GoDaddy Payments Reviews & Complaints
Overview
In this article, we delve into the comprehensive world of GoDaddy Payments, the latest venture by the well-known domain registrar and web hosting company GoDaddy. As we explore the evolution of GoDaddy's payment processing capabilities, from its initial partnership with First Data and Frontstream to its acquisition of Poynt and the launch of its proprietary payment service, we aim to provide a thorough analysis of what GoDaddy Payments offers to online businesses. We'll examine the seamless integration of GoDaddy Payments with GoDaddy-hosted websites, emphasizing its user-friendly payment gateway, transparent and competitive pricing, and the ease it brings to the checkout experience. This article also highlights the rapid payouts and robust security features of the service, ensuring that businesses can manage their finances effectively while keeping customer data secure.
We also discuss the integration of GoDaddy Payments with GoDaddy Bookkeeping, a synergy that simplifies financial management for businesses. And, we address the responsive customer support provided by GoDaddy Payments, an essential aspect for businesses navigating the complexities of payment processing. We'll take a closer look at the pros and cons of using GoDaddy Payments, analyzing user and employee reviews, marketing tactics, and the impact of recent lawsuits. By providing insights into the processing costs, contract terms, and the overall user experience of GoDaddy Payments, this article aims to offer a comprehensive overview for businesses considering this platform for their payment processing needs.
About GoDaddy Payments
GoDaddy is a large domain registrar that provides web hosting and other e-commerce services based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The giant domain registrar has been in business since 1997, but only offered merchant accounts for online businesses starting in January 2013. The company was originally partnered with First Data (Fiserv) and Frontstream to provide merchant accounts, but it has since launched its own proprietary payment service. In early 2019 GoDaddy acquired the point-of-sale company Poynt. Previously, GoDaddy offered payment processing for its web customers under the GoDaddy Merchant Services brand, but the company has relaunched its payment service under the new name. In 2023, GoDaddy partnered with Microsoft to make it possible to give and receive payments through Teams.
GoDaddy Payments Point of Sale (POS)
Initially, GoDaddy Merchant Services was marketed primarily as a payment gateway service. With the acquisition of Poynt, GoDaddy Payments now offers in-store credit and debit card processing as well as pay links to provide additional payment options for its customers. Business owners can choose from the Poynt Smart Terminal, a Poynt Card Reader with the GoDaddy Payments mobile app, or virtual terminal options. GoDaddy Payments seamlessly integrates with GoDaddy-hosted WordPress and WooCommerce sites.
Seamless Integration with GoDaddy Websites
GoDaddy Payments is a credit card processing solution designed to integrate seamlessly with GoDaddy's website builder and online store platform. This integration allows businesses that use GoDaddy for their website and eCommerce needs to easily accept and manage credit card payments without the need for third-party plugins or services.
User-Friendly Payment Gateway
The user-friendly payment gateway provided by GoDaddy Payments enables businesses to accept a wide range of credit card types and digital wallets. With a simple setup process and an intuitive interface, even business owners with limited technical knowledge can quickly and easily start processing payments through their GoDaddy online store.
Transparent and Competitive Pricing
GoDaddy Payments offers a competitive and transparent pricing structure, with no hidden fees or long-term contracts. Businesses pay a fixed percentage per transaction, making it easy to predict and manage costs. This pay-as-you-go pricing model is particularly suitable for small businesses with variable transaction volumes.
Quick and Easy Checkout Experience
GoDaddy Payments aims to provide a quick and easy checkout experience for customers, with a secure and mobile-optimized payment process. By offering a smooth and efficient checkout experience, businesses can minimize cart abandonment and encourage repeat purchases.
Rapid Payouts
GoDaddy Payments offers rapid payouts, ensuring businesses have timely access to their funds. Most transactions are deposited within 1-2 business days, helping businesses manage their cash flow effectively.
Robust Security Features
GoDaddy Payments employs strong security features to protect sensitive customer data and ensure secure transactions. The service is PCI DSS compliant and uses advanced encryption methods to safeguard payment information, providing a secure payment processing environment for businesses and their customers.
Integration with GoDaddy Bookkeeping
GoDaddy Payments integrates with GoDaddy Bookkeeping, allowing businesses to easily track and manage their sales, expenses, and tax information in one place. This integration simplifies financial management and ensures businesses have access to accurate and up-to-date financial data.
Responsive Customer Support
GoDaddy Payments offers responsive customer support to help business owners with any payment processing issues or concerns they may encounter. With a knowledgeable and attentive support team, GoDaddy Payments ensures that businesses receive the assistance they need to successfully navigate the world of payment processing.
Location & Ownership
The headquarters of GoDaddy is located at 2155 E GoDaddy Way, Tempe, AZ 85284. The CEO of GoDaddy Payments is Aman Bhutani. GoDaddy Payments does not list its partner banks.
| Pros: | Cons: |
|---|---|
| Supports major cards. | Limited customer reviews. |
| Easy to use. | Limited hardware. |
| Competitive rates. | No third-party integrations. |
| Fast payouts. | Higher rates for virtual terminals. |
| No setup fees. | U.S.-based focus. |
GoDaddy Payments Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Total Online Complaints | 1,000+ |
|---|---|
| Live Customer Support | 24/7 |
| Most Common Complaint | Web Services Issues |
| Recent Lawsuits | No |
Overview of GoDaddy Payments Feedback
While GoDaddy Payments itself has a relatively low volume of negative reviews, GoDaddy, known predominantly for its web hosting and domain registration services, has accumulated thousands of complaints across various platforms. These complaints highlight issues ranging from technical difficulties and payment disputes to concerns over domain registration. Although these grievances primarily target GoDaddy’s hosting services, they offer insight into the company’s broader customer support practices. We encourage you to share your experiences with GoDaddy Payments by commenting below.
Legal Context Surrounding GoDaddy Payments
Our research did not uncover any significant class-action lawsuits or Federal Trade Commission (FTC) complaints specifically targeting GoDaddy Payments. Business owners looking for non-litigious ways to address their grievances are advised to report their concerns to relevant regulatory bodies and share their experiences in the comment section of this article.
GoDaddy Payments Customer Service Exploration
Customer support for GoDaddy Payments is integrated with GoDaddy’s main customer service framework, which is renowned for its extensive availability. Offering 24/7 telephone support in multiple languages and countries, alongside chat and text options, GoDaddy strives to accommodate a global clientele.
Contact Information for GoDaddy Payments
- (480) 366-3549 – GoDaddy Payments 24/7 Customer Service
This article aims to provide a balanced review of GoDaddy Payments, enhancing visibility through SEO-optimized terms such as “reviews,” “complaints,” and “customer service” for those researching the company. All links have been maintained to ensure direct access to additional information and resources.
GoDaddy Payments Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
| BBB Reports | 1,504 |
|---|
Over A Thousand Complaints
According to the Better Business Bureau GoDaddy has received 1,213 complaints in the past 36 months. Currently it holds an “A+” rating and has been accredited by the Better Business Bureau since 4/20/2000. The vast majority of these complaints are not aimed at GoDaddy Payments but directed at the company’s domain and registrar services.
What Merchants Say
GoDaddy has also received 291 reviews in the past 36 months. The overwhelming majority are negative in tone. The most recent negative review calls the company a scam:
GoDaddy personnel are liars, cheats, abusers, incompetents, scammers and thieves
An “A” Performance Overall
Considering there are currently almost no complaints related to GoDaddy’s payment division, we agree with the Better Business Bureau’s rating of an “A” at this time.
GoDaddy Payments Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Cancellation Penalties | No |
|---|---|
| Processing Rates | Variable |
| Monthly & Annual Fees | Yes |
| Equipment Leasing | Yes |
Transparent Pricing and Terms
GoDaddy Payments boasts straightforward rates without contracts or sign-up fees. While they claim to offer the lowest fees in the industry, their rates are indeed competitive. For in-person transactions, the swipe rate is a flat 2.3%, with an additional $0.30 charge for online transactions. Keyed-in transactions incur a slightly higher flat rate of 3.3%. There are also additional equipment costs, as outlined in GoDaddy’s pricing plan. Setting up the card reader incurs a $50 fee plus a per-device charge, while the smart terminal requires a $250 setup fee.
We also recommend that business owners explore our list of the top merchant accounts.
GoDaddy Account Requirement
It’s important to note that to access most features of the payment service, you must be a GoDaddy web customer, which comes with additional costs. Without a domain account, you can only use the GoDaddy Payments virtual terminal and generate payment links and QR codes. Furthermore, access to the online store option requires opting for GoDaddy’s highest-priced monthly plan at $25 per month. However, in-person payments and website integration seem to be included in all GoDaddy plans, starting at around $10 a month. These associated costs should be considered, as most features of GoDaddy Payments require a domain account.
Contract Negotiation
Currently, there is no available GoDaddy Payments contract. We encourage new customers to share their experiences in the comments section below. As always, we advise business owners to negotiate pricing and contract terms and thoroughly review all contracts before signing.
GoDaddy Payments Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Uses Independent Resellers | No |
|---|---|
| Telemarketing | Unlikely |
| Misleading Marketing | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | Yes |
No Evidence of Independent Sales Teams
Currently we cannot locate any concerning job posts or complaints indicating GoDaddy Payments utilizes independent or outside sales representatives. We also cannot locate few negative GoDaddy Payments reviews directly related to its sales practices or indications of misleading quotes.
This compares favorably to our list of best credit card processors.
GoDaddy Payments Contract Terms
GoDaddy Payments rates include some potentially costly equipment costs, and we cannot confirm there are no equipment contracts at this time. We strongly recommend reading all legal documentation and contracts thoroughly before signing. If any of our readers have a recent example of a GoDaddy Payments contract, please comment below.
Our GoDaddy Payments Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
GoDaddy Payments’ credit card processing comes with the backing and support of a major tech company. This is also not GoDaddy’s first foray into the world of payment providers. GoDaddy Payments might present a very viable alternative for business owners who currently operate a Shopify or SquareSpace website and are unsatisfied with their experience. GoDaddy Payments might not be the best fit for businesses that do not rely heavily on e-commerce. While they do offer in-person credit and debit payments, you must be a GoDaddy domain customer to use most of these features. Existing users of GoDaddy’s web services might find GoDaddy Payments to be a very attractive avenue for adding credit and debit card processing capabilities. We’re giving GoDaddy Payments an optimistic rating at this time but will keep a close eye on complaint volume now that the service is being rolled out en masse.
If you found this article helpful, please share it!
Robbie Dale Johnson
They are holding money on a verified closed dispute
BOBBY
I have been a GoDaddy customer since the 1990s and can honestly say that I was and still am thrilled to be doing business with them. Every GoDaddy product I have bought has worked exactly as promised. The Customer Service I receive today is no as good as back in the 90’s but a hell of a lot better than everyone else I deal with! They let you know how long you will wait or will call you back. I have never had an issue with a single GoDaddy Customer Support agent! All this said, I too have had issues with GoDaddy’s rollout of the Poynt Merchant Account System. All my issues were created by a “rush” order to be delivered before I left the country for 3 months. And to GoDaddy’s credit and my sales rep Jeff – they did their best to get the products to me. However, their internal communications system failed and my order sat and was waiting for additional information with no notification to me or Jeff! Thus is arrived late ( 4 Poynt Readers). Thus I left and borrowed a customer’s GoDaddy Merchant Machine. And to GoDaddy’s credit, my patience and persistence, from Eastern Europe – they added the machine to my account and it worked without any issues – until I swiped my own card for a personal purchase! To which GoDaddy froze the account, informed me what happened and after a few days of email banter all was resolved. I am REALISTIC. When I do exactly as GoDaddy asks, 99% everything works smoothly! A little glitch in process and they, like all corporations must scramble a bit. However, I am mindful that this a new division of GoDaddy, they are learning. Nonetheless, they have saved me money and my client’s money. I can say, for the most part and with all our issues – GoDaddy delivers a great product, overall customer service via phone and chat have been excellent! I have used PayPal since the 1990s as well and have slowly moved back to Merchant Account and intend to work out the kinks with GoDaddy Payments/Merchant Account as the company overall has been excellent for me, my clients and my bank account! (Note: I have never worked for GoDaddy, no family members either, nor do I have any friends or know anyone personally that works for GoDaddy).
Tad
Godaddy Payments, what a joke!
Looking at their sales pitch, it seems like a really good deal. Add the fact that you can do e-commerce, hosting, etc., almost sounds like a no brainer. Well, its not a no brainer, and lessoned learned on our end, and hopefully a warning to others.
So we decided to apply for the account and after verifying business, back accounts, customer contracts, etc, we were approved for a merchant account.
We processed our first transaction, which was flagged and help “pending additional review”. Ok fair enough, we can provide whatever. In fact, we over provided information, including 2 years (instead of the couple months) of large amounts of charges without any returns or chargebacks. After a week of them asking to resend that same info in various formats, we proceeded to other items needed. Ok we have wasted over a week with “here’s what we need” now all of the sudden we need more. Fair enough, we can send whatever.
After several more days, we received an email of we will not be continuing our relationship, so here are two options: We will hold your money for 90 days or refund your customer but you still owe us the fees. Wanting to find more information about this, I called Godaddys support line.
Their support line informed they were not able to help with card processing, they can only be reached by email (what???), but what he can see, is they just need to verify our bank info and it also shows we are not responding. Ok, I read emails I received as confirmation of responding, but whatever, I will try again.
It takes a couple days to get a response, which says, since they have not heard anything, they are just going to keep the money for 90 days then payout. So another call to Godaddy.
On this call the representative does send me to a payments department (so they can be reached by phone!) who verifies they are not going to work with us, fair enough, but the option they picked is to keep the money for 90 days. If I want I can email them (she said she can help with anything, but that, convenient) and ask them to refund to the customer but I will still be changed the fees, which, of course, I will have top pay a second time to another processor, which is a couple hundred dollars for, literally nothing.
I had asked if there was a supervisor or someone that could make a call to waive these fees if we do a customer refund, in particular, since it was their decision to not pay out (90 days is unreasonable to wait!). At Godaddy there are no supervisors, they all have that authority, but with that said, she can help with anything, except that.
Long story short, lesson learned. It cost a couple hundred dollars and a 3 week waiting period still trying to get my money refunded so I can charge a customer for work we performed.
It might not be so bad if they did their due diligence up front, if they gave a disclaimer of what could come up, or if they set transaction limits during a discover type period, or if they had a legit customer service team you could speak with, etc. For a big company like Godaddy, you’d think they would have this worked out, but my my experience, they are far behind and not worth the hassle.
BOBBY
Seeing how they are “new” to this business, I too cut them some slack. However, I was more persistent and in a short amount of time my issues were promptly resolved and even with all my banter and condescending jokes at THE TEAM (Poynt Card Processing at GoDaddy) – they kept a very professional demeanor and quickly resolved our issues. I have been with GoDaddy since 1998 or so – and they quality of their customer service to me, has been exceptionally FANTASTIC, timely and always very professional.
Rebecca
I opened this account on a Friday because I had a customer who wanted to pay using a credit card but they did not want to use Venmo. I have a brand new business (less than one month) and this is only my second sale. The total amount of the sale (including tax) was $757.75. I searched for a payment processor who would get this set up quickly so that I didn’t lose a customer. They got it set up the same day and I processed the payment first thing Monday morning (08/07/23).
Then, that afternoon around 5 pm, I received an email from them saying they needed some “additional” information in order to “comply with standard payment network rules”. I sent them everything that they asked for and then received the following email:
“Unfortunately, GoDaddy Payments will not be able to service your account due to certain risk factors. Effective immediately, you can no longer process payments.
In regards to your current account balance, please let us know which option you would like for us to take as we work with you to ensure your business is minimally impacted by this account closure:
We can refund all of your customer transactions that have not been paid out to you yet. Please note that processing fees still apply for this option.
We can hold your account balance on reserve for 60 days and then release any remaining balance back to you once the reserve period is over.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding.”
This is a total “bait and switch” tactic! So now that they have my money, they are only giving me two options – I can either “allow” them to refund my customer or they will hold MY money hostage for 60 days!! I would never recommend GoDaddy Payments to ANYONE! They are absolutely terrible!
Bobby
Obviously, there is more to this story than meets the eye. Like all credit processing companies, GoDaddy must follow the law. They stopped us from doing something illegal, and we did and explained we didn’t realize it, they got us going again.
I have been dealing with moving money around the world since 1972 and GoDaddy has been excellent in what they provide overall. I appreciate that they follow the laws of our land, and do all they can to secure our data, website and money!
Jon Soller
We just stated using the merchant cc processing software a few days ago,and it has been great. We were using paypal but now use godaddy. After signing the docs it took a day for everything to be ready and then in about 10 min we we up and running. Switching over was super easy since we already use godaddy’s woocommerce (wordpress), One click in the payment section, a little bit of info and done. Rates are 2.3% (nothing hidden) money shows up in our bank account within a day or two. The admin tools are a bit better than paypal’s, and fees are better. We still accept Paypal but charge 1% more since they charge us 1.3% more. We also use paypal for the manual entered cc since it is much cheaper than godaddy keyed-in rate of well over 3%.
I did call godaddy 2X for questions and the phone was answered within 20 min and my questions was answered within 45min, about the same as paypal but we seem to talk to people with more tech experience at godaddy earlier on.
Little plug for Jason AL, he was knowledgeable & awesome!
Keep in mind that we do over 1 million in cc transaction/year, but I don’t think
we are getting any special treatment.
The only downside I found to godaddy vs paypal is we can’t do secondary charges (ex. charge for shipping afterwards or for subsequent order). Also it is not clear if godaddy’s web charging works in all countries. Their virtual terminal is only USA currently, but we use Paypal for that anyway. Overall very happy!
See our godaddy charging solution (if you want at [promotional content redacted]).
Yes we recommend them!
BOBBY
I agree 100%! They are doing a great job, all things consider and I’m a little guy helping a bunch of other little guys! And GoDaddy is a great solution provider!
Forbes March
Terrible.
First day- all funds held demanding proof of delivery, copy of invoice, 3 months past statements, name address of customer with “card ending in 6011”. Holly hell- you tell me who that client is.
Required proof of delivery from “major delivery service”.
I am the delivery service.
I do not deliver unpaid goods.
You took the card not me- you tell me who used card 6011.
Called their “24-7 customer service”, sat on hold for 1hr before giving up.
Total disaster, ironically their fraud detection seems like fraud given that they now hold my client’s funds.
Thomas
GO DADDY , Cheating Money after taking money for 3 years Microsoft 365 and closed my account in 2 months .
See the chat below :
Anita B at 10:54, Aug 24:
You will have to purchase the same email plan, and you need to set up the same and confirm us so that we can help you to restore it.
You at 10:54, Aug 24:
U mean I have PAY again ?
Anita B at 10:54, Aug 24:
Yes you have to purchase the same email plan.
You at 10:55, Aug 24:
What about my money u took for 3 years ?
You agreed before u will Refund it back
So , give my MONEY back
Anita B at 10:58, Aug 24:
I told you let me check with the receipt number so that if it is under terms and conditions of refund policy we will process you refund.
You at 10:58, Aug 24:
2232847551
19/06/2022
₹ 10,577.52 INR
Anita B at 10:59, Aug 24:
So please allow me 2 to 3 minutes to check with the receipt number.
You at 10:59, Aug 24:
Iam waiting
See my purchases below .. I want a positive reply ..
₹ 10,691.56 INR
All conversation is copied and I will send to Google for posting as Reviews
Anita B at 11:16, Aug 24:
I checked with my supervisor too,even he can’t help as it is out of refund policy.
You at 11:16, Aug 24:
All conversation is copied and I will send to Google for posting as Reviews
You at 11:17, Aug 24:
Thank you stealing my money ..
You at 11:17, Aug 24:
Thank you stealing my money ..
You at 11:18, Aug 24:
Good Luck that your company grow better with stollen money from clients like us cheating peoople globally
You at 11:18, Aug 24:
Good Luck that your company grow better with stollen money from clients like us cheating peoople globally
You at 11:18, Aug 24:
You can see my reviews later on Google Review about Go daddy ..
You at 11:18, Aug 24:
You can see my reviews later on Google Review about Go daddy ..
You at 11:19, Aug 24:
You using refund policy .. we say that is called stealing money
You at 11:21, Aug 24:
3 years you people promised and took money
BOBBY
It’s really had to believe the GoDaddy “stole your money” or “cheated” you. In all my years, they have been nothing but earnest in their dealings with me. If their rules do not coincide with the law, they change them. I can honestly state that GoDaddy has been prompt in returning any funds to me – directly to my card or as a credit! Obviously, there is more to your story than you are telling us. You started with an accusation, but you didn’t provide all the details. When you bought what for what amount. Why you returned it, etc. After what length of time, or if you used it at all, etc. Just because you didn’t get what you wanted when you wanted doesn’t mean GoDaddy did you a dis service. They treat all of us the same, has been my experience. I have had over 100 clients that I set up on GoDaddy and never have I had a single complaint from any of them on the services provided. Their websites always work, customer service always answers the phone and with adequate and realistic criteria – the refund 100%!
SUSAN POMERANTZ
GODADDY LOST ALL MY CONTACT EMAILS. ALL 1500 OF THEM THIS IS AFTER FORCING ME TO USE THEIR NEW BUSINESS PLATFORM.
Bobby
It is doubtful that “GODADDY LOST ALL MY CONTACTS”. First of all you had to input your contacts either one at a time or via a file. Which means you had all your “contacts” and most likely still do.
Unless there is a different process, it is near impossible to lose data in GoDaddy as they ask twice about deleting anything. I have used almost all of their products and have never lost a single “bit” of data in over 25 years.
I would be curious to know how you believe “go daddy deleted or lost your contacts!”
S. Phillips
I recently added GoDaddy’s merchant services to my website and it has been a NIGHTMARE. The very first transaction, they sent me a request for supporting documents to verify the client’s $375 fee for a business coaching session. After submitting the required documents, they held the funds for 10 days stating that the customer had not called them back to verify that she actually made the charge. The customer is a busy salon owner that works 12 hours a day. I do not recommend and will not be using them again in the future.