Payline Data gives you a comprehensive, and traditional merchant account when you sign up.

Payline Mobile is what is known as a white label ROAMpay app. This may or may not be familiar to some of you, depending on your interest in the industry. Nevertheless, ROAMpay is actually an mPOS app offered by Ingenico, a company you will definitely have heard of by now whether you were looking for it or not. In exchange for offering a direct-to-merchants solution, Ingenico licenses the software to other processing companies, who can offer the ROAMpay app directly, or offer a skinned and branded white label version.

To be clear, Payline is unique because of the fact that it serves a niche that has been left wanting in recent years, specifically regarding high-quality options for an extended period, meaning smaller merchants who are looking for a trustworthy mPOS processing and not much else. The real perk to this service is how you can get an actual merchant account, and the minimum monthly requirement is significantly lower than the other mPOS options that offer individual merchant accounts. There is still left to be desired in regards to the app itself, but it has a lot going for it still. One of the biggest talking points for this service is the pricing model, which is interchange-plus and no hidden fees.

As mentioned previously, but Payline Mobile pricing model resembles that of Spark Pay or Inuit GoPayment. It offers a no-monthly-fee plan in tandem with a lower rate. Also, you receive a genuine merchant account. That means a few things: for one, it’s a bit more of an intensive setup process. In addition, the merchant account means you don’t have to worry about triggering an account hold for a large transaction. There are no caps currently per-transaction, and no weekly limit. There is an annual limit that is determined during the underwriting process. Based on how your daily operations flow, and the type of transaction, you can expect to get paid within 24 to 48 hours, not too shabby. Trust us, this is a good turnaround time relatively speaking. Maybe the best part is how both places offer interchange plus, which we do not take for granted as far as mPOS providers are concerned. It isn’t something we’ve come to expect from third-party or standalone mPOS providers at all. Usually, it’s only an option for omnichannel or add-on packages. Everyone should be on-board with interchange plus because it’s fair and totally transparent pricing. The only drawback is that your rates aren’t always predictable, it really depends on your overall volume as the type of cards you process. But this is the breakdown:

Spark Plan

• Interchange + 0.5% + $0.20
• No monthly fee
• Best for businesses processing under $5,000 monthly

Surge Plan

• Interchange + 0.3% + $0.20
• $9.95 monthly fee
• Best for businesses processing $5,000 monthly or more

Here are some of the most noteworthy features that are attached to Payline Mobile:

• Accept EMV, NFC, and Magstripe Payments
• Accept Cash: The app supports cash recording and shows the change due.
• Accept International Cards: You have the ability to process cards from other countries at actual interchange rates.
• Full and Partial Refunds: Payline Mobile lets you issue both full and partial refunds from within the app. You can also visit the transaction history to see other details and resend or reprint receipts.
• Tipping: You have the option of accepting tips for cash as well as card transactions.
• Discounts: You can set discounts by percentage or dollar amount, but it only applies to the whole transaction, not individual items.
• Tax Settings: the tax settings allow you to set different tax rates on various items, or you can alternatively set a master tax in the checkout process
• Disable Signature for Transactions Under $50: For swiped transactions (not keyed-in transactions), you can disable this option.
• SMS and Email Receipts: Send and re-send emails to customers’ phones via text or email. You can even personalize the email receipt with your logo and contact information and a special message.
• Store Notes and Customer Information: You can save customer emails, names, addresses, and phone numbers in the app, but you can only access through the ROAM Merchant Portal. Second, phone numbers aren’t stored for sending future receipts the way they are in Square and PayPal Here.
• Item Library: Payline allows you to create a catalog of items for quick reference. It supports name, image, price, as well as a description, tax amount, and SKU/UPC number. However, it doesn’t support variants (or add-ons), so you’ll have to create separate items for each variant.
• Barcode Scanning: This is an uncommon feature in basic and mid-level mPOS providers, but it’s useful. Payline Mobile will turn your tablet or phone camera into a barcode scanner. The catch is that it only works with your device camera. No Bluetooth or wired scanners are supported.

There are more to be found on the Payline Mobile site, but I thought these were to be highlighted.

The overall ease of use for the Payline Mobile processor is evident by the rave customer reviews we have stumbled upon. The processor is user-friendly, and should you have any issues at all, a fairly decent customer service team is at the ready should you ever need it. Like most mPOS systems, the mobile functionality is always a tricky talking point. We are happy to report that Payline offers a topnotch rating for seamlessness, by which merchants have come to expect.

For the most part, Payline’s customer service report is positive. The company offers your run-of-the-mill customer support services including an email/ticket-based system, in addition to phone support. The customer service with the service also includes a comprehensive knowledge base, but a nearly non-existent community forum. This is definitely a setback for Payline, it is nice to have a fully functional community forum up and running in order to bounce concerns off of representatives and other users. We can’t have it all though, I suppose. The good news is, beyond that, there aren’t many complaints about Payline’s customer support efforts. The more routine issues are dealt with by Payline’s internal customer support. The bigger problems are deferred to Ingenico. The unfortunate bit about this is the fact that reports of Ingenico’s technical support are not positive. It’s merely a backup, but it would be nice if the backup was better touted.