Recurly Credit Card Processing 2023: Reviews & Complaints

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4.8/5
full star idicating a 4.8 out of 5 star rating full star idicating a 4.8 out of 5 star rating full star idicating a 4.8 out of 5 star rating full star idicating a 4.8 out of 5 star rating empty star indicating a 4.8 out of 5 star rating

How did they treat you? ▼

Company Overview

Recurly is a recurring billing service designed to help merchant accounts manage repeating payments and subscription billing. Recurly offers its own payment gateway and integrates with a number of third-party merchant account providers including Amazon Payments, PayPal, Braintree, Authorize.Net, Worldpay, and TSYS, but it does not provide its own merchant accounts, point-of-sale equipment, or mobile card processing. In other words, Recurly can be thought of as a third-party billing management service that merchants may use in conjunction with their existing merchant accounts. They also offer data reporting and analytics for their services.

In 2022, Recurly bought revenue recognition and forecasting company LeapRev.

Payment Gateways and Methods

Recurly supports a wide array of payment gateways and methods, from credit cards and debit cards to digital wallets. This makes it easier for businesses to accept global payments and expand their market reach.

Plan Flexibility and Customization

Recurly allows for a high level of customization in creating subscription plans. Businesses can tailor billing frequencies, pricing models, and promotional codes to meet their specific needs.

Dunning Management

The dunning management feature aims to recover revenue by addressing failed transactions and payment declines. Recurly's system will automatically notify customers and attempt to process the payment again, reducing involuntary churn.

Revenue Recognition and Reporting

Recurly provides revenue recognition and financial reporting tools that comply with accounting standards. Businesses can easily track and report revenue, making it simpler to manage financials and forecast growth.

Fraud Management

Security is a high priority for Recurly, and their system includes various fraud prevention mechanisms. These tools analyze transaction data to flag and prevent suspicious activities, thus enhancing payment security.

Analytics and Insights

Recurly's analytics dashboard offers an in-depth look at key business metrics such as churn rates, lifetime value, and subscription growth. These insights aim to help businesses make data-driven decisions.

Integrations

The platform offers several API integrations, allowing it to work seamlessly with other enterprise software solutions. This extends the utility of Recurly for businesses that are already using CRM, accounting, or other software.

Location & Ownership

Founded in 2010, the company is headquartered at 201 Spear Street, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94105. Dan Burkhart is the co-founder and CEO of Recurly.

Recurly payment processing recurring billing
Recurly focuses on the recurring billing part of payment processing
Pros & Cons
Pros: Cons:
Intuitive and easy setup Needs more invoice features
Seamless CRM and accounting integrations Sessions time-out quickly
Reduces credit card deadlines Limited user permissions system
Excellent customer support Automatic logout can be inconvenient
Multiple payment gateways support Limited report customization

Recurly Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints <10
Live Customer Support No
Most Common Complaint N/A
Recent Lawsuits No

Clean Complaint Record

We are unable to find any negative Recurly reviews on the usual consumer protection websites, and there are no other public indications that the company is a scam or a ripoff. The only vaguely negative comments about the company are related to a 2012 hardware outage that resulted in the loss of some subscribers’ billing information. The event appears to be an isolated incident that affected a small percentage of the company’s merchants, so it will not count against Recurly’s rating in this review. If you have your own Recurly review to make, please do so in the comments below.

Recurly Lawsuits

We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Recurly. Dissatisfied clients who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.

Recurly Customer Support Options

Recurly offers live chat support from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PST and also provides email support for non-urgent issues.

Recurly Customer Service Number

  • (415) 558-6837 – Sales

Other Support Options

Paypal offers a dedicated email support address at [email protected], and it also offers live chat support through its website.

Recurly Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
BBB Reports 3

Note: We have adjusted this company’s BBB rating according to our own standards. To better understand why we adjust BBB ratings, please see our Rating Criteria.

No BBB Complaints

The Better Business Bureau currently assigns Recurly an “F” and is not showing accreditation for the company. The BBB has 3 complaints related to Recurly in the past 36 months. 2 of the complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the client, while 1 was either resolved to the dissatisfaction of the client or received no final response. The company has not received any informal reviews from merchants, although these reviews are typically not subject to BBB verification.

An “A” Performance Overall

In light of the company’s clean complaint record, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to an “A” at this time. Readers should note, however, that there are good reasons to be skeptical of the BBB’s rating system.

Recurly Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Cancellation Penalties No
Monthly & Annual Fees Yes
Processing Rates Variable
Equipment Leasing No

Three Pricing Plans

Recurly offers three different pricing tiers for its service: Starter, Professional, and Elite. The Starter plan is free for the first 12 months and $249 per month after that. The cost for the other two tiers is not listed on the Recurly site.

It is important to note that Recurly is a third-party service, so its fees will be billed in addition to a business’ existing merchant account fees and pricing. For this reason, we recommend that merchants pair Recurly’s service with a budget-friendly payment processor to keep costs low.

No Long-Term Commitments

Recurly offers its service on a month-to-month basis and does not charge any monthly minimum fees, early termination fees, PCI compliance fees, or other fees. Its “Starter” plan is intended for businesses who only need to accept credit card subscription payments, while its “Professional” plan adds ACH payments, invoicing, QuickBooks Online integration, Salesforce integration, multi-currency support, gift card support, and fraud management. Recurly’s pricing page notes that “other fees apply including client bank account fees (all gateways), and payment gateway fees (excluding Recurly’s payment gateway). Fees may apply to import existing cards/customers.” This seems to indicate that all Recurly fees are charged separately from the fees that may be charged by a client’s credit card processor, including transaction fees and cancellation fees.

Absence of Contract Complaints

There are no public complaints about Recurly’s pricing and contract terms, and its previously listed fees are fairly low considering the full feature suite that it provides. Additionally, it is difficult to justify paying extra for recurring billing when many merchant account providers include this service as part of their standard virtual terminals. Recurly therefore seems best for businesses that have an absolute need for expanded recurring billing tools and would be able to justify the additional cost of the service. Subscription-style businesses will be best served by obtaining competitive pricing through a merchant account provider and then integrating Recurly’s payment gateway on top of this service, rather than by signing up for a Recurly-compatible payment gateway and then trying to secure low merchant account fees afterward.

Recurly pricing rates
Recurly’s pricing tier

Recurly Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Uses Independent Resellers No
Telemarketing No
Misleading Marketing No
Discloses All Important Terms Yes

No Independent Sales Agents

Recurly markets itself primarily through traditional advertising methods and through strategic partnerships. The company does not appear to hire outside independent sales agents or engage in telemarketing, and we have not located any Recurly reviews that accuse the company’s sales representatives of deception or nondisclosure.

No Misleading Advertising

In addition, Recurly does not list any misleading rate quotes or teaser offers on its website. In light of these factors, we have awarded it an “A” rating in this category.

Our Recurly Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Recurly rates as a solid recurring billing credit card processing option for merchants. It offers low-commitment pricing and provides a host of features that may not be available through traditional payment gateways. The service is a good option for mid-size and large subscription-style businesses that are unable to purchase a competitively priced, feature-rich recurring billing option through their existing providers. It may not be a good fit for smaller businesses that only require a simple recurring billing setup.

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Which is Most Important for You?

If you had to pick one, which quality would you say will be the most important with your next credit card processor? Tap or click your selection to register your vote:

  1. Low Transaction Fees
  2. No Monthly Fees
  3. No Contract
  4. Reliable Customer Support
  5. Quick Signup

Testimonials & Complaints

How Did Recurly Treat You?

1 User Reviews

Tell Us How They Treated You

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