Updated 2/7/2019: As of September 22nd, 2016, PacNet no longer offers payment processing services. In 2016, the U.S. Justice Department shut down PacNet Services and froze its assets, accusing the company of knowingly facilitating widespread, organized mail fraud on a global scale. According to the Justice Department and a CNN investigative report, PacNet Services processed payments for over a hundred different mail scams that primarily targeted the elderly. The U.S. Attorney General claims that the fraudulent payments involved tens of millions of dollars in 2016 alone. PacNet Services’s operations are shut down because the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated the company a significant transnational criminal organization.
PacNet Services Ltd. (pacnetservices.com) is a merchant account provider based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 1994, the company specializes in international credit card processing for e-commerce businesses and online charities. The World Payments Guide on the company’s website lists over 200 countries in which PacNet Services offers some kind of payment processing solution. PacNet Services also does business under multiple other names, including Accu-Rate Corp (accu-rate.ca), Chexx Inc. (chexxinc.com), and PacNet Air (pacnetair.com). The company does not list an acquiring bank on its website and is headquartered at 595 Howe St, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6C 2T5, Canada. According to news articles and social media profiles, Rosanne Day is the CEO of PacNet Services.
PacNet Services Ltd. Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews Summary
Total Online Complaints
<10
Live Customer Support
Yes
Most Common Complaint
N/A
We are unable to locate any negative PacNet Services reviews that accuse the company of being a ripoff or a scam; however, there appears to be some confusion caused by the actions of PacNet’s merchants.
According to this complaint, this complaint, and a separate Better Business Bureau complaint, PacNet Services either currently processes or formerly processed check payments for a company called The Harriston Group based in Washington, Utah. The Harriston Group is an “F” rated organization with the BBB that is known to mail out vaguely worded sweepstakes offers in order to collect funds from unsuspecting citizens. Two complainants have linked The Harriston Group to PacNet Services because the checks they mailed to The Harriston Group were processed by PacNet Services. At this time, there is no evidence that PacNet Services is an owner, partner, or subsidiary of The Harriston Group, nor is there any indication that PacNet is complicit in the sweepstakes offers mailed out by The Harriston Group. However, it appears that PacNet has received some negative reviews due to its association with The Harriston Group.
Since PacNet Services itself has not been accused of misconduct by its merchants, we will not penalize it heavily in this section. However, merchants should keep this relationship in mind when researching the company. PacNet Services offers phone support in some of its countries of operation and email support in all of its countries of operation.
PacNet Services currently maintains an “A+” rating with the BBB but has not paid to become a member of the BBB’s accreditation program. The company’s profile is showing only one complaint in the last three years, and this complaint was filed in relation to a product or service issue. Upon closer inspection, the details of this complaint indicate that it was filed by a person who was upset with an aggressive sweepstakes mailing campaign conducted by a PacNet Services merchant. PacNet explained the situation and even refunded the payments processed by the merchant. The complainant acknowledged this to be a satisfactory result. In light of this outcome, we agree with the BBB’s rating of “A+.”
PacNet Services Ltd. Fees, Rates & Contract
Rates & Fees Summary
Swiped Rate
Variable
Keyed-in Rate
Variable
Early Termination Fee
Variable
PCI Compliance Fee
Variable
Equipment Lease Terms
Variable
PacNet Services offers merchant accounts to a wide variety of merchants and therefore customizes its pricing according to each merchant’s situation. Pricing will differ depending on a merchant’s business type, country of operation, processing needs, and other factors. As a result, it is difficult to assess the company’s standard contract terms.
The PacNet Services terms and conditions are available through the company’s website. Section 12.7 of this document states that the merchant agreement may be terminated at any time by either party with written notice, and that termination will become effective upon receipt of this notice. We interpret this to mean that PacNet does not enforce long-term contracts, but there is no indication either way regarding any possible early termination fees charged by the company. The only other costs explicitly mentioned in this document are a €50 monthly fee for Giro credit processing (waived if processing costs exceed €500 per month) and a customer-initiated refund fee of $10 per incident. All other fees appear to be negotiable and customized for each merchant.
We have not located any complaints that describe excessive fees through PacNet Services, and it appears that the company offers a month-to-month agreement with no fixed pricing plans. These factors are enough to earn the company a high score in this category for the time being, but this may be subject to change once more detailed information is available. If you have any specific knowledge of PacNet’s pricing and contract terms (including any PCI compliance fees or monthly minimums), please share that information in the comment section below this review.
PacNet Services appears to primarily market itself through traditional channels such as online advertising and referral partnerships. We have found no evidence that the company employs independent sales agents or telemarketers, and there are no PacNet Services complaints that accuse the company’s sales team of nondisclosure or deception. In addition, the company does not promote misleading quotes on its website or in its public-facing contract terms. In light of these facts, we award the company an “A+” rating at this time.
PacNet Services Ltd. Review Summary
PacNet Services has been completely shut down for the time being and should not be considered a viable payment processing option for the foreseeable future.
Please note that we only suggest providers that adhere to strict ethical standards and offer top performing support at extremely competitive pricing. We may earn revenue if choose one of our recommendations.
Reader Comments, Testimonials & Complaints
2 User Reviews
Sharon B
We have been a loyal customer to PacNet for almost 15 years and have been provided with nothing but impeccable service from them since day one. PacNet provides us with check clearing services in foreign currencies that could not be offered by any other bank in Canada. The only way we could expand our business internationally was with the assistance of PacNet’s services. Without the help of PacNet there is no way our business could service our overseas clients since our inception up until present time.
KllrDave
According to CNN, various state AG’s and now the US Dept of Justice, PacNet is the GO TO payment processor for fraudsters and scammers around the world.
Running a global confidence scam on the elderly and need to process all of those $20 checks? PacNet has you covered.
Sharing your experience influences our rating and helps other business owners make informed decisions. Promotional content and contact information will not be published. Please provide a detailed summary of your experience.
Any unauthorized copying and reproduction of the content of this page, including all meta data and computer code, is strictly prohibited. While the information in the above article is believed to be accurate as of its publish date, the author and publisher make no representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the contents. The author and publisher shall in no event be held liable to any party for any direct, indirect, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of this material, which is provided “as is,” and without warranties. Any and all use of trade names and/or marks are for identification purposes only and shall not be construed as a claim of affiliation, or otherwise, with CardPaymentOptions.com, Inc. ("CPO") in any form. The sole purpose of the material presented herein is to alert, educate, and inform readers. It is not intended as legal or financial advice. We may earn revenue if you obtain services from a provider that we recommend. See this page to learn how we support our operations.
Sharon B
We have been a loyal customer to PacNet for almost 15 years and have been provided with nothing but impeccable service from them since day one. PacNet provides us with check clearing services in foreign currencies that could not be offered by any other bank in Canada. The only way we could expand our business internationally was with the assistance of PacNet’s services. Without the help of PacNet there is no way our business could service our overseas clients since our inception up until present time.
KllrDave
According to CNN, various state AG’s and now the US Dept of Justice, PacNet is the GO TO payment processor for fraudsters and scammers around the world.
Running a global confidence scam on the elderly and need to process all of those $20 checks? PacNet has you covered.
https://money.cnn.com/2016/09/22/news/companies/pacnet-investigation/index.html