PacNet Services Ltd. Review

Name: PacNet Services Ltd.
Item: PacNet Services Ltd.
Rating: 4.6
Author: Phillip Parker

By Phillip Parker

Last Updated: February 7, 2019

2 User Comments

PacNet Services Ltd. Rating

4.6/5

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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

Here's What Their Clients Say

Key Points
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 Ltd. Online Ratings

Here's How They Rate Online

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

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 & Costs

A Closer Look at The Contract

Key Points
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 Ltd. Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs

Should You Work For Them?

Key Points
Employs Independent Resellers	No
Advertises Deceptive Rates	No
Discloses All Important Terms	Yes

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.

Our PacNet Services Ltd. Review Summary

Our Final Thoughts

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.

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About The Author

Phillip Parker

Phillip Parker is an independent card payment expert specializing U.S. and Canadian point-of-sale, e-commerce, and mobile payment acceptance. He has nearly two decades of experience in credit card processing as a journalist and consultant. Phillip is the creator of this website and has written over 1,500 articles covering numerous payment acceptance topics. He has also published critical reviews about most merchant services providers currently in operation.

Expert Guidance

Phillip has consulted businesses of all sizes from mom-and-pop shops processing $10K per month to enterprise level organizations processing in excess of $300MM annually. His specialties include:

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Phillip has researched and reviewed over 1,000 merchant services providers over the last 15 years. He also owns multiple businesses that accept credit card payments. If you are looking for an ethical credit card processor that doesn’t hide fees or lock you into expensive contracts, see Phillip’s merchant account picks here.

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In addition his contributions on CPO, Phillip has also been quoted in several major publications such as The Los Angeles Times, INC Magazine, Miami Herald, Computer World, and numerous others. If you would like to interview Phillip for your story or podcast, please reach out here.

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Your Comments & Reviews

How Did PacNet Services Ltd. Treat You?

2 Responses

Sharon B

November 18, 2016

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.

Reply
KllrDave

September 22, 2016

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

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