Anovia Payments Review

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2.8
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How did they treat you? ▼

9/16/19 Update: The Anovia Payments website redirects visitors to Sphere. Anovia Payments no longer is in business following its consolidation into Sphere. This review reflects all data from the time of our last update. This review will no longer be updated.

Founded by a Former SignaPay Executive

Anovia Payments is an Irving, Texas-based merchant account provider with operations in North America and Europe. Founded in July 2013 by the former president and vice president of sales at SignaPay, Anovia relies on TSYS Merchant Solutions for its processing networks in the U.S. and First Data for its processing network in Canada. It is able to provide both U.S.-based merchant accounts and Canadian merchant accounts.

Based in Texas

Anovia Payments is headquartered at 600 Las Colinas Blvd., Suite 1200, Irving, Texas 75039, and the company is a registered ISO/MSP of Merrick Bank, South Jordan, Utah. Kevin Jones is the president, co-founder, and CEO of Anovia.

Anovia Payments Review Table of Contents

  • Costs & Contract: Anovia Payments appears to offer a three-year contract with an early termination fee of $495 or more.
  • Complaints & Service: Anovia Payments has received more than 70 public complaints.
  • BBB Rating: Anovia Payments has an “A+” rating and has received 35 complaints and 24 reviews in the past three years. The company has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 2014.
  • Sales & Marketing: Anovia Payments does not hire independent sales agents and has received a low-to-moderate number of complaints about its sales practices.
  • Rates & Fees: How Merchants Got The Best Rates With Anovia Payments

Anovia Payments Customer Reviews

Here's What Their Clients Say

Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints 70+
Live Customer Support Yes
Most Common Complaint Excessive Fees

More Than 70 Complaints

We are able to locate more than 70 Anovia Payments complaints on this and other consumer protection websites, and some of these complaints accuse the company of being a scam or a ripoff. Complainants mention a wide range of different issues, including internal problems among employees, inaccurate pricing quotes, undisclosed contract terms, costly one-time and recurring fees, unreachable customer service, and unexplained fund holds.

Anovia Payments Lawsuits

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

Anovia Payments Customer Support Options

The Anovia website lists a phone number for general customer support and an email form for non-urgent issues. Given Anovia’s complaint volume and the content of the complaints, we will assign it a “C” in this category at this time.

Anovia Payments Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

Online Ratings Summary
Product & Service Complaints 21
Billing & Collection Complaints 13
Advertising & Sales Complaints 1
Guarantee & Warranty Complaints 0
Delivery Complaints 0

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.

Over 30 Complaints

Anovia Payments currently has an “A+” rating with the Better Business Bureau and has been accredited since June 2014. The company has received 35 total complaints, with 13 related to billing and collection, 21 due to product or service issues, and 1 related to advertising or sales issues. Anovia has successfully resolved 10 of the complaints, while the remaining 25 either were resolved to the dissatisfaction of the merchant or did not receive a final response from the complainant.

What Merchants Say

Anovia Payments has also received 24 informal reviews from BBB users, with 17 of them negative and 7 positive in tone. The most recent negative informal review describes a $495 early termination fee:

I’m the Anovia user now. It’s a bad company. I just found that the sales agent signed a 3-year contract foe me without letting me know. I’ve already used two years. I want to terminate the contract now, but was told to pay $495 early termination fees. How terrible the agent is! If you are the sales agent who see the post, please deal with the problems as soon as possible. Otherwise, I’ll post your name here.

Early termination fees can cost merchants hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Merchants in situations such as this would benefit from learning how to cancel their accounts without paying a fee.

A “C” Performance Overall

In light of the company’s increased complaint volume and resolution ratio over the past year, we have adjusted the BBB’s rating to a “C.”

Anovia Payments Fees, Rates & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Cost & Fees Summary
Swiped Rate 2.50% + $0.20 or 2.69% + $0.19
Keyed-in Rate 3.50% + $0.20 or 3.69% + $0.19
Early Termination Fee $295 or $495
PCI Compliance Fee $19.95 Per Month or $75.20 Per Month
Equipment Lease Terms 48 Month (locked)

Three-Year Contract

Anovia does not list its pricing and fees on its website, but we have been able to determine some of the company’s costs by reading merchant complaints. Anovia’s partnerships with TSYS and First Data mean that Anovia Payments likely offers contract terms that are very similar to the terms offered by those companies.

Typical contracts with First Data offer a wide variety of contract terms and pricing plans, but its standard agreement is typically a multiyear contract with an early termination fee of $495, a monthly PCI compliance fee of $19.95, and tiered pricing. Merchants who process up to $50,000 each month will receive a swiped rate of 2.69% plus $0.19 and a keyed in rate of 3.69% plus $0.19. Merchants whose monthly charges exceed $50,000 will receive a swiped rate of 2.29% plus $0.19 and a keyed in rate of 3.29% plus $0.19. Another facet of these contracts are non-cancellable, long term equipment leases through First Data Global Leasing.

TSYS website outlines three pricing plans. The “Pursue” plan listed a swipe rate of 2.5% plus $0.20 per transaction and a keyed rate of 3.5% plus $0.20 per transaction. The “Grow” plan listed a swipe rate of 1.99% plus $0.20 per transaction and a keyed rate of 3.1% plus $0.20 per transaction. The “Accelerate” plan listed a swipe rate of 1.7% plus $0.20 per transaction and a keyed rate of 3% plus $0.20 per transaction.

TSYS Merchant Solutions’ basic contracts also include a three-year service agreement that automatically renews for one-year terms unless the merchant cancels during a small window of opportunity. Merchants who cancel outside of the grace period will be subject to a $295 Early Termination Fee (ETF). This, with an automatically renewing contract, greatly reduces the company’s rating in this section as it makes avoiding paying an early termination fee difficult. In addition, merchants are charged a quarterly PCI compliance fee of $18.80 ($75.20 a year).

Other Anovia Fees

Recent complaints indicate that the company’s minimum early termination fee is $495, but that some merchants who terminate may face an additional cost calculated by multiplying the number of months remaining in the contract by the merchant’s average monthly processing fees. One complainant cited a $22 monthly service fee and a $30 monthly fee for a service called “Anovia Insights.” Merchants also mention issues with fund withholding, which may be related to account setup errors.

Pricier Than the Competition

Our reviews of Anovia’s backend processors describe those companies’ contract terms as average, and the merchant feedback we’ve received about Anovia confirms that the company is not a cheap merchant account provider. We will therefore assign Anovia a “D” rating in this section at this time. If you have any knowledge about the standard Anovia contract, please leave that information in the comment section of this review.

Anovia Payments Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Jobs & Marketing Summary
Employs Independent Resellers Yes
Advertises Deceptive Rates No
Discloses All Important Terms No

In-House Sales Team

Anovia Payments primarily hires in-house, W2-employed sales representatives to market its services directly. While this is preferable to the industry standard of hiring independently contracted agents, it is worth noting that Anovia has recently partnered with a telecommunications company called ACN to refer merchants.

Partnered With ACN

Although ACN has received numerous negative reviews online, an Anovia representative has stated that ACN sales reps do not have the ability to offer specific pricing or product recommendations to merchants. In addition, merchants interact with Anovia for the entire sales process, and ACN representatives are not involved directly with merchants. Anovia also has a referral program in place that allows business owners to make residuals by referring other merchants to Anovia.

Broken Sales Promises

This sales structure is designed to prevent merchants from experiencing deceptive practices when dealing with Anovia Payments. However, we have located a low-to-moderate number of negative Anovia Payments reviews describing issues with the account setup process and rate guarantees from Anovia reps. It seems that some Anovia reps promise to beat or match merchants’ current rates, but some merchants dispute whether this guarantee is fulfilled. Other complaints mention nondisclosure of the company’s contract length and expensive termination fee. If you suspect that you are paying an undisclosed fee from Anovia, we recommend that you obtain a fee reduction audit from an independent third party.

Mixed Merchant Feedback

All told, the number of complaints we’ve received since this review’s initial publication raises some concerns about Anovia’s sales approach. This has forced us to lower the company’s score in this section to a “C.”

Our Anovia Payments Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

Not a Recommended Processor At This Time

According to the company’s complaint trends, Anovia rates as an average merchant services provider. The company appears to have some issues related to customer service and sales tactics, and its pricing appears to be more expensive than average for the industry. Merchants are encouraged to inquire about all possible fees before signing up with Anovia, and to compare it to more affordable options with better reviews.

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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 Anovia Payments Treat You?

77 User Reviews

  • Victim

    Victim of these scam company

    ANOVIA now apparently known as SPHERE.
    No doubt change of business name has become regular, as they were 1st known as
    FIRST DATA
    100% worst dishonest scam company in the world!!!
    ‘BE WARNED DO NOT DO ANY BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY’
    Absolute CROOKS!!
    Should be shut down by authorities.

  • Cheryl A Mikalonis

    Anovia/Sphere is the worst company you could ever get for your business credit card needs. While they will be very attentive to get your business, they are only out to get fees whichever way they can. I enrolled three of my accounting clients with Anovia for a three year contract and called in December 2018 to try and cancel. I was told by Al Sphincter (not real name) that we would receive over $500 in penalties if we tried to break contract. He confirmed that the contracts were over in September. So I waited until today to confirm the termination of the three contracts only to learn that they expired two days ago and were automatically renewed for a year. Penalty to cancel approx $500.00 for failure to notify of intent of non renewal. Two Days Ago! Sphincter could tell me date of termination but not remind me of notification needed. Because “it was not his job”. Stay away from this company. Bad business.


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

    -Phillip

  • JJJ

    I’m a customer of Anovia now. The sales agent is bad. At the beginning, I didn’t want any contract, so I didn’t sign any paper. However, after using two years, when I consider to change the company, I was told that I’m on the contract, so I need to pay early termination fee $495. Therefore, I just found that the sales agent signed the contract for me two years ago without letting me know. What a terrible sales agent! If you’re the sales agent who see the post, please deal with it in a few days. Otherwise, I’ll post your name here.


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

    -Phillip

  • Jenni

    This company needs help. Their customer service is below average. I feel that they do not care about you or your business. My company made a mistake typing in a dollar amount and within a minute we called to say what had happened. They told us three business days it will be back in my customers account. That did not happen. It took seven business days and then they charged us a hefty fee for that transaction. I asked to speak to the manager, they felt it was best to send an email. They added in that email a contract that I “signed” that I never had seen before. Oh, and they said I was in a contract….REALLY? My rep told me no contract, month to month. I don’t have any equipment, makes no sense. Be careful to anyone considering this company. I would NEVER treat my customers with a “Too bad so sad” attitude. I don’t even have anything telling me when my “contract ” is up, but they were quick to tell me. I am unfortunately stuck with this company for another year or I can pay the $495 early termination fee. Thank-you Anovia for burning me. I will do my best to return the favor. I will absolutely do my best to let any of my small business connections, bankers, CPA’s etc. etc. know how wonderful you treat your customer that has been with you for a few years, and never having a problem until now. Seriously, you need to do better and be the better company. Good luck.


    This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

    – Phillip

    • Maria Tatangelo

      I have been a customer of Anovia and First Data for the last 2 1/2 years.
      I tried to cancel my plan and they were trying to charge me an extortion rate of $73,000. I kept the plan for another year and then tried again to cancel and they were trying to charge me #37,000 for early termination fee. This is extortion. When I went back to the contract I noticed that it was not signed by the principals and Anovia changed the persons name of who signed it and printed the owners name and filled out owner on the contract. This is not right and I filed a complaint with FCAC. now I am going to file a complaint with Canadian anti-fraud centre. These business tactics have to stop and we should not stand up for this.


      This post will help: Cancelling a Merchant Account Without Paying a Fee

  • Debbie Wilson

    I started my business 2 1/2 years ago, and my friend an ACN rep. recommended Anovia. Being a new business starting out, and struggling, I called them and asked to put the account on hold due to lack of sales. I was told if I closed the business they would end my contract or I needed to pay the 495. I am still trying to keep my business going, but I will never never use them. Worst customer service, varying fees month to month. Terrible experience and my friend never told me this was a 3 year contract, and I will say I didn’t read it as much as I should have. Thanks Anovia for understanding- but you SUCK

    From The Editor
    This Post Might Help: Find and Eliminate Hidden Fees From Your Monthly Statement

    • Cory Downey

      These guys are terrible. When they are signing you up – very helpful of course.
      Signed up in September of 2017. We have given it a good try – and have not seen the promised savings or ease of use promised. There is a set fee that has gone up to $33.15 per month, even though we have not been able to use the system. We use a virtual terminal as we are processing invoices rather than POS type sales. When you try to log in, most often the password is expired so you have to deal with that. Then they want documentation to finish processing – they ask for that the next day or so. Then another couple days to get the funds in your bank.

      To get any statements to figure out what charges are for you must call and request they be emailed – or try to log onto your account.

      Then final straw is their annual $95 PCI compliance fee. So, in addition to the 33.15 per month, you are paying another $95 per year – and that’s before you even process any charges!

      So after giving it a fair shot, we tried to cancel. Of course they are happy to do that – for only $495.00!

      Then they get you and it’s nothing but fees! Can’t log in, half the time can’t process charges, random holds, documentation required, monthly fees, early termination fees – it’s terrible!

      Never, ever sign up for this service unless you really want to pay lots of money for nothing.

      From The Editor
      This Post Might Help: Best Virtual Terminal Providers

  • syed

    I had very bad experience with Anovia payment, Their customer service is suck, They give first year what they promised and after that they will raised ur rate and charge u more things that you donot even know. Its all rib off. I thought I was just signing for three year contract but when contract expired they will renew the contract with telling you and start charging what ever they want and if u try to cancel they want the whole year contract fee. I wouldnot recomend to any one to sign with this company. bad service no good customer service. All the want your money in return ypu donot get anything so please donot switch to this company.


    From The Editor
    This Post Might Help: Best All-Purpose Merchant Accounts

  • Eric Sandie

    This company is pure scum sucking vampires , they recently charged a local chamber of commmerce a ludicrist amount for Early termination. Mind you this is a 501c.

    Also, they just tried to one of my local gun ranges ludicrous amounts for Early terminations.

    As far as I”m concerned these guys true bottom feeders. Do yourself a favor find a company that does not charge early termination and does not charge liquidated damages these processors are a dying breed. I can’t wait till they are all pushed out of the business. Do not do business with Anovia. They also have horrible customer service and crazy rates and fees.


    From The Editor
    This Post Might Help: Gun-Friendly Merchant Accounts

  • Peter P

    I am with ACN and I talk to business owners about their merchant services. My very first customer was happy with his current processor as they had saved him $100 from his previous provider. He was willing to get a no obligation quote from Anovia. I connected him with an Anovia payments specialist. They talked together and the customers merchant statement was reviewed by Anovia. After the review was done & sent back to the customer he and I talked again. The customer was very surprised. We had saved him 51% on his rates and $2900 annually. All he asked was we beat the $100 a month savings from his incumbent provider. He signed the contract, I was with him when he installed the new machine he bought (He never leases). It worked fine immediately. I came back a 10 days later and he was beyond pleased. The new machine was faster, it never has to be rebooted and his money came into his bank account faster than ever before. He absolutely knows he can contact me 27/7 for customer service. As the agent that is MY responsibility. If I cannot help him I put him in contact with someone who can. That is what customer service is all about. He refers me to his other business friends and says he will stay with Anovia. When I talk to other business owner I know I can refer them to this customer. He did his research, understood the quoted rates and knew it was better to buy his own terminal rather than lease. Peter

  • Kay Salerno

    In addition to one of the most competitive credit card processing fees on the market, Anovia truly supported us in expanding and innovating our business. Definitely worth the exploration if you’re looking for a god partner in your credit card processing!

  • Nathalie DeLoach

    Had a major problem on January 8th 2018 with the service Simple Swipe. It was very upsetting but Mr.Myles Eugene stepped and fixed my problem. Because of him I will continue with this company. There’s nothing like someone there with you to solve problems when it’s out of your control. Thank Myles.

  • Elliott

    I don’t usually leave reviews and when I do I tend to read the ones already there first. Here’s my story in detail with proof – Before Anovia, we were with a competitor for 5 years in a contract we were locked into because of crazy cancel fees. They also had a nonsense fee for everything and the bills were unreadable. If they don’t edit it out, the initials are G.P. (do some research for yourself). Before signing with a new provider, I did some serious research on many major companies. I compared rates, read every word in the contracts, asked questions and got answers. I can’t complain if I don’t research and read. Every good company has problems too. Anovia couldn’t be beat. A simple search will show you that in the last 5 years they were #1 ISO of the Year TWICE against 500 other companies in the ETA (Electronic Transactions Association) (2014 and 2017). They are in the top 100 of INC 500 companies. They have many other accolades. They beat all the other major players. But still I don’t just accept, I ask! I looked for holes. When I was directed to them I grilled them and negotiated and read the contract. (Why do so many people not read contracts?). Their service both before and after signing up was great. Their fees great. They saved me over 40% over my last provider, I can read their bill, the costs are transparent, I have no problem reaching anyone and I ensured my contract specifically states “no cancellation fee”. It’s a legal document. 5 stars. No company is going to be perfect and not everyone is happy. I am. Some people like to complain. Do your homework before you sign and negotiate. Don’t accept the first answer. It’s your money and your choice. Make it a good one.

  • Monsoon

    SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!!!!!!!! I recently started looking after my parent’s business. They have a chain of 6 salons and use multiple services for many things. This is by far THE WORST company they have done business with. They are not in credit card processing business, they are in the “how to rip off small businesses” business. DO NOT, AND I REPEAT, DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM.

    They have ridiculous charges and fees all over! They charge you $450 for ending the business with you EVEN AFTER your contract with them has already ended. GO TO SQUARE!

  • Hesham Ibrahim

    i wonder if i can give half star for the worst business in usa best rates yea right but worst customer service ever rude people helpless always late on depositing money to my business bank account if you have a business and you want it to be successful do not sign a contract with them because yea they make it sweet with the low rates but once you sign with them you will regret it %100 then you will have to pay almost $500 to terminate the lease with them

  • Karlene Rogers

    I am very pleased with the service from Anovia. Jonathon has been so helpful and fast in his correspondence with me. This company saved me 35% from my previous credit card provider. Looking forward to a great working partnership.

  • Darryl

    Been with Anovia for a few months and price is the best I could find. Super happy with my monthlys and nice and easy to use. I wasn’t looking for anything flashy. I just wanted something reliable with same day payments. I didn’t want to get paid and wait a day for the money to hit my bank. I get it same day it’s the best.

  • Deepak Jeswani

    I have been using Innova payments for over 3 months. Absolutely happy with it. Paying quite a lot lower fees and charges compared to what I had been paying to my bank for over 4 years now.
    Girls at the business say the machine is user-friendly too. Need I say more?

  • Negassi

    I am an Acn worker,I referred more than 10 customers including me to use Anovia payment system, we got card reader never work, worst customer service.with out using this reader just because we have signed they charged us 36.71 dollar from our own saving. They never processed any money. They told us buy a phone ,if not you can cancel with a cancellation fee 495.
    Please this is scam go away form this company. Save your money and your time

  • Harvey

    the website is completely confusing as it does not adequately describe what each plan entails, only the price. I went to select chat, it said estimated wait time was 20 mins, I waited 30 mins and still no came to the chat line. This is a sure turn off from this company, when they cant even get someone online to chat, how can you trust them with providing transaction service with your and a customer’s money or be available if there is a problem. Not okay.

  • RVA

    I have been in business by myself for over 25 years. And plenty of different CC processing companies have both knocked, called,emailed….stalked me relentlessly….Recently a good friend and fellow business man introduced me to this company, I saved over 1000 per year and it was a seamless process. Thank you Anovia!!

  • Leonidas Johnson

    I closed my business location and called to inquire about closing my account. I was told there was a monthly fee to keep it open and no fee to close the account – just needed to fill out a cancellation form. I was later charged $648.95. I complained to customer service – Serval times – and was suppose to get a call from a supervisor. I never got a call ans when I called about that the person said they’d checked with the supervisor and there would be no refunds and then just hung up while I was trying to ask another question.

    Hidden fees, poor customer service and very unprofessional. WARNING – DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!!

  • christine's deli

    Horrible scam artists. The same day I signed the contract is the same day I find out that they misrepresented themselves with their costs, hidden costs, etc.. etc.. I was told by the salesman that I can cancel with no repercussions – boy was I wrong! They got me for $300 and still refuse to refund my money. They should be ashamed of themselves. RUN AWAY!

  • PATRICK A SIEBEN

    Horrible company to do business with. They showed us one pricing plan with a rate structure and when we completed our first bill cycle & looked at our fees, they we almost a full percent higher than what was presented to us. We brought the issue to their attention & they never presented us with a reasonable solution. So after 20 days we drop the service. Now 8 months later they have the audacity to hire a collection agency to retrieve early termination fees on a contract that they breached themselves. I’m just glad they have less than a 3 star rating & have documented history of doing this to numerous companies.

  • Ava S

    Anovia saved us 60% on our processing fees. Small business operating costs our a huge expense for us so being able to save this money has helped us put that money back to use in our company.

  • Christina P

    I would highly suggest NOT to use this service. They fail to let customers know that only certain cell phones and tablets work with their equipment. Then when it does not work and you lose sales due to their incompatibility they don’t help you. Also, when you cancel with them they still take money out of your account every month!!!! Consumer Beware!!!!!!!

  • Roman B

    Bad Bad Bad customer service, I recently opened an account with them after the first three charges they kept the money for five days and then asked for invoices, i sent them all they asked and they wrote back to me (thanks all is verified with the bank butttt we still need more papers from you) i’ll keep it short but the end result they will keep my money for six months and then will release it to me. Will not recommend them to anyone, stay away. Plus they make you sign three year contract so you cant leave them even if you realize they are a horrible company.

  • Patty

    I have been using Anovia for 3 years I have been very happy with my service . I have saved a large amount of money monthly . I have had no problems reaching a person. When I have needed to ask a question. In my experience all company’s charge a termination fee . But what I love the most . Is that my fees have been maintained during this time I give them 5 stars .
    I have worked with many other companies . These guys are the best .

  • Egor Zudihin

    This is SCAM SCAM SCAM!!!! I am an ACN Representative, and i signed up for Anovia payments for my business.
    First their rates really high, and cannot bit anything, for business its bad, most of customers do not use personal credit cards, and here you comes with 4% commission, because nobody will explan you about qualify and non qualify cards, be AWARE!!!. They Promise me $15 a month, now its $20 per month, and the started to charge me $100 a month because of PCI and i have no idea what is this. Customer services is horrible and people do not know even what they are doing, they cannot explain me anything. When i signed up, they promised me everything, and it turns to big and huge SCAM, so now its easier to quit than pay them $20 a month for next 3 years. + addition 100$ every month. This people just just useless, before you sign up read everything and i do not know why you have to sign up. JUST DO NOT DO IT ANY LONGER. NEED questions call me [REDACTED – personal contact information], ill explain you why not.

    EVEN ON ACN MEETINGS THEY DONT USE ANOVIA, THEY USE SQUARE!!!!!!!!

  • Kelly

    Anovia promised my company that there would be a seamless transition to their system for our POS, our loyalty cards and terminal equipment. We signed a contract believing them, then found that we would have to replace our POS, loyalty cards and loyalty program, and get new equipment. Literally, nothing they told us was true. We informed them of the problems and said we weren’t able to switch, even if we wanted to. They would not release us from the contract, even though they lied through their teeth about compatibility. They started debiting money from our checking account, even though we never once processed a card through their service. We finally paid a termination fee just to get rid of them. They’re STILL taking money from us! We’re working with the bank to try and stop them – which is costing us additional money for stop payment fees. We’re very sorry we ever heard of this disreputable company, let alone gave them our EFT info. Next phase is a lawyer.

  • Jenni Heinsohn

    Worst company and customer service out there! Don’t fall for it. One of my regulars sold me this scam. I thought I was doing a nice thing for someone in my neighborhood and I ended up regretting it. They don’t tell you about all the fees they tack on. You don’t know about these fees because they don’t send you a physical bill in the mail, they just take money from your account and don’t explain what for. They also charge you almost $50/month just to be there, not even swiping one card once, which isn’t clearly laid out in the contract. By the time one discovers what they have gotten into, there is a convenient early cancellation fee of $500 if you’re unhappy with their services and want to cancel before 3 years. This isn’t the kind of customer service any legit business practices. They may have a lower swipe percentage, but overall it ends up costing a lot more than most other merchant providers out there.


    Are you with Anovia Payments? Learn how to resolve this complaint.

  • matt bruno

    One thing to note is section 4.04 of their contract in which the last paragraph states:

    The parties agree that if this Agreement is terminated before completion of the Initial Term for any reason other than a material uncured breach by Provider, Merchant will pay Provider an early termination fee determined by multiplying (a) the number of months remaining from the date of termination to the end of the current Term, by (b) the average monthly processing fees paid by Merchant to Provider, plus Provider’s costs and attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with Merchant’s termination of this Agreement. Merchant agrees that these damages are not a penalty but are a reasonable computation of the financial harm caused by the early termination of this Agreement

    So the way I read this, the termination fee would be (# months left in the contract x total processing fees) + attorney’s fees + $495 listed termination fee. Pricey.

  • Francesco Mariglia

    I have been with Anovia for ten months now. It was a lofty choice to decide to leave Leaders for Anovia. I was granted next day funding with Leaders after 90 days. Anovia is still holding my Friday, Saturday and Sunday charge income until Tuesday morning. They say a 48 hour hold from Friday – that would be Sunday not Tuesday – DUH!!! So I now have to pay $495 to break a ridiculous 3 year contract, that I ASSUMED was a year, BEWARE of Anovia, stay with a company that serves you well. Wouldn’t it be nice if companies fed the impoverished children of America without entrapping unsuspecting kind hearted merchants into 3 year contracts, a $495 early termination fee, and a 96 hour hold on your Friday income? Anovia uses hungry children as bait to extraordinary spirits to sign up – BUT DO NOT choose Anovia. Donate to charity instead.

  • L D

    I just wanted to chime in on all of the negative comments on here. I had a similar experience. For smaller amounts, everything went through fine. Get an amount that’s slightly larger (I’m talking, in my case, $700) and you get asked for all sorts of paperwork. 3 months worth of bank statements, the invoice, all of the client info, contact at the client etc. They hold your money until you provide it, and even after providing it they held our funds for a week. I thought it was a fluke so I stayed with it, but it happened again with a $600 transaction. What a complete joke.
    The last straw was them charging $99 for a PCI compliance questionnaire. EVERY YEAR. Every other card processor I’ve used includes it for free. This is why Anovia is so cheap. The costs add up afterwards. Their customer service is a joke and can’t help at all. The best customer service I got was when I called to cancel! All of a sudden they have better plans that they can give you and are so friendly and helpful. Oh, the $495 cancellation fee stung, but was totally worth it to get away from these people. Can’t say this enough, STAY AWAY!

    • Eileen

      Just read your comments, I have just had same problem. I rarely use my machine, but, I just used it in December for 1200.00. They charged customer but withheld my funds. They said because large amount, I had to submit 3 mos of bank statements, shipping info, del confirmation, and all of my documents for that sale. I sent it all and they still wouldn’t release funds to me because they still wanted his signature on this transaction. A customer I’ve had for many yrs. To get out of this I had to refund his money through my terminal and I took another form of payment from him after. But, still the stinger.. when they set up my account, they did something incorrectly causing the IRS to not recognize my business name. So after refunding customers card, the IRS pulled 27% for tax withholding. I didn’t even earn 27% profit. I’m trying to reach Anovia to make the correction so that I can cancel my acct. No one to talk to, only voicemail. I’ve been with them for 1.5 yrs, will they charge me a cancellation fee? Thank you in advance.

  • Jennifer Hall

    Beware !!!!!! This company lies. I am making a written complaint to the Texas BBB and the Attnorey Generals office. I was told by the sales person, who swore they could do the things I needed.

    I decided to get a written quote from this company since my contract was up. They said $20.00 per month savings. Great. So I thought. Come too find out one day into this they could not do what I wanted. It took me 6 days to get my money. Then after one week of use. I wanted out and to go back with my old company they charged me $495.00 cancellation fee. Even though their company could not do what I needed and after they lied and said they could. Then I find out there was a 19.95 hidden fee for PCI companies, so I really had no savings.

    The salesperson, basically said oh well. They never called me back.

    • Kristi Henson

      I, too, was lied to by the rep for the company. I was suppose to be set up for “seasonal”. I ended being charged a monthly fee whether I used the service or not. I also need to mention that the fee was never the same even though I never used the service. I was initially told I could cancel at any time and was never informed of an early cancellation fee. I tried to call several times and in fact, had to take the rest of a day off work just to try to contact them only to be put on eternal hold by an automated system and never reached a real person. Finally after contacting someone via e-mail, I was told that I could only cancel if I paid the early termination fee of $495.00
      I agree; BEWARE of this company. I feel they are very dishonest and greedy.


      Are you with Anovia Payments? Learn how to resolve this complaint.

  • Brian Dayton

    Anovia promised a $100 Visa gift card if they could not beat my current rates. In fact, they could not beat my rates, and they have never sent the gift card. I have contacted them seven times in regards to this with no avail. Steer clear of this company.

  • Kregg

    We recently switched our processing to Anovia payments and couldn’t be happier. We are saving significant money over the previous company and the transition was absolutely seamless. The boss asked when the change was going to happen and I told him it already had. He didn’t believe me until we looked at the bank statement and saw that 4 days previous the credit card receipts had started coming in from Anovia. That was the easiest, smoothest transition I have ever experienced.

  • Brian

    Follow up to my first posting, DAY 117, they dinged my girlfriends business account for $500. That means either her business rent cheque, or one of two of her suppliers cheque will bounce. The repercussions to a two employee cafe will be huge. It will add another couple hundred dollars in bank fees, it will change her account privileges with two of her suppliers.

    WE STILL HAVE THE INCORRECT DEBIT/CREDIT MACHINE, ACN EMAILED US TO DEAL WITH ANOVIA, ANOVIA EMAILED US TO DEAL WITH THE PROCESSING COMPANY(FOR CANADIAN CUSTOMERS) FIRST DATA CORP(OUT OF CORAL SPRINGS FLORIDA). WHEN WE CALL, WE CAN’T TALK TO ANYONE, ITS ALL VOICEMAIL, AND NO ONE RETURNS OUR CALLS

    DO YOURSELVES ALL A FAVOUR, STAY AWAY FROM ANOVIA. ACN ITS TIME TO STEP UP AND BACK ALL THE PREACHING YOU DO

  • Mark

    I have used Anovia for a few months now. I signed up with Anovia through a client who works with ACN. I have owned my own business for 14 years now and have used a few different merchant processors. I was scammed by one (NOT Anovia) but have worked through the others ok.

    Merchant processing is unregulated by the federal government so you have to pay attention and protect yourself any way you can. It is almost always cheaper to buy your own processing terminal. Anovia will allow you to do this. NEVER SIGN A LEASE FOR EQUIPMENT. The rate is negotiable – just negotiate all rates and fees up front. Anovia doesn’t like to budge on contract length, but will consider dropping early termination fees to prices that are more reasonable and lower your risk of signing up. The time between a card being run and money being deposited in your account is somewhat negotiable, depending on industry-rated risk.

    I started my contract knowing it would be a 2 day turn around for deposits. After being with Anovia for over a month, I called in and asked for a 1 day turn around. They didn’t have to but they updated my account to 1 day! This moved Anovia to above average in my mind.

    To date, I haven’t had a single problem with Anovia and their rates are right where they said they would be. I run a small automotive repair business and take Visa, MC, Discover, and American Express.

  • debra

    I have been an Anovia customer for less than a year. For the second time, Anovia has overcharged me. They are difficult if not impossible to get ahold of. No one calls me back. I want to cancel the service but they will charge me $420.00.

    • Brian

      I am an ACN IBO who tried to switch my girlfriends cafe over to Anovia. The promotion was if they can’t match, you get $100 Visa Gift card. We faxed in all the information and here is what happened.
      1) We were sent numbers and a contract that indicated they would beat the price. Everything was YES YES YES NO problem.
      2) As soon as we opened the the box, we knew there was trouble. They sent an inferior terminal and we immediately called them to let them know. They then proceeded to delay delay delay. I will get back to you BLAH BLAH BLAH.
      3) Finally they agreed that it was inferior, but it wasn`t their fault, they explained everything and it was MY FAULT!
      They also wanted a $500 restocking fee and as soon as we paid, they would ship the new one.
      4) Well its day 116, we have their terminal, they have taken $195.05 in fees out, and we haven`t even connected the equipment. We get no phone call from Anovia or their Merchant service partner First Data.

      My advice, stay away from Anovia and First Data merchant services. Pathetic Customer Service, and you will be their next Hot Potato

  • Keth Marshall

    One of my clients refered me to Anovia saying that they have great rates and if i switched to them she would get a monthly referal fee. I sent them my info and got a quote that sounded really good. I have been in business a long time and when something sounds too good to be true, well it usually isn’t true. So I started looking around on the web and found this site.

    From what I have read and the short period of time that Anovia has been in business there is no way that I can take a chance on them.

    Buyer be ware!

    Thanks for the info.

    Keith Marshall

  • DD

    After reviewing the ANOVIA PAYMENTS company (ACN), I agreed to have them review my current transactions and find a plan that could work well with my transfer of services. This took awhile to confirm their validity and that their product was a better choice. I requested a specific machine with certain functions. They said they could not use my existing machine since they couldn’t reprogram it and that I had to buy their machine. I had to sign the contract online to start the process. They sent the wrong machine. The rep then said that they could not provide the machine I requested and that I could cancel the contract without penalty since they could not provide what I had requested.

    Weeks and weeks of correspondence followed without the rep sending me a return slip to send the machine back properly. In the mean time, I WAS BILLED for merchant monthly fees for a service that was not turned on (now for three months!). On the second month, I was billed for the MACHINE which I was trying to return, but their rep and the support staff could not determine a method to RMV it back to them. (If I would have cancelled with the merchant service provider, they would have billed me a $$$$ large early cancellation fee….for services they did not provide!)

    FINALLY, after I submitted a form from another merchants service company that would assist them in cancelling the service, (BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THEIR OWN FORM OR PROCESS IN PLACE), the machine was returned and the amount of the charge for the machine was refunded. At this time, I was still not refunded the monthly service fees nor did I receive written proof of cancellation of the contract. It has been 30 days since then and no response to any more correspondence to refund the remainder or the confirmation of cancellation. Sent another email again. If I call the rep, I only get his voicemail every time.

    Since this issue is still not resolved, I am considering further action. This message was a good place to start. Legal action may follow depending further developments.

    This message should help Anovia Payments, ACN, and Merchant Services know the incompetence in this poorly handled arrangement. They should develop a policy to prevent this from happening and resolve it competently if it does. It may help other businesses to avoid these problems who may be considering changing their service to ACN/ Anovia payments. Maybe soon, I may be refunded the balance and receive proof of cancellation od services.

    DD
    3/19/2014

  • James

    I am a business owner and I was an ACN Rep. I signed my Merchant Services with ANOVIA. I have had many problems with them already and want I consider worse than the problems is when you are given the run around when try to get those problems corrected. The signed me up for American Express when I already had an account with AMEX. Turns out the spelled my company name wrong. When I called AMEX, they told me it was an ANOVIA thing. When I called ANOVIA nobody seemed to know how to fix it. So I kept my Current Merchant Service Provider and put all my AMEX through that service until things got fixed with ANOVIA.

    Now, I have been informed that a VISA charge from a government client is being held up and they want documentation from me. I provided them with them with the client info and now they want 3 months of Bank Statements. When I asked the rep from Cynergy Data (Service Provider for ANOVIA) why this was happening. She gave me two answers. The first was that I was set-up incorrectly by ANOVIA to accept 100% MOTO instead of 100% Manual. And the charge was much larger than what my history showed.

    My Conclusion: Stay away the services of ANOVIA, ACN and Cynergy Data.

  • Annoyed

    I signed a client up to Anovia through a referral partner and from day one the client had issues. The client was not able to process payments from her clients. It had taken numerous times to get a hold of anybody regarding issue. Once somebody was able to be reached, they first said it was resolved (it wasn’t). This has been going on since 9/13. The client is being charged for services she can not use. Was told they will cancel (it wasn’t) STAY AWAY from ANOVIA and ACN. Nobody calls back because no one knows who to contact to get this resolved. You call or e-mail anovia you don’t get a response. Still having issues and no one is getting back to me or the client. You guys are too generous to give this company a C rating.

      • Annoyed

        NOPE it didn’t get resolved. In fact the client is still being drafted for services she can’t use. She also canceled but they didn’t. I have a feeling I’m not the only one that is going through this. If anybody have any legal suggestions to get this resolved for this client I would really appreciate it.

      • Raul

        at this point, I would wait. My biggest problem w Anovia is the PCI compliance system which is thru ControlScan. If you only process thru the PHONE you get about a 25 question questionnaire , but if you process with a reg line, a tablet or a terminal, they put you thru a 284 question ordeal .. abusive and absurd.. BTW I am an ACN rep and have no problem w ACN. I had endorsed them in the past, but I am in the process of serving CEASE AND DESIST papers regarding that endorsement. They mean well, but the company seems to be setup to “COVER THEIR BUTTS” and not to solve the issues. Also way too conservative and do not support ecommerce, so you may need another company for that if your website sells.

  • Steve

    My company started processing credit cards through Anovia in July and twice now they have held back paying me on approved credit card transactions stating I was a high risk because when I filled out their application it asked for average ticket amount, assuming I except charges from $1000 to $5000 it would average out at $2500. Apparently what they mean is what is the highest amount you want to charge. It makes it extremely hard to control cash flow when this company holds payments of $5000, $4000, & $3100 for 8-24 days while they decide when to allow you to receive your money, all the while asking for more paperwork from you even though they already had this information.

    • Florence Robinson

      Your comment worries me. We can not wait days or even weeks for our payments to hit our account. The owner of our company is looking into switching to Anovia. I feel this would be a lot of work plus a mistake but I could be wrong. What is your take on this? Appreciate your comment.

  • J M

    This company, still in it’s infancy, already has a high turnover rate. They’ve already fired many Account Executives. They hired me through a temp agency for their concierge team. We were suppsed to prime the leads for the execs. The leads from ACN dried up within a month and all the employees on the concierge team were let go. They’ve spent a ridiculous amount of money, for a suite in one of the nicest parts of DFW but I don’t foresee Anovia making it one year.

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